kalium: (Default)
[personal profile] kalium posting in [community profile] findingfriends
Is there an interesting story behind your username?
It's an alternative name for the element potassium. Chemistry is cool.

Location and language(s):
North-east England, English only.

Age range (e.g 20s, 30s, etc.):
30s. Nobody ever believes me...

Hot button/deal breaker issues that will likely lead to unfriending:
I feel like I should start with the usual - -isms of different stripes will make me keep away - but to be honest I've never felt like these people are that much of a problem here. So I'll just come out and say it - aggressive, weaponised social justice/your fave is problematic/cancel culture/any sort of shaming/creator hate in all its forms, also current events, politics, and that "everything is a horrific dystopia and there is no hope" feel, because I like having a will to live. Just generally being a jerk under the guise of progressivism. Please, no.

Do you have an "About Me" post new friends can read to get a sense of who you are, the people you talk about regularly, etc.?
Not really, but my profile should do the trick. I also have:

  • Story/'verse listings - because I am that person who works for too long on too many things. Includes monster-laden fantasy, cracky metafiction, a 90s/early 2000s magical critter throwback world, one lonely fanfic that isn't very fannish, and some weird thing involving Storybook Weaver.

  • Cautions! - sensitive stuff I may post about, that might be dealbreaking or upsetting to others.



Is your profile up-to-date or at all useful?
Sure. It's a few months old but I try to keep it reflective of who I am.

List a few things you think it's important new friends know about you right away:
I'm not in fandom, I just lurk around the edges because the internet seems to think fan activities are the sum total of all creativity so it's impossible to keep away from it. I'd love to meet more people who enjoy making their own creations! I enjoy worldbuilding, even if it's a dirty word to some. I'm also from that era of the internet where nobody knew you were a dog, which is why I don't have my identities listed. I miss it. A lot. I like personal websites, pre-Facebook media, the right of everyone no matter who they are to enjoy unicorns, and what I once called the rabbit hole internet. I can be shy and skittish with the anger that's so rampant around the modern internet, so I'm trying to deal with that. Basically, I wish it was the 90s.

You mostly write about:
The stuff I make, although I can be a bit shy after so long thinking nobody cares to hear about it, but I like to post the things I made and talk about the creative process, characters, plotting, worldbuilding, all that goodness. I miss tossing ideas back and forth with other creators and coming up with random details. Also take into account the stuff on my caution list - I do vent about bad SJ a lot, which probably sounds weird for someone who hates politics, but I consider it trying to untangle all the messed up things it did to my head. Same with working through mental health issues without a medical framework.

You never or very rarely write about:
Everyday life - jobs, family etc, except on rare occasions. I have no kids and don't want any, so none of that either. Current events or politics beyond the ranting-about-SJ stuff I warned about.

Is your journal mostly public, locked, or a mix of public and locked?
A mixture - creative stuff is usually public, anything personally identifying or controversial is locked because I fear the almighty dogpile and cancel.

Do you use filters for certain types of posts (e.g. fandom-related posts, or posts about sex, or mental health issues, etc.)?
Not so much. Probably should?

Your posting frequency (e.g. daily, every few days, weekly, etc.):
Usually once every few days, but it depends on what I have to say and how often.

Does your journal frequently include any of the following: memes, linkspams, gifs, photos, videos, etc?
No. I never used Tumblr very much, certainly not as a social platform, so I didn't pick up on its culture.

What do you enjoy most about journaling?
Being able to ramble in a private environment. I never liked places like Tumblr or Twitter because it felt like you were having a conversation with the entire world. I don't want that, I want to feel like I'm having a conversation with friends.

How often do you read your friends list (e.g. daily, every other day, once a week, etc.)?
At least once every day.

You really enjoy reading about:
The same stuff I like to post about. I love original worlds, deep worldbuilding, created species, stories and characters, art, crafts, and the general love of making things.

You have very little interest in reading about:
The stuff on my dealbreaker list. I'm also really not into sports, your SO, kids, job, whatever. Also I'm really not interested in sex stuff or your kinky creations, although I'm cool with their existence it can feel alienating not being into that stuff. But I don't care if you post about them, it's your life - I'm just more interested in other stuff!

Your thoughts on journals that regularly include any of the following: memes, linkspams, gifs, photos, videos, etc?
Not especially interested, but if you have fun with that stuff go do what makes you happy!

When it comes to comments on your posts, what matters more -- quality or quantity?
I really don't want to make people feel like they have to comment in a particular way. If you want to leave long, thoughtful comments, I love that, but if you just want to say things like "This!" or "I like that thing too!" or just "+1" then go right ahead. Comments of any sort are welcome.

Do you unfriend people who don't comment much, even if you know they are reading you regularly?
Not at all! That sort of thing is only going to make people feel anxious that they're not commenting enough and the last thing I want to do is to make people feel like they have to meet a social interaction quota! (I've been there. It wasn't pretty.)

What is your approach when it comes to commenting on other journals?
If I have something to say, I'll say it. I'm a bit shy, and can get afraid of saying the wrong thing, but I do try to drop by and say hello or leave nice words.

When you friend someone, but things don't really click, do you unfriend them without warning, or do you send them a note first? How do you prefer to be unfriended in similar circumstances?
I usually just unfriend, but I rarely do even that unless you're posting stuff I find upsetting on a regular basis.

AND LASTLY

Friending memes often ask people to list their favourite TV shows, movies, books, etc., but more often than not, those aren't things people actually write about in their journal. Do you have any favourite TV shows, movies, books, etc., that you DO often write about -- not necessarily in a fandom sort of way, just in general?

  • See my icon? See my website? PETZ. Not the Ubisoft Nintendogs clones, the proper 90s PF Magic games. I do a lot of modding work with breedfiles and lately I've been involved in trying to crack the deeper workings of the game and delving into its code. The Petz games are very precious to me and where I got my start on the internet in the 90s. Here's my petz minisite.

  • The game Niche, which is the subject of my one lonely not very fannish fanfic and lots of artwork.

  • Other stuff - I sometimes get excited about Pokemon, and I'm hyped for Galar (my home is a pokemon region now, that is SO. AWESOME.). As you can probably see by now the closest things I have to fandoms are sandboxy settings with lots of biology to play with. I love anything with a good bestiary. Also fond of Britcoms and I love Red Dwarf; I'm a regular attendee of Dimension Jump (going again next year!). Finally, if you love Knightmare and the Crystal Maze, you're speaking my language.



Any final thoughts you'd like to share with potential new friends?
Yeees, if you started to wonder, I'm a furry, okay? No, it's not a sex thing. I just think animal people are fun to draw. Please don't be scared!
This account has disabled anonymous posting.
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting

Custom Text