Green Room - Week 1 - Day 4
Nov. 21st, 2016 09:21 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
clauderainsrm.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
therealljidolWarning: We will not be discussing Roy Roger's horse.
Warning: That may have been a reference that is way too old and/or obscure for younger Idolers and will make the Idolers who *do* know the reference feel a lot older.
The question was asked, in the Weekend Edition - "What about trigger warnings?"
That wasn't the exact question, but I think it is a good jumping off point. (Warning: Kris Kross will make you... Again, some of you will feel really old)
LJ Idol does not have a policy about trigger warnings.
If you want to do them - do them.
If you don't want to do them - don't do them.
Like most things, my advice is, if you do them, to make sure that they don't distract from the actual piece. (For instance: Making sure there is enough of a distinction between where one ends and the other starts is something I've seen folks, in the past, have some trouble with as far as spacing issues go. There are also some that argue that having anything before that important first-sentence dulls the punch.)
Every season though, the people who make up the group have slightly different ideas about what they like, and what they don't.
So I'm throwing it out there for discussion - what do you think about trigger warnings? Where are they needed? How can you use them without taking away from your entry? (is that even something to consider or is the warning more important?)
***
Your important links: Topic for Week 1: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/951685.html
Sign-ups, which close Wednesday evening: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/945807.html
***
The buffet line starts to the right for anyone hungry this morning (or whenever you stumble in)
Warning: That may have been a reference that is way too old and/or obscure for younger Idolers and will make the Idolers who *do* know the reference feel a lot older.
The question was asked, in the Weekend Edition - "What about trigger warnings?"
That wasn't the exact question, but I think it is a good jumping off point. (Warning: Kris Kross will make you... Again, some of you will feel really old)
LJ Idol does not have a policy about trigger warnings.
If you want to do them - do them.
If you don't want to do them - don't do them.
Like most things, my advice is, if you do them, to make sure that they don't distract from the actual piece. (For instance: Making sure there is enough of a distinction between where one ends and the other starts is something I've seen folks, in the past, have some trouble with as far as spacing issues go. There are also some that argue that having anything before that important first-sentence dulls the punch.)
Every season though, the people who make up the group have slightly different ideas about what they like, and what they don't.
So I'm throwing it out there for discussion - what do you think about trigger warnings? Where are they needed? How can you use them without taking away from your entry? (is that even something to consider or is the warning more important?)
***
Your important links: Topic for Week 1: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/951685.html
Sign-ups, which close Wednesday evening: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/945807.html
***
The buffet line starts to the right for anyone hungry this morning (or whenever you stumble in)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 02:25 pm (UTC)I personally never do trigger warnings and do not like them. However, I do understand people who feel the need to do trigger warnings.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 02:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 03:21 pm (UTC)Happy 1st!
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 02:59 pm (UTC)The biggest reason why I personally don't like them is because I think it distracts me from what I'm reading. It's like driving on a smooth-as-glass road at cruising speed and suddenly hitting a very large jarring bump.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 03:21 pm (UTC)I typically don't need a trigger warning, but I know it matters to other people. To me it's almost like a topic tag. If the writing is that good, it doesn't take away from the story for me.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 04:00 pm (UTC)Personally, I am fine without them, but it's nice if people say beforehand they are going to talk about anxiety or weight/food problems.
So for me, if you write about the following topics, you should consider putting them, especially if you put your work out there for strangers to read:
-death,
-suicide,
-depression,
(-anxiety,
-struggles with weight or eating).
Also, if you feel it would be nice if others mentioned something beforehand, warn others if you write about a similar subject.
There was a recent Twitter discussion on whether or not a trigger warning may be considered a spoiler, and I agree with those who say that it should not be.
I agree that the warning should be visible yet not detract from the reading. Probably the first line of the entry separated by a couple of empty line from the actual text is best.
I have seen people hide only the potentially triggering passages, but I am in two minds about this, where LJ Idol entries are concerned because it may interrupt the flow.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 09:28 pm (UTC)alerts
Date: 2016-11-21 04:06 pm (UTC)reminds me of a sign I saw
once or twice at Disneyland
which says something to the effect that
THIS ATTRACTION FEATURES FLASHING LIGHTS AND SUDDEN MOVEMENTS
.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 04:24 pm (UTC)SOOOO, I choose not to warn, even on dark subject matter... I don't want anyone to feel bad when they read me... but I don't want to compromise art because it's evocative... To me, that's the whole point.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 04:31 pm (UTC)What was it, over last spring or summer, it was on the news that some university (U. Chicago, maybe?) announced that they would no longer be using trigger warnings in their literature classes for the reasons you just described. I remember somebody on my FB feed posting it and chiding those who protested it as being "special snowflakes", etc. I remember reading that and grimacing because even though I completely got what they meant and agreed with it, I also remember being deeply affected by stuff I've read because it brought up a lot of my own stuff, but not to the extent that I'd need a warning before reading it. But then again not everyone is me and vice versa :shrug:
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 04:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 04:51 pm (UTC)That said, I do try to be mindful of time when others may appreciate a trigger warning. Again, I contribute this to my profession; it become second nature to handle things with a trauma-informed care approach. A lot of my subject matter deals with the inner workings of the mind and dark moments.
It doesn't bother me at all to slap a "Hey, fyi, this piece contains some references to self-injury/suicide/whathaveyou so please skip if you feel like that would be a bad time for you"--but it also doesn't bother me if someone doesn't do the same.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 05:04 pm (UTC)Also, as someone else said, there are way too many things people are sensitive about. I guess I grew up in a world before trigger warnings (then again, I grew up in a world before bicycle helmets too, which may explain some things).
There's instructions for how to do a spoiler cut in the FAQ (http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/945497.html), under "Trigger Warning" if people want to make the warning opt-in.
ETA - I guess LJ notifications are broken. I wondered where the GR was today, and it's been up for hours.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 05:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2016-11-21 05:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 05:15 pm (UTC)Also, I personally think there is quite a large difference between mentioning something in passing, even presenting reflections on the topic, vs. going into extremely graphic detail about something horrible. I'd prefer a warning for the latter, personally, although I'll likely read the entry anyway, but I'll live if I don't get one. Ideally, for me, they would be used, but only when it's really, really necessary -- writing that is out of the ordinary, that is severely different from the range of things that most people would expect to encounter in reading something.
Another way to look at it is like film classifications. We could do something like that, in the title, maybe? Or to circle back to what I was saying earlier, only provide one if it's an 18?
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 05:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 05:41 pm (UTC)I journal a lot about my anxiety and depression. I wouldn't put a warning on those posts. If I was actively having suicidal ideations, then I might put a content warning on it.
I guess what I'm saying is that it would have to be something truly traumatic to make me TW it.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 05:46 pm (UTC)Not to sound stupid, but what is a trigger warning?
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 07:29 pm (UTC)A "trigger warning" is a warning you give, usually at the very beginning of a blog entry, or in our case, in the beginning of an Idol entry that warns others that the piece contains potentially "triggering" things. What constitutes as being "triggering" is a rather nebulous topic, however many agree that triggering subjects can consist of the following:
rape
violence
depression
suicide
eating disorders
And this is kind of the tip of the ice burg. What is triggering for some, may not be triggering for others. Others, such as myself, are not triggered by anything. Still, many people like to include a "trigger warning" if they are worried their entry may upset some people who may be surprised to be reading about things they find difficult. There are people with anxiety disorders especially who find certain things triggering, and mostly it triggers their anxiety so especially for them, trigger warnings can be helpful.
As you can read from the comments, it is a rather contentious subject. I thought most people are in favor of trigger warnings, but it turns out most aren't.
(no subject)
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From:no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 05:54 pm (UTC)I will say though that sometimes in the past I've seen trigger warnings and actively avoided reading the entry just because the warning was specific enough about the content and the subject it included was something I didn't feel like reading, because I tended to jump to the conclusion that the person is writing it just to be provocative. I wouldn't do that if there was no warning.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 06:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 06:59 pm (UTC)I dislike having zero information going in myself; blurbs and genres exist in media for a reason and I see no reason for online authors not to give some indication of if a post is a 10k sexually explicit fic or a 100 word funny drabble about reindeer. (Or maybe it's a 10k fic about mating reindeers, just let me know in advance!)
I occasionally "choose not to warn" for various reasons.
I like having content notes because as others have said, these can actually draw readers in; one person's squick (rather than trigger) can be another person's kink.
And maybe what someone wants to read one day might be different to what they can handle or desire on another day; give people information so they can make choices which are right for them.
Also I have a question: as a past participant if not a current participant, am I eligible for the home game? And if so, is there a post for that?
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 07:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2016-11-21 07:30 pm (UTC)For me it depends on the place I'm writing for. In some of the places I write I'm scrupulous with warnings, I'll warn for everything under the sun. But for some reason on Idol I rarely warn at all. On the other hand a lot of my Idol stuff is a lot tamer than stuff I've written in other places.
I definitely understand the need for warnings.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-22 02:52 am (UTC)I'm laughing because M and T were playing Minecraft one day and he was like look a zebra. The "aaaaaah sh*t that's a skeleton horse" and then his character died.
(no subject)
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From:no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 09:25 pm (UTC)I personally use content warnings in what I write. The ones I use are clear, and I only use them for the most common of content that people will object to (rape/sexual assault, violence, etc).
I think of content warnings as being similar to movie ratings. Disregarding the fact that the MPAA is itself awful (watch "This Film is Not Yet Rated" to understand why), movie ratings are useful in that they let you gauge whether or not you are the intended audience, and give you some idea of what to expect, without directly spoiling whatever it is.
no subject
Date: 2016-11-21 11:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-22 02:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-22 03:28 am (UTC)But as I was reading the various points from fellow idol-ers on this subject it occurred to me that there is a time and a place for them and wondered if, rather than breaking the concentration of readers, if a trigger-link could be created for those who would like a more detailed explanation than, "triggery."
Then of course someone mentioned writing, "possible triggers at the end." Such a sensible suggestion! Thank you, Someone whose name I forget--sorry--and am too lazy to go back and look it up, and saying sorry for that--though I sort of am--would be disingenuous.
Okay, I'm off to shower and bed. I've been up for almost forty-eight hours and I'm getting seriously loopy. Toodles!
no subject
Date: 2016-11-22 04:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-22 11:31 am (UTC)Ex. LJ Idol Season Ten Week One. "I need the struggle to feel alive" (TRIGGER: Rape)
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Does anyone have a Google Docs spreadsheet they are willing to share?
no subject
Date: 2016-11-22 04:33 pm (UTC)People have joined since they were posted, though, so you'll have to check the last few people on the sign-up post to see if they're on the sheets.