8FOLD: Mighty Medley # 34, November 2016, by Messrs. Brenton, McClure, and Russell

[Drew Perron]

On 11/25/2016 7:07 AM, Tom Russell wrote:
> On Friday, November 25, 2016 at 2:57:18 AM UTC-5, Drew Perron wrote:
>> On 11/23/2016 8:03 PM, Tom Russell wrote:
>
>>>    So, let's set aside the weirdness of this whole thing, and how
>>> creepy it all is, because let's face it, every sub-culture feels weird
>>> and creepy on the outside.
>>
>> Hrm. ^^; So, to preface, I don't mean to make you feel bad, this isn't a
>> personal thing, but I want to be honest with my feedback, so...
>>
>> I find this sort of comment... uncomfortable. Because, well, being into what
>> makes you happy *isn't* weird and *isn't* creepy, and framing it as "oh well of
>> *course* you'll think badly of people being into their own little non-mainstream
>> hobbies, that's just how it *is*", especially when the story is about them being
>> basically sociopathic and uncaring in their pursuit of it... bwah, I'm sorry
>> @-@; It's got a good point, it's just, yeah.
>
>I understand where you're coming from, but the thing to remember is that this
 > is a story written in first-person, and therefore from a specific character's
 > specific viewpoint. And that character, being marginalized herself, really
 > /should/ have a less jaundiced view of sub-cultures, but Cal is also acting
 > out of anger toward the treatment of the AIs; it colors her view of things.
 > She's also someone who contains a lot of contradictions in her character.

I know that one. @-@ I think... I think the thing that really pushed that button 
for me is that it's formatted in such a way where much of it feels more like 
straightforward narrative exposition, and the turns into being judgmental from 
there were more startling and affecting. I think I've just read too many things 
that took that premise as a starting point; I'm thinking of one xkcd comic in 
particular...

Also, I didn't actually realize it was Cal at first. ^^; It took going forward 
to the third story, and realizing, oh hey, that makes sense, and that way all 
the stories in this issue are about Cal.

 > (Though even geeks who are hardcore into one obsessive hobby can turn up
 > their nose at another; a lot of folks look at historical military boardgames,
 > of the hex-and-counter variety that I publish, as being ghoulish and
 > promoting warfare-- which, no, that's not how it works, at all.)

Yeah, I know that one. x.x Sometimes it's geek self-hate, sometimes it's "you do 
something similar to me but just a little different and it feels *so weird*"...

>So, no, your comment doesn't make me feel bad, no worries there-- I share
 > your point of view, I was just trying to represent Cal's POV and character as
 > best I could.

Very good. :>

Drew "good talks" Perron