Kaszydo's first blog

Cyclonus: “Your what? Your ‘feeling’? Meaning singular?”

Whirl: “Yeah, I only have the one. And he’s hurtin’ real bad.”

I mean you’ve probably got that impression already but honestly, they are really, really bad. Especially if you like uploading fanfiction to websites like AO3.

At the moment, the way the law is phrased is likely to mean everything you upload in Europe, to any website that allows user-created content, will need to be automatically scanned for copyright violations.

You know YouTube’s automatic content filter? Imagine having that for the entire internet. We already know that copyright trolls exploit YouTube’s system in a bunch of ways, making money off user content they have no actual rights to, and shutting down legitimate user content.

But here’s where it gets worse: Websites that host user-generated content – including fanfiction – will be responsible for putting those filters in place and maintaining them themselves.

This law would in all likelihood require AO3 to implement a system which monitors every single work uploaded in Europe for copyright violations, before they can be shared on the Archive.

We’re talking full-on “robotic censorship regime”, as the Electronic Frontier Federation puts it. 

Not only would that be that icky and invasive. Not only would it ignore the complexity of copyright exceptions like Fair Dealing. Not only would it be easy to exploit by copyright trolls. It would also be a massive, massive burden on an organisation staffed entirely by volunteers. The sheer volume of work AO3’s coders, wranglers, and policy and abuse staff take on – for free, in their own time – is already staggering.

And while AO3 is a pretty robust archive, and might miraculously be able to find the resources to comply with this ridiculous law, there are many, many smaller websites out there that would seriously struggle. Other non-profits, libraries, and archives, who would all have to either build automatic content filters from the ground up – or more likely, pay for off-the-shelf “solutions” that are overpriced and ineffective.

The OTW are doing their best to fight this change, and this EFF post also has links to a bunch of ways in which you personally can help lobby against this terrible law.

The European Parliament’s legal committee has just voted (in June 2018) to press forward with the law, but we’ve probably still got until at least early 2019 before the whole Parliament votes on it. The timing is about as good as it gets – the next European Parliament election is expected in May 2019, so our MEPs are going to be worrying about re-election right when we need to put pressure on them (that’s now!).

“ACES BELONG AT PRIDE”

a PSA for the naysayers and encouragement for those who need it. mostly the latter rather than the former, but for those who needed the PSA:

you’re welcome.

Sitting in a tree 

K-I-S-S-I-N-G! 

First comes love 

Then comes marriage 

Then comes baby 

In a baby carriage!

Vastly different people they may be, but I did notice some similarities between Prowl and Tarantulas and their decisions regarding their science spawn son:

Prowl here states that “I just…want the best for him”.

But at the same time here, this being the scene where he essentially gives him up for adoption to Kup, it’s clear he doe not feel that he’s the one who can give the best.

As Impactor says- 

“We’re not role models Prowl.” 

Neither see themselves as the sort of morally sound people who would be equipped to take on the task of not only raising him, but raising him well.

All of this ultimately being why he gives him to Kup. A good mech, a good role model, who would watch out for Springer and really was the best option available.

While Prowl himself proceeds to keep tabs but at the same time have only minimal direct involvement, 

Tarantulas meanwhile, did not willingly give up Ostaros/Springer.

While Prowl was the parent who recognised themself unfit and that their child would be better off if given up for adoption, Tarantulas was the parent declared unfit and that had their child forcefully taken away.

They differ there hugely.

But, the parallels start to show more when Tarantulas actually finds that child again.

In a truly tragic scene, he admits to Springer how he’d been watching but had decided to not make himself known: “so as not…to be in your way”.

He also ultimately admits this:

That he thinks- “It was for the best you were taken from me. I think your life…would have been worse…”

So, utterly and devastatingly heart wrenching as it is, the parallels really were laid quite bare there.

Both parents cared for Springer/Ostaros.

Both parents wanted the best for Springer/Ostaros.

Both parents ultimately ended up coming to the decision that the best for Springer/Ostaros meant them not being there.

And both came to be proud that he turned out so good. That he turned out better than either of them.