Welcome, new folk!

[liv]

jjhunter made a Friending meme. I sort of participated, but I also got very busy around the time it went up, so I've not quite kept up with who's added me or really followed up at all.

I like DW's WTF split; I feel much more comfortable here than I did on LJ with just subscribing to random people cos their journals seem interesting. And like the model that's becoming more popular on places like Twitter and Tumblr, where connections between people don't have to be reciprocal. So I don't necessarily add back everyone who reads my journal; if you comment enough that I notice you, I'll probably add you. Beyond that, my main criterion is that I'm looking for journals that contain a fair amount of original content, preferably words, that isn't primarily fanfic or predominantly one single interest that I don't share.

Right now I can't be bothered with access filters; I give generic access to people I know IRL. IRL doesn't exactly mean "in person"; if I interact with someone regularly on the internet I start to see them as being part of my real life and I've made extremely real friends that way, but with too much geography for me to ever be likely to see them. I post access-locked when I discuss work in ways that might directly identify me or my students, or when I talk about family or other people known to my friends but not necessarily random online connections. So most of my content that might be of general interest is public, you're not missing anything if I don't give you access. Basically I'm trying to keep my offline, wallet name identity separate from this journal. It's not strongly anonymous, just not supposed to be transparent to search engines.

Anyway. Belated greetings to the new people I found via the friending meme, or who otherwise started reading recently. Please feel free to ask me any questions you feel curious about, my obscure interests or something you'd like to know more about about my opinions or my life (as long as it isn't personally identifying or likely to involve other people's privacy). Or indeed, just questions that you've often found elicit interesting answers from people you've recently met; I somewhat collect those. People who already know me are more than welcome to ask questions too, or perhaps suggest topics you'd like me to post about!

When I was in college I did some summer volunteering helping to run a programme for disadvantaged kids. The volunteers had a couple of days of training before the kids arrived, and one of the things we did was a get-to-know-you exercise that was somewhat right-on, but has stuck with me. We had big pieces of paper and we had 30 seconds to write down which identity categories we felt strongly connected to. So if you would like to, please do play this game in comments here, 30 seconds to write down who you are!

Comments

30 second identities

[liv]

I think I wrote something like: Jewish, teacher, long hair, scientist, European, extrovert. I didn't write female, cis, bisexual or white, though I do belong in all those categories, because they seem rather incidental, not really who I am. Now I think I would include academic and blogger, though I wasn't either of those things yet in 1998.

[jack]

In no order: atheist, skeptic, geek, male, straight, bi, kinky, mathmo, graduate, pedant-ish, coder, english, british, european-ish, human, person-who-loves-Liv.

[liv]

Aww! I love how you're both straight and bi, and also that you wrote human. I completely forgot to say that, I think because it was obvious that anyone who was filling in the list would be human. Except I suppose they might be therian or otherkin or something, in which case they might not identify as human. Also ♥ for putting me in your identity list!

[jack]

Oh yes, and I forgot feminist. In fact, the term's so loaded I wonder if it would be better if I used a different term instead, but it's too late, I still do identify as feminist. And possibly lefty/liberal/etc, although I probably shouldn't.

[jack]

And I thought of introvert, but I decided not to put it, as it feels more circumstantial than central.

[jack]

And vegetarian! I forgot another one :)

[yvi]

Geek, programmer, woman, scientist, atheist, feminist, runner/swimmer/dancer, introvert, German, European

[liv]

Ooh, cool list, thank you for joining in. I think if I'd taken longer to think rather than just writing down the first few things that came to mind, I might have included geek. But I only sort of belong to that as an identity, I think.

[antisoppist]

translator, reader, feminist, alto, atheist, businesswoman, walker, farmer's daughter, tea-drinker

[liv]

Nice list, thank you for joining in the meme. Also yay fellow tea-drinker. I ought to have had reader or bookworm in my list, only I didn't think of them within the time limit.

[khalinche]

Another translator, reader, feminist and alto from an agricultural background? Hello!

[vatine]

Within the time limit:
Doer-of-complex-things. Undoer-of-complex-things. Thinker-of-occasional-thoughts.

I was going to add "reader of words". But, seconds they escape. Like tears, in rain.

[liv]

Oooh, I like those, making up new compound words to describe yourself precisely. Nice idea to actually stick strictly to the time limit, too. And is that a Bladerunner reference I spy there?

[pseudomonas]

In no particular order:

Bio-Scientist Jewish Atheist Geek Liberal Liberal-Democrat Human British European Bass

[pseudomonas]

Hm, I see I am fairly unoriginal in my choice of categories. Not that originality is the aim here.

I wondered whether I should put Jewish-Atheist as a single compound category. I'm still unsure about that one. I think actually I might want to include Anglo-Jewish :)

Hyphens are just because for some odd reason I decided that space-delimited was the way to do it.

[ceb]

I just did a double-take and then realised you meant a musical bass not a fishy one :-)

Cool meme/exercise!

[falena]

Language lover, avid reader, tea-drinker, travel enthusiast, teacher, fangirl, European.

[liv]

I like that list. Not just reader, but avid reader. Thanks for joining in!

[hunningham]

introvert, human, woman, British, Irish, reader, lurker, programmer, luddite, introvert, unsociable, feminist, cyclist

I'll think of more later but that's it for the moment.

Edited to add: sarcastic-person, aunt, guardian reader

[liv]

Hello! I added you, but maybe I shouldn't have when so many of your chosen identities suggest you don't want to interact. But I can happily just read your journal without needing to start conversations if you'd rather not.

[pretty_panther]

atheist, blogger, gamer, writer, reader, historian, sister, introvert, diabetic, ill, thoughtful, listener, supportive, intelligent, hopeful, creative, anxious, languages,

boo, run out of time XD Seems pretty well wrapped up though. It was a very interesting exercise. Interesting to see what the first things to come are. May I borrow this for my own journal? I'd love to see what people said.

[liv]

Hello! That actually looks like a pretty long list for 30 seconds, to me; you must think and type fast! Anyway, I'm really glad you enjoyed the game, and please do feel free to borrow. I always like it when I start memes that spread.

[yalovetz]

Science fiction fan, reader, ex-philosopher, science student, generalist, Jewish, male, British, Jamaican, Australian.

[liv]

Ooh, hello, I haven't seen you for a while! And this is a really cool list. Are you really an ex-philosopher, I'd have imagined that's the sort of thing you never really stop being?

[naath]

Feminist, socialist, nerd, polyamorous, pansexual, mostly-female, slasher, cat-girl, cyclist, runner, part time vegetarian.

[liv]

Cool list, thank you for joining in. Can you expand on "cat-girl"?

[rysmiel]

Writer. Optimist. Lover of people in general and specific, despite introversion. Fan, subtypes: literary, congoer. Geek. Anti-gender-essentialist.

[liv]

Did you stick to the time limit? I know you're always precise with language, but this seems very precise for writing stuff down as fast as possible.

Anyway, welcome back to the internet, it's nice to see you again.

[xaea]

i found you through the friending meme! :) we seem to have similar interests so i subscribed for a bit.

[sophiacatherine]

Since I'm new to reading you, I'll do this!

Trainee academic, teacher, Pagan (and occasionally Christian), married to my Girl, owned by cats, disability rights activist, feminist, religion scholar. And other stuff that does not come to mind right now. :)