CIRCLE WITH A DOT

@WeirdWriter @rytmis @Willow

That makes complete sense. Similarly, I have been distributing a lot more zines in person and in bookstores, making that an increasing focus over sharing online, because while a person could easily use AI to make a zine, I don't know why anyone would. Someone who is making slop as a shortcut is not going to take the significant time, effort, and expense (and I say this with sincerity, love) to make zines and give them and reach out to stores or venues. They want shortcuts.

When I hand someone a zine, they accept the creation and gift of it as something beautiful, before they've even read it. It's such a healing shift in community and perspective compared to trying to write for algorithms and clicks. It's so fulfilling. Moreover, I can have all the clicks in the world, but if it's just *content* to the readers, then it's already dead. And I do realize that it's not an accessible format for everyone, but I do think there's something to the idea of the ways we interact with *content* vs physical media, especially when there is a sense of proximity to the author, either in person, or knowing that it was handcrafted or something that doesn't separate the author and the reader by a portal through their phones.

I think it makes sense that in the fanfic space, one of the things that helps close that gap is that people recognize that even posted online it's generally sincere. It's not *content*, it's something clearly created for other purposes than that. There's, on the whole, an assumption that there is human connection of some form.

I hate that in 2026, this is what I'm thinking about. But on the other hand, we had forms of algorithmic writing littering the landscape before, as well. We just called it formulaic. The trash heap has just gotten significantly larger, but it's not necessarily new. I try to remind myself of this.

@WeirdWriter @rytmis @Willow

Thank you for sharing this. I enjoy writing and always have, and even if I didn't have major issues with LLM and other AI models, I would feel like I was giving up on what makes me want to write in the first place, were I to use one. If I'm going to work on a conveyor belt, I don't want it to cannibalize the thing that I love.

I'm not sure, aside from money, what the point of writing is if I were to use a tool like that. And honestly, I don't feel *tool* is the right word for what this software is. A tool should aid me in my expression, it should be fit for purpose, but it takes that away and supplants it.

If writing is simply a mode of survival, then I understand why they use it. I am incredibly against it, but I understand why they choose it. But then I don't understand why they choose writing at all. Why don't they choose a different field altogether? Why writing and the expression of thought and human experience? I don't understand.

I don't even like grammar tools because they try to mold my expression to a supremacist concept of language.

I have the benefit, I suppose, that while I make money with my writing, I'm not dependent on it, so I'm not forced to have to choose between my integrity and the food in the bellies of my children. Still, though.

And while nothing I see out there that is made with an LLM convinces me that the game has changed for meaningful writing, and that it's primarily supplanting machine slop for the same human slop that ever was written, I agree that it is disheartening. No one has accused me directly of using AI, but when I've seen my syndicated pieces shared, I'll see an occasional person wonder if it was made with AI, which is strange to me because I think I have a relatively unique style and voice, my work has rhythm, something I don't see in LLM slop. I'm reassured with the way others engage my material that most don't see it that way, but it truly is disheartening to see it even once or twice. And it's extra wild because I think it's very clear from my presence and the topics that I write about that I would never.

But I remember, too, that the true value in my writing is connecting with our collective human experience through the expression of my own. I can't imagine how a machine could ever replace that experience within me.

If at some stage I'm not connecting, perhaps I need to connect with more *humanity* in order to write more engaging work, not more machines.

@WeirdWriter @Willow

Thank you!

@WeirdWriter @Willow

Wait wait, this wasn't fiction? I thought it was beautiful and horrifying as (plausible) fiction, but I'm even more horrified to know it actually happened. I was already seething.

But those two paragraphs about being a messy revolutionary are everything I needed to read today. Thank you so much for writing and sharing this!

@Willow @WeirdWriter omg this is horrifying and I love that it captures so much of what I hate

I hate the global capitalist regime so fucking much.

@JoscelynTransient @bluewitchgwen @technicolourpenguin @jepyang

I would *never* use Tabasco on my

Yucateco, though?

@JoscelynTransient @jepyang

In*flamm*ation? Look at the picture, Jocelyn! It's *Fire!* sauce!

@jepyang @JoscelynTransient

@JoscelynTransient @jepyang

It's my body my choice, Joscelyn! Be careful or we'll have to have a sit down taco 'bout bodily autacomeat.

@mxjaygrant @jepyang

I could taco 'bout this subject all day

@jepyang yessssss! I want this!

@jepyang I made this to illustrate.

@jepyang good, because the way I see it, if you think about it,

taco sauce is just spicy lube.

@CliftonR @jepyang

To the moon, Alice! Too the moon!

@jepyang just gotta say, this is literally the spiciest content I have ever posted on the interwebs.

And I post about my own vagina, tentacles, and ask for dildo recommendations.

Also, I had no idea that's where it would end up when I started writing it lol

@jepyang well, I was just going to say that admittedly, the hot dog covered in taco juice is *chefs kiss*

So, yeah, I know it's not everyone's thing but when the hot dog slips in it's pretty amazing.

Just, sometimes you want just a taco without the hot dog water flavor or vice versa. Just depends on my mood.

@jepyang Is it time for me to stop yet?

@jepyang I'm wondering, you know, I have a couple of pockets, which means if I really wanted to, I have two places to put my hot dogs, but sometimes I'm just to full to need another one, so it seems unnecessary. Then again, sometimes I'm just really hungry.

@jepyang omg, it just occurred to me. ‍️ I could be carrying this in my purse instead of my pocket.

If I did that, I would have more room for a hot dog in my pocket, which is always a struggle with the taco in the same bag. I can't keep the hot dog from trying to push into the taco. There's just nowhere else for it to go when it's in that confined space.