Tumblr break

[aceeccentric]

I downloaded BlockSite for Firefox just to make myself actually keep off of Tumblr during my self-imposed Tumblr hiatus. I just need a week or so... but I kept checking, so. I've installed BlockSite and taking Tumblr off it will take extra effort, which will hopefully help keep me from doing it on impulse. (Also, it might give me some space to actually write a Wordpress post. Though I wish I had some inspiration for it.)

There are people on Tumblr I don't want to leave "alone," that I want to keep up with because I know that the anti-ace stuff hits them hard, but I feel weird feeling that because I don't know them that personally and there are other people who follow them and will (hopefully) back them up if they feel particularly down.

I don't know what the word for that is. I tried to write a Wordpress post about it a while back, but I ended up floundering and feeling ridiculous about it. I feel ... connected? to the people whose sites I read. But sometimes I don't even know if they even know who I am, or recognize me, or read anything that I write. I realize I can see who follows my Tumblr, but that doesn't mean they read anything I put there or feel anything about me. I get defensive of these people and want to protect them and join in conversations so they don't have to be alone.

But I feel weird about that. They're not friends -- I don't know them that well, or personally at all. There's a limited amount of verifiable interaction, where we're liking posts or reblogging or commenting or what have you. It would be overstepping to call these people my friends, and there's a likelihood they would find it weird if I did.

So, why do I feel like I'm walking away from ... well, friends?

Comments

[captain_heartless]

I remember back at SF pride, someone said "Damn my asexual privilege!" and all of us tumblrs immediately started laughing and realized who else was on tumblr. After that it seemed like we were all friends, despite not knowing each other before hand (I think I was only following one of them at the time), because we had all been there and fought that battle.

So I don't know, I feel like since we have all dealt with so much hate together it feels like we are all friends. Although I'll admit I've stayed out of most of the arguing now, because 1) I don't have time, and 2) no one listens anyways.

[aceeccentric]

Heh. I would've laughed too. That sounds like it was nice. There is a lot of stuff that anyone in the ace/grace/demi-related tags have gone through kind of together. I suppose that does provide some connection.

It does give that feeling. I can't get into the arguing -- I nearly have half a dozen times, but I'm so anti-confrontational that the thought made me physically ill and I know I couldn't handle actually doing it. Especially since, as you say, nobody listens.

[sciatrix]

I think it's a mixture of--leaving a community that's come together under stress, and then knowing you're leaving people behind who are one of yours.

I don't know. I wasn't posting much either, mostly for the same reasons as Captain Heartless--it wouldn't have done any good. (I've had this opinion on arguing with those people since very early in the original sexual privilege clusterfuck, since I'd seen earlier, non-tumblr sfd_anon and ontd_feminism asexuality clusterfucks that stayed on those comms--ontd_feminism in particular had had two or three long, detailed, inventively horrifying asexuality "discussions" well before any of this came up. At this point, I have basically no respect for anyone coming from either community.)

And yet I still feel bad about leaving people alone to that, too. And wish I could lure them over here.

[aceeccentric]

I think that's it. I know that I don't normally do much but like things and maybe send private asks, but if somebody needs comfort I want to be there (and then at the same time I know I desperately needed a mental health break).

I remember the first ontd_feminism post. I skimmed a couple of comments but backed out pretty quickly, and I only knew about it because half the people who knew me from LJ were sending me messages not to go there.

Usually it seems that even with all the breaks people are taking there's some people around, so at least there's something in the way of potential support if not as big a group as there could be. And we did get group_x up for those inclined to use it, so at least that's something.

[dancewithoutyou]

Sorry for the drive-by, but I saw you like Being Human. I don't know how you feel about fic memes, but I'm hosting one here, if you enjoy them.

[aceeccentric]

Ah, unfortunately I haven't been able to keep up with the show... I missed a few episodes last season and wasn't able to get started again. But thanks for the link!

[dancewithoutyou]

Well if you change your mind, I have only seen like six episodes so :)