Merri
@merri-cae.bsky.social
Sometimes socially oblivious, or too direct. Over-explainer, but I'll still leave details out. Trying to lead with empathy and understanding above all else. Struggles with applications of Poe's Law.
And if you want to make your own server, (which I would argue most people in Discord don't run a whole server themselves, but maybe that's within your needs) you can easily learn what's needed within the month before Discord implodes.
It's accessible for people who aren't techheads, too.
It's accessible for people who aren't techheads, too.
February 10, 2026 at 1:04 AM
And if you want to make your own server, (which I would argue most people in Discord don't run a whole server themselves, but maybe that's within your needs) you can easily learn what's needed within the month before Discord implodes.
It's accessible for people who aren't techheads, too.
It's accessible for people who aren't techheads, too.
You can just... make an account. It's right there. It'll act like discord. Find places and people you want to connect with, move them over.
You don't need to code to bring over your friends and hang out in voice chats and send messages to each other or find a home.
Problem's not insurmountable.
You don't need to code to bring over your friends and hang out in voice chats and send messages to each other or find a home.
Problem's not insurmountable.
February 10, 2026 at 1:04 AM
You can just... make an account. It's right there. It'll act like discord. Find places and people you want to connect with, move them over.
You don't need to code to bring over your friends and hang out in voice chats and send messages to each other or find a home.
Problem's not insurmountable.
You don't need to code to bring over your friends and hang out in voice chats and send messages to each other or find a home.
Problem's not insurmountable.
B isn't mentioned above because it's the overlap between A and C. B is what happens when the culture resonates with an idea that needs to be expressed, and art is made for that idea, transformable to a product that people will pay for.
Popularity, media, culture driving the commodification of art.
Popularity, media, culture driving the commodification of art.
February 10, 2026 at 12:50 AM
B isn't mentioned above because it's the overlap between A and C. B is what happens when the culture resonates with an idea that needs to be expressed, and art is made for that idea, transformable to a product that people will pay for.
Popularity, media, culture driving the commodification of art.
Popularity, media, culture driving the commodification of art.
The collapse of the middle class was already hurting artists even before GenAI 'art' started blatantly violating the copyright of everyone who has ever had something uploaded to the internet.
I don't know a single successful(C) Millennial artist from my old artist networks, but they all still do A.
I don't know a single successful(C) Millennial artist from my old artist networks, but they all still do A.
February 10, 2026 at 12:46 AM
The collapse of the middle class was already hurting artists even before GenAI 'art' started blatantly violating the copyright of everyone who has ever had something uploaded to the internet.
I don't know a single successful(C) Millennial artist from my old artist networks, but they all still do A.
I don't know a single successful(C) Millennial artist from my old artist networks, but they all still do A.
More importantly, we need to change how our society rewards people. I know plenty of people who claim they would love to help pay for A, but they can only afford C, or cannot even afford C, despite providing plenty of labor into the system.
So we also need to change how we value work in general.
So we also need to change how we value work in general.
February 10, 2026 at 12:46 AM
More importantly, we need to change how our society rewards people. I know plenty of people who claim they would love to help pay for A, but they can only afford C, or cannot even afford C, despite providing plenty of labor into the system.
So we also need to change how we value work in general.
So we also need to change how we value work in general.
So economics demand C, but life demands A. Finding A/C alignment is rare, so most 'artists' do both, independent of one another. AI Art cannot impede on A on its own, but it can cut away C for working artists. And without economic support, those artists cannot do A.
We need to change what we value.
We need to change what we value.
February 10, 2026 at 12:46 AM
So economics demand C, but life demands A. Finding A/C alignment is rare, so most 'artists' do both, independent of one another. AI Art cannot impede on A on its own, but it can cut away C for working artists. And without economic support, those artists cannot do A.
We need to change what we value.
We need to change what we value.
I think people who do A still have bills to pay and food to eat. The entire point of 'doing art' is A. The reason that 'the starving artist' exists as a trope is that A is not valued or rewarded by capitalism in our current system as designed.
February 10, 2026 at 12:46 AM
I think people who do A still have bills to pay and food to eat. The entire point of 'doing art' is A. The reason that 'the starving artist' exists as a trope is that A is not valued or rewarded by capitalism in our current system as designed.
Element/Matrix is effectively feature-identical, e2e encrypted, open-source, home-hosted federated Discord.
There's a bit of a tech learning curve if you want to host your own server and aren't in IT, but hopping on someone else's is easy enough.
There are valid options, is all I'm saying.
There's a bit of a tech learning curve if you want to host your own server and aren't in IT, but hopping on someone else's is easy enough.
There are valid options, is all I'm saying.
February 10, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Element/Matrix is effectively feature-identical, e2e encrypted, open-source, home-hosted federated Discord.
There's a bit of a tech learning curve if you want to host your own server and aren't in IT, but hopping on someone else's is easy enough.
There are valid options, is all I'm saying.
There's a bit of a tech learning curve if you want to host your own server and aren't in IT, but hopping on someone else's is easy enough.
There are valid options, is all I'm saying.
Reposted by Merri
Just going to leave this alternative to Discord:
Self-Hosted FOSS.
You're in charge of your server rules.
element.io/en
Self-Hosted FOSS.
You're in charge of your server rules.
element.io/en
Element | Secure collaboration and messaging
Element is a Matrix-based end-to-end encrypted messenger and secure collaboration app. It’s decentralised for digital sovereign self-hosting, or through a hosting service such as Element Matrix Servic...
element.io
February 9, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Just going to leave this alternative to Discord:
Self-Hosted FOSS.
You're in charge of your server rules.
element.io/en
Self-Hosted FOSS.
You're in charge of your server rules.
element.io/en
Abolish ICE.
Abolish CBP.
Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
No murdering racists with federal authority.
Reorganize DHS into independent agencies.
Data protection from government surveillance of citizens.
Congressional guard rails on federal overreach.
Reform the Court.
Common sense.
Abolish CBP.
Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
No murdering racists with federal authority.
Reorganize DHS into independent agencies.
Data protection from government surveillance of citizens.
Congressional guard rails on federal overreach.
Reform the Court.
Common sense.
February 3, 2026 at 11:24 PM
Abolish ICE.
Abolish CBP.
Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
No murdering racists with federal authority.
Reorganize DHS into independent agencies.
Data protection from government surveillance of citizens.
Congressional guard rails on federal overreach.
Reform the Court.
Common sense.
Abolish CBP.
Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
No murdering racists with federal authority.
Reorganize DHS into independent agencies.
Data protection from government surveillance of citizens.
Congressional guard rails on federal overreach.
Reform the Court.
Common sense.
Reposted by Merri
...so the video essay is now live, please like & share! btw the photo in the thumbnail is from *1997* during the 2nd Annual National Gender Lobbying Day, where trans people gathered in Washington DC to reach out to members of Congress. trans activism is not in any way "new"!
youtu.be/a9VhnoxRj1o
youtu.be/a9VhnoxRj1o
Should Democrats Moderate on Trans & LGBTQ Issues?
YouTube video by Julia Serano
youtu.be
February 3, 2026 at 9:27 PM
...so the video essay is now live, please like & share! btw the photo in the thumbnail is from *1997* during the 2nd Annual National Gender Lobbying Day, where trans people gathered in Washington DC to reach out to members of Congress. trans activism is not in any way "new"!
youtu.be/a9VhnoxRj1o
youtu.be/a9VhnoxRj1o
Why is he specifying 'minor children', 'not teenagers'. Is Hawley just casually trying to insinuate teenagers aren't minors?
Maybe it's just this news cycle, but drawing the distinction in that way seems suspect. Does he always talk like that?
Maybe it's just this news cycle, but drawing the distinction in that way seems suspect. Does he always talk like that?
February 3, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Why is he specifying 'minor children', 'not teenagers'. Is Hawley just casually trying to insinuate teenagers aren't minors?
Maybe it's just this news cycle, but drawing the distinction in that way seems suspect. Does he always talk like that?
Maybe it's just this news cycle, but drawing the distinction in that way seems suspect. Does he always talk like that?
Seems like maybe we don't need a group of federally-funded racists with rifles roaming back and forth to beat people based on the color of their skin, ostensibly to solve the imagined 'problem' of these people's freedom of movement that citizens have had nearly flawlessly across all 50 states.
February 2, 2026 at 4:18 AM
Seems like maybe we don't need a group of federally-funded racists with rifles roaming back and forth to beat people based on the color of their skin, ostensibly to solve the imagined 'problem' of these people's freedom of movement that citizens have had nearly flawlessly across all 50 states.
January 30, 2026 at 10:55 PM
