Etiquette?

[galadhir]

Is it okay to just slide into a complete stranger's DW over here and comment on their latest post as if you've known them for years? Or would a "hello, I hope you don't mind that I subscribed to you, I saw that we shared an interest in [whatever]" need to come first?

Comments

[galadhir]

Thank you for reaching back! And yes, I don't know whether I'm getting too old now or what, but even social media suddenly seems exhausting. There's so much choice that I find myself signing up for everything and then being overwhelmed and neglecting it all. This is an attempt to repair that by going back to a format that I really enjoyed and found more of a blessing than a burden.

Here's hoping we can dance again this year! Who do you dance with?

[westerling]

I've taken the opposite approach by signing up for hardly anything but heavily lurking on Twitter to get links to news. I haaaaaaate FB with a passion. And yes, you have described how I used to feel about LJ, which I abandoned when you had to agree to the anti-LGBTQ+ TOS. I imported everything here and then there's been a gap, partly because a lot of my really close friends over the years have gone to FB or didn't make the move from LJ, so it got awfully quiet in here. I loved the long form and the silly, intelligent humor from most of the people I met here (well, LJ, but you get the idea). It was great for making unusual connections and having thoughtful conversation. Anyway, I decided a few months ago that I wanted to really use my account again.

So, I dance with a Cotswold team called Wakerobin, in Massachusetts (they are in my profile pic). We do Fieldtown and Oddington, mostly, and then I also dance on a Molly team. And you?

BTW, I love the Murderbot books with every fiber of my being.

[galadhir]

Oh yes, I hate FB too, but unfortunately it's where all my friends and neighbours in real life hang out, so if I want to be involved in my real life community, FB is the place I have to go. I still avoid it as much as I can.

And yes, that was about the time I left LJ as well. I wish I'd managed to import my LJ into DW, but I didn't. And like you I found it just too quiet here and went off to try and find somewhere else. But DW has certainly stood the test of time, given that it's here still, ten years later :) It's nice to think that perhaps people are actually drifting back.

I dance with Sutton Masque, Ely & Littleport Riot Border morris, and Coton Morris, which is a Cotswold side. I normally play the whistle for them all too, but I've been learning to play the melodeon over the lockdown, so by the time we're dancing again I might be doing that :)

Oh yes! I love the Murderbot books too. I read through all of the books and then I bought all the audiobooks as well, and now they're probably my number one comfort read. The narrator of the audiobooks is very good. I've just started listening from All Systems Red again today, in fact :) they're so kindly, and you can't say that of many books

[westerling]

Hooray for multiple teams! I play the fiddle kind of badly for my team sometimes but we have a completely wonderful and competent musician most of the time, so usually I dance and everybody's happier. :D

Coincidentally Kobo (what I use for audiobooks) just offered 2 of the Murderbot books at a good sale price so I bought them, and am looking forward to hearing them. I read them all, some of them twice and I have the new one preordered. I also loved the Goblin Emperor, which I saw in your list, and Arkady Martine's A Memory Called Empire. Last few months, I've leaned heavily into audiobooks, though. I'm hoping to get more focus and attention span again soon so I can actually sit and read. What crazy times.

[galadhir]

Oh gosh! Playing the fiddle badly is a higher level of musicianship than playing the melodeon at all :)

I have all the Murderbot audiobooks, and I have all the books :) It's a different experience reading them to the experience of hearing them, but both are good. Also, I don't think it's so much a matter of focus and attention span, rather having enough free time to dedicate to reading. I can listen to an audiobook when I'm cleaning the kitchen, or cooking, or digging the garden etc, so audiobooks make it possible to read a book while simultaneously doing something else.

Also ooh. Yes, I adore The Goblin Emperor, which makes me think that since I share that with you too, I might like A Memory Called Empire which I hadn't heard of before. So I've just bought that! Fingers crossed :)

[westerling]

I have the second Arkady Martine waiting for me at the bookshop, can't wait. If I can only get myself time to read it. Her work has a certain feel similar to Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan saga, if you're familiar with that series. Kind of classics at this point.

And yes I use audiobooks all the time now and that's sometimes the only way I can get anything done at all!

[galadhir]

I have bought the audiobook of the first one, but then I got distracted by listening to the Murderbot diaries again from the beginning, so I won't get around to reading it until finishing Network Effect. I do like Lois McMaster Bujold, though so I feel pretty confident about it. I'm looking forward to it :)