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kolala
4 months ago
Late to your original question, but how about using labels to be as a safe space? For instance, I have my pronouns in my site even though it doesn't make a difference to me. I'm a cis woman, so the default she/her works. And even if someone misgenders me, I wouldn't care because I have never suffered from it.
kolala
4 months ago
So in that case, rather than being a defensive thing, it's just to tell others that I'll respect their pronouns if they ever interacted with me. To try to make it safer for those who might be dealing with discrimination in other places. I rarely interact with others, but if there's a chance to make things a bit less hostile then it's worth it.
Agreed with Koala. Before I came out as trans, I didn't self-identify very much as anything online, in fact I preferred to hide it. But even coming against prejudice about being trans from even my own family and facing random abuse in public and online, self-identifying works as both indicating to others that I'm "in the know (e.g. about pronouns, etc)"/ am safe, and also practically works as a filter.
Also, I've poked around on the old web on archives of geocities and others, there was quite a lot of self-identification especially in the LGBTQ community, much as there still is today. I haven't looked at other communities but I suspect your observation on race, nationality, etc, are the same. When there's so much information online, choosing who to follow or spend time with is important, labels help with that
ghostscape
4 months ago
i think my thoughts are not comment-sized but: this topic is super interesting, your thoughts reflect a lot of my own feelings, and also the current comments are spot-on too. how I've felt about online labels over the years has maaassively changed and part of that is to do with the kind of privileges I have changing
emilynhoward
4 months ago
@kolala Thanks for the perspective. Yeah, I think that different sites with different purposes use labels differently. For myself, I've had experiences where I thought I was a good ally and ended up causing harm, so I don't see myself as an expert on whether or not I'm a "safe" person. If someone is wondering if I am safe to approach, I would recommend that they read around my site a bit and decide for themselves.
emilynhoward
4 months ago
@pixelglade Several years ago, I got harrassed on the bus by someone claiming that they "couldn't tell" "what" I am. Shortly afterwards, I got some pride pins to put on my bag so nobody could claim to be confused about it and to take up space as a queer person. So I get that as a reason to self-label online. But to me there's a thin line between creating a community and creating an echo chamber in online spaces...
emilynhoward
4 months ago
...and that's the part that I'm still trying to figure out. I was not connected to the LGBTQ+ community in my early internet days, so I did not see the self-labeling happening there. My guess is that the practice started in small communities connecting around their identities and get got more mainstreamed over the years.
The first post with the typewriter: https://jamesg.blog/2025/10/19/beginnings-type-written
emilynhoward
4 months ago
Ooh, thanks for this! You can kind of see the starry-eyed wonder that typewriters invoke. I have so far decided not to post images of my typewriting because it would require both high-res images and lots of alt text. But maybe I will one day with short bits of text.
It might be possible to simplify the process of converting full-length pages of typewriter text to alt text using OCR like tesseract or something else, but even in that case, smaller segments will probably be easier. Personally I'd like to see an example of the text your typewriter produces, out of curiosity for how the letterforms look
emilynhoward
4 months ago
My experiments so far with OCR have not worked out well. You'd think it would be easy for a computer to render typewriting into text, but the program I was using actually couldn't parse several of the letters. I will consider uploading some examples of text, though. Thanks for the suggesion!
nohappynonsense
4 months ago
i was thinking lately i should update my about section, but when i just checked it i realized it is as bare bones as i'd like it to be while still existing and providing some navigation. i think labels are good for new visitors, to sort of orient themselves in a general direction of the author, but ultimately the writing/content of the site is where we truly learn about who's behind the html
barndoors
4 months ago
I'd judge way less while browsing. age range is the only stat I look for. no one does media queries here but you can't hate on a 14 yo's first chatgpt-less build
maxcrunch
4 months ago
self categorization is really important for me and I do self labeling as a way to get to know myself. sometimes you self label and then find out you're wrong. it's a harder question to answer for other people. for websites, I'm more into the style of expression than the actual person. although there are some people I followed only because they're only
ghostscape
4 months ago
I don't usually go looking for those tbh: it's useful to know gender if I'm going to refer to someone (even if just to myself) but I don't think I know the rest about most of you unless it comes up organically
ghostscape
4 months ago
but then I am very into small-web anonymity. I've had enough of labels and minutely detailed self-branding as the cost of entry to a lot of social media and online spaces
emilynhoward
4 months ago
Thanks for your responses @nohappynonsense @barndoors @maxcrunch @ghoatscape! I started typing my reply and realized that it was going to be way longer than a Neocities comment will allow, so I will try to put up a page on my site and link it here today or tomorrow. I appreciate all your perspectives.
emilynhoward
4 months ago
I added some extracts from my journals. I don't know how you'll feel about it, but this is my favorite page that I've uploaded in a long time.
nohappynonsense
4 months ago
this is like a cheat code to skip out on my own notebook practice and just get all the good stuff from yours
art music videogames programming games anime food personal writing cats blog movies books gaming fashion photography comics animation design horror game drawing coding arte manga portfolio furry reading ocs poetry cute technology musica kpop history education animals film fun literature roblox programacion philosophy sports html nature science programing tech videogame travel politics minecraft web gamedev love retro life school videojuegos computers youtube cartoons pokemon 2000s blogging diary video illustration fantasy pink dogs idk random comic gardening internet videos memes linux oc cooking ai y2k queer nostalgia kawaii test arg tv webcomic fandom aesthetic journal crafts worldbuilding cars emo business fanfiction news media vocaloid learning films health stuff silly space math fiction website stories cutecore 90s culture arts scifi etc cat painting journaling football baking graphics punk crochet homestuck css 3d marketing goth software cinema lgbt commissions pixelart sanrio psychology program diy sport archive artist dance digitalart me dnd shows series makeup comida characters trans religion metal creativity funny graphicdesign lgbtq editing lifestyle indie cool aboutme entertainment fanart streaming friends clothes rpg code sonic development plants story javascript scene guitar webcomics roleplay comedy languages electronics everything rock ttrpg sewing zines weird community engineering study webcore aesthetics reviews hacking gay cyberpunk beauty webdesign educacion basketball fnaf it originalcharacters computer soccer social photos vtuber vintage spirituality informatica weirdcore oldweb deltarune pets discord blogs project architecture storytelling coffee vaporwave thoughts shop flowers movie information biology hobbies clothing language undertale shopping japan mlp nintendo lore about magic cosplay testing creative fitness book ttrpgs chat radio fandoms experimental digital html5 nothing crypto physics money blinkies alternative websites astronomy info cybersecurity birds singing site bugs japanese tecnologia juegos furries wip anything witchcraft research occult autism crafting personalwebsite other band finance theatre tvshows gamedevelopment projects sleep sleeping moda profile television resume dolls futbol lain events vr work knitting interests all yaoi vampires system photo linguistics genshin apps fish gatos dreams transgender astrology splatoon wiki romance webdevelopment ghchs python collecting free meme poems puzzle rap mentalhealth fanfic toys aliens frutigeraero developer dancing app carrd windows visualnovels animations cartoon drawings family pixels animes robots gothic coquette gym tarot english stamps essays marvel bio dog fortnite hiking skateboarding touhou intro deportes medicine modding gamedesign a humor pizza interactive chess journalism osc links teaching security characterdesign mystery dragons online mathematics gyaru puzzles adventure fnf roleplaying gallery data hobby zine no popculture creepypasta yuri rp fansite resources birthday mythology objectshows lol jfashion musicals blender zonelets ocean pixel vkei traveling gifs law dreamcore myself twitch meow jogos home audio piano novels introduction peliculas ffxiv breakcore libros tf2 hiphop pjsk dark amor recipes noise style scenecore death bfdi stars studying privacy communism graphic podcast rpgs progamming shrine indiegames paranormal plushies swag danganronpa robotics activism wrestling running hellokitty ecommerce none twine car spanish production socialmedia christianity pictures android bunnies foods awesome omori utau boardgames craft pinterest filmmaking educational jewelry lesbian cine things volleyball songs travelling electronic student outdoors god designing geography lolita anarchism dev vent misc deporte maths scratch 3dmodeling grunge girls feminism brasil webdev unblocked collage blue sharks 80s bl store dinosaurs environment clowns old mario bitcoin realestate transformers computing tools jpop vtubers pc novel doom stickers jazz help college starwars images acting jesus fotografia alt construction flash tea bts trains chemistry yoga cafe creepy computerscience theater tumblr baseball services event java plurality mcr args manhwa collection cyber programar translation whatever epic multimedia lego vlog warriorcats pastel pop retrogaming horses escuela programmer videoediting cozy persona southpark whimsy videography supernatural f1 weed yes trading skating draw therian gamer historia podcasts hardware dj miku forum tiktok tcc tabletop programas js weather insects techno monsters truecrime literatura medical dc drama people girly socialism opensource economics bsd shoes otherkin kandi skincare ecology swimming cricket green 3dprinting lgbtqia ropa maps filmes homepage angels sound tattoos nerd restaurant surrealism hi trinkets search estudiante freedom learn modeling salud enstars vhs chatting kirby ideas edm turismo cleaning animales digitalmarketing world animanga kidcore text healthcare kdrama bible artwork curso fishing analysis petz halloween tourism hockey cultura author sociology service closedspecies conspiracy racing shitposting tennis academia videogaming depression brazil sculpture hardcore sketching chill cv livros thrifting bands did egl friendship colors homework furniture knowledge drugs women library surreal programa artes wedding analog rats eating frogs general networking scary christian plural visualnovel writting creation blockchain purple hair programacao ambient mobile alterhuman aviation sciencefiction retrogames university sites academic gacha graffiti genshinimpact tutorials anarchy wellness foss mods practice soft ux society truth mangas sustainability glitch medieval cryptocurrency quotes server rpgmaker ghosts informacion cycling 3dart estudio water batman erotica anthropology species theology webseries cryptids writer company garden schoolproject onepiece rants programs otaku review forsaken harrypotter tattoo talking magazine nails superheroes bot guns jjba yapping ceramics esoteric theory character crocheting building archives miriadax conlang bikes live class kids concerts neocities notes illustrations french camping analoghorror css3 startrek noticias performance vampire meditation instagram shrines disney cs play chaos google creating revival church liminal scrapbooking articles future os kdramas spiderman animal blood unblockedgames twitter musicproduction industrial crime handmade house cards lostmedia seals shitpost content rhythmgames synthesizers selfship decor training evangelion apple voiceacting idols advertising shoegaze terror vida folklore ultrakill viajes dating originalcharacter frontend crk youtuber mylittlepony interactivefiction visualkei communication party sanat new vlogs sims embroidery exercise disability satire vrchat vinyl prompts repair animalcrossing zelda neopets doodles paganism jobs marxism poesia desing commission calculator designer magick mtg datascience quiz finalfantasy silliness rambling joke entretenimiento facts something animating creativewriting islam adhd spooky yumeship vtubing programmation tareas geek creatures shifting sweets overwatch black ia tecnology halflife tarea military vegan developing miscellaneous musics hack beach jokes cult rainbow conlangs cheese anthro daily download more programm randomstuff dandysworld bass scp webring spiritual underground songwriting photoshop hetalia kink shoujo fanfics vibes ranfren happy hotel mha studies zombies motorcycles tamagotchi oldinternet ar club todo self ui arcane mushrooms glitter desarrollo jeux tips lofi beginner collections tic private christmas productivity archival musician trabajo mecha pet doctorwho agriculture tokusatsu dungeonsanddragons yugioh videgames map 1 cities php projectsekai stem gossip musique edits secret warhammer tokipona rave stupid gender faith drinks streamer blackmetal
by other versions I mean slightly tweaking the colors and calling it a day bc im lazy