Because nobody 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 suspects the butterfly...

Hey, you can call me Mindset, or Butterfly. I like: Comics, ASOIAF, music, art, books, sf & fantasy, butterflies, birds, pretty rocks, and many other things. See my sidebar tags and links for more details. I help mod: ASOIAF University and A Song of Theories. Note to ASOIAF fandom followers: I've read all the books, and rarely if ever cut for spoilers, sorry. Please check my FAQ and the other links on my sidebar for more info.

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

FYI artists and writers: some info regarding tumblr's new "third-party sharing" (aka selling your content to OpenAI and Midjourney)

You may have already seen the post by @staff regarding third-party sharing and how to opt out. You may have also already seen various news articles discussing the matter.

But here's a little further clarity re some questions I had, and you may too. Caveat: Not all of this is on official tumblr pages, so it's possible things may change.

(1) "I heard they already have access to my data and it doesn't really matter if I opt out"

From the 404 article:

A new FAQ section we reviewed is titled “What happens when you opt out?” states “If you opt out from the start, we will block crawlers from accessing your content by adding your site on a disallowed list. If you change your mind later, we also plan to update any partners about people who newly opt-out and ask that their content be removed from past sources and future training.”

So please, go click that opt-out button.

(2) Some future user: "I've been away from tumblr for months, and I just heard about all this. I didn't opt out before, so does it make a difference anymore?"

Another internal document shows that, on February 23, an employee asked in a staff-only thread, “Do we have assurances that if a user opts out of their data being shared with third parties that our existing data partners will be notified of such a change and remove their data?” Andrew Spittle, Automattic’s head of AI replied: “We will notify existing partners on a regular basis about anyone who's opted out since the last time we provided a list. I want this to be an ongoing process where we regularly advocate for past content to be excluded based on current preferences. We will ask that content be deleted and removed from any future training runs. I believe partners will honor this based on our conversations with them to this point. I don't think they gain much overall by retaining it.”

It should make a difference! Go click that button.

(3) "I opted out, but my art posts have been reblogged by so many people, and I don't know if they all opted out. What does that mean for my stuff?"

This answer is actually on the support page for the toggle:

This option will prevent your blog's content, even when reblogged, from being shared with our licensed network of content and research partners, including those that train AI models.

And some further clarification by the COO and a product manager:

zingring: A couple people from work have reached out to let me know that yes, it applies to reblogs of "don't scrape" content. If you opt out, your content is opted out, even in reblog form. cyle: yep, for reblogs, we're taking it so far as "if anybody in the reblog trail has opted out, all of the content in that reblog will be opted out", when a reblog could be scraped/shared.

So not only your reblogged posts, but anyone who contributed in a reblog (such as posts where someone has been inspired to draw fanart of the OP) will presumably be protected by your opt-out. (A good reason to opt out even if you yourself are not a creator.)

Furthermore, if you the OP were offline and didn't know about the opt-out, if someone contributed to a reblog and they are opted out, then your original work is also protected. (Which makes it very tempting to contribute "scrapeable content" now whenever I reblog from an abandoned/disused blog...)

(4) "What about deleted blogs? They can't opt out!"

I was told by someone (not official) that he read "deleted blogs are all opted-out by default". However, he didn't recall the source, and I can't find it, so I can't guarantee that info. If I get more details - like if/when tumblr puts up that FAQ as reported in the 404 article - I will add it here as soon as I can.

Edit, tumblr has updated their help page for the option to opt-out of third-party sharing! It now states:

The content which will not be shared with our licensed network of content and research partners, including those that train AI models, includes: • Posts and reblogs of posts from blogs who have enabled the "Prevent third-party sharing" option. • Posts and reblogs of posts from deleted blogs. • Posts and reblogs of posts from password-protected blogs. • Posts and reblogs of posts from explicit blogs. • Posts and reblogs of posts from suspended/deactivated blogs. • Private posts. • Drafts. • Messages. • Asks and submissions which have not been publicly posted. • Post+ subscriber-only posts. • Explicit posts.

So no need to worry about your old deleted blogs that still have reblogs floating around. *\o/*

But for your existing blogs, please use the opt out option. And a reminder of how to opt out, under the cut:

The opt-out toggle is in Blog Settings, and please note you need to do it for each one of your blogs / sideblogs.

On dashboard, the toggle is at https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/blogname [replace "blogname" as applicable] down by Visibility:

For mobile, you need the most recent update of the app. (Android version 33.4.1.100, iOs version 33.4.) Then go to your blog tab (the little person icon), and then the gear icon for Settings, then click Visibility.

Again, if you have a sideblog, go back to the blog tab, switch to it, and go to settings again. Repeat as necessary.

If you do not have access to the newest version of the app for whatever reason, you can also log into tumblr in your mobile browser. Same URL as per desktop above, same location.

Note you do not need to change settings in both desktop and the app, just one is fine.

I hope this helps!

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

Happy Purim, all! Slightly belated by a few days, but I got this post done, hey. Like I do every year, here are some pictures of my shaloch manot, the gifts of food I gave to family and friends.

This year I made candy apple cinnamon hamentashen (candy apple jelly and a few pinches of cinnamon in my dough), which were truly delicious. I also made cherry brownies - dark chocolate brownie mix with dried cherries and a teaspoon of berry schnapps. Mmm. I also included pink lady apples, and I even found butterfly-shaped gummies! 🦋

I again made cards with my butterfly stationery (of which I have enough for years), and also used my iridescent plastic bags (ditto, lol) for the candy and wrapping the plates. Found some neat sparkly plates, too.

I hope those who celebrated had a fun and joyful holiday, and I wish I could share my treats with everybody! 🥰💖🎉

[melrosing]

scrolling asoiaftwt (dumb) and there’s really no other way to put it: some of yall are just addicted to discourse. literally addicted like if it’s too quiet round there u see them poking and prodding to get their fix. pls stop pretending this is about defending ur fave or ur community or the text and admit the conflict is something u actively enjoy bc truly that’s the first step to recovery

[ilynpilled]

i think this goes for most twt fandoms (and more lol) anyway bc of that site’s design. so many features of it incentivises and exacerbates every single thing that contributes to and feeds constant conflict

[ilynpilled]

• qrt function

• visible likes + rts + ratio

• character limit that facilitates quick, knee-jerk exchanges that r hostile

the way these things and more compound creates such a putrid environment thats p unusable for conversations about anything really imo. dogpiling, stripping of context and misrepresentation, misinfo & agenda wars, power imbalance, public performance over dialogue, shaming as entertainment etc. i almost think that there is no way out of it over there

[ilynpilled]

qrt function legitimately feels like a humiliation ritual tool. that shit can be the root of so much evil to me lmao

twt qrt function 👆

[bidonica]

A few days ago someone on twt posted a thoughtful meta post about, iirc, Frankenstein 2025, commenting "wait they are really cooking on tumblr" and I had to hold back from commenting well, no shit the site that allows long form posts is better suited to nuanced and well thought out takes than the one designed to break down every discussion into quips and clapbacks that will enrage you (it wasn't always like that; remember when twitter was treated like some sort of grassroots news agency?). Not like Tumblr is perfect, al lot of the annoying things that make up twitter discourse today had their test run #onhere about a decade ago. But it's true that the infrastructure of twitter literally speedruns the degradation of discourse into an overly aggressive circlejerk

[grumfy]

This as quite literally to a T what my grad school dissertation was on, specifically the design of tumblr versus twitter! My research concentration has been on digital geography within platform studies and how the shape and design of a platform informs the way communities are built and the way we interact because the way we receive information tends to be just as important than the information itself.

TL;DR Twitter is structured in a way that isn’t conducive to conversation but conducive to “dunking” rather than conversation because “dunking” actually drives up engagement more than having a serious conversation. People aren’t incentivized to seriously participate on topics they aren’t knowledgeable about, but rather encouraged to provide “commentary” via versus tumblr’s design being very discourse (the academic term) based…

Like an important difference is that tumblr has “linear discourse” in its design versus Twitter is “nonlinear” which encourages people to “dunk” and make snap decisions or responses…for example the concept of a quote retweet versus a reblog chain. Twitter allows someone to have commentary on something after they’ve read the OP’s statement, and the reader has to manually click to view OP’s whole chain, or click to read the whole thread. Most people don’t do that, and so the conversation is generally inflated by conversation happening around the subject rather than engaging with the subject. It’s comparatively labor-intensive to engage beyond a like or a QRT.

On tumblr a reblog chain allows for linear discussion (you read OP’s original statement, then keep scrolling to read how someone else responded) which allows for comprehensible conversation about the topic itself.

And of course all of this plays into the word count, algorithmic structure, bluecheck system (which is a whole other can of worms with the concept of monetized posting which just increases incentive for intentionally reactive conversation) etc.

Anyways. All this is to say Twitter is quite literally designed in a way that makes it nearly impossible to have comprehensive discussions. You’re supposed to like a quote retweet and be done, not talk substantially.

[mermaidenmystic]

Lizard Den by Arantza Sestayo

[clusterbuck]

i don’t need a “day off” or a “weekend” i need to respawn in a clean apartment with all my responsibilities reset and the complete certainty that nobody hates me

[gsirvitor]

[insomniac-arrest]

“Dutch?”

[janmisali]

remember 2005?

yes, I clearly remember things that happened in 2005

yes, I remember some things that happened in 2005 but distantly

no, I am aware of some things I did in 2005 but they don't feel like memories

no, I was alive in 2005 but can't tell you anything I did that year

no, I was not alive in 2005

[show results]

Voting ended onNov 22, 2025

[wedandbedmystoat-deactivated202]

First there was Robert, the boisterous bearded elder brother one who inspired a revolution.

Then there was Stannis, the middle brother, balding and glum, loved his pets and attacked the capital

The there was Renly, the handsome charismatic youngest brother who believed he should rule because of his unique charisma, rumored to be gay

Photos below:

[wizardoftheloops]

what do you mean stannis and selyse don't suit each other they even have the same taste in women

[comradekarin]

[i-am-traveling-the-multifandom]

i know that stannis' entire arc is absolutely depressing but nothing else made me as depressed as the prologue of ACOK. like cressen's POV made me sob. this was the man who raised him, who loved him even when others shunned him. to hear and understand his perspective, to hear his last thoughts, that revolved around saving his son lord, is so utterly tragic to me in a way no other death is. it is the only death in which i actually cried (i don't usually cry while reading books)

[eggpilled-maekarcel]

The funniest and most frustrating thing about current asoiaf fandom discourse is how many people genuinely expect the story to remain in stasis. Like, nothing can ever change. No new information can be revealed, characters can’t develop, new events can’t upend the timeline and reorient the narrative. Everything must remain exactly as it was when dance came out ~15 years ago. So we go round and round is circles arguing about the ados ending (which still is hard to determine since we don’t even have winds) having to strictly follow the narrative built in the last two published books, with no allowance for what could happen given that we surely have like 3000+ pages of story left. For some authors, that’s the equivalent of 4-6 books! That’s a whole world of new material. Like be serious now. Feast and Dance don’t even conclude Act II. So how are you using that to establish the last few pages of Act III?? This fandom is genuinely so….

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

#this goes for all the arguing about bran’s arc#or the increasingly annoying arguments re prophecy esp azor ahai #‘bran can’t be king he’s in that cave’ idk bro he has like a ton of chapters left to get from point a to point b #also there’s something called the hero’s journey that he jon arya etc are following to some degree and they’re only about halfway through!? #like have people considered that there’s pages and pages and pages of narrative and character development still left to go????? #what are we doing here?? (via @jon-sedai)

#oh this is real lol #I think ppl expect the plot to develop but not the characters themselves #which is a funny thing to assume given GRRM’s character work is such a definitive feature of his (via @melrosing)

#the whole 'sansa is going to stay in the vale forever' and 'arya is going to become an assassin forever' takes..... #or that bran is just going to stay a tree #honestly my take is that we cant fully predict what happens in twow. like yes we can predict some points esp in the beginning #but grrm is gonna throw some curveballs in there that surprise us (via @circuslollipop)

So many people hold characters to their FIRST chapter. The place to grow from. The place that is intentionally flawed. (reply from @knightofthelemontree)

[ilynpilled]

@bidonica

[bidonica]

#v interested in what a 'conscious examination of gender roles' written asoiaf would be different#i understand generally but would love an elaboration

Well I didn't word it super precisely (that's on me for being on tumblr while I work) (@ my employer: this is an exaggeration. I am Locked In all the time) but basically what I meant is that I don't think his angle comes from being well versed in feminist literary theory or anything, he is "just" very good at getting into the head of his characters and empathize with their plight even when they are not straight able bodied adult males (which, as someone else said in the notes to this post, it's really an indictment on the many other straight male authors who don't even attempt to empathize with women and keep a firm outside look on them).

I do think he did reflect on tropes, inclusing gendered ones - the way Brienne dismantles both the "warrior girl but she is waifish and hot" and the "ugly girl is secretly beautiful and can be fixed with a makeover" stereotypes is very intentional, for example. But I think this is more about him being genre aware, and coming from an angle of "but what would a REAL person and not a stock fantasy character do in this situation" rather than a direct examination of like, the patriarchy specifically. Though he does end up commenting on the patriarchy anyway because he's interested in the power structures your average medieval fantasy story is based on.

However, his main framework, imo, is always an examination of the fantasy genre first and foremost; and while it often results in vibrant, realistic female characters whose arcs lends themselves well to a feminist reading, I don't think he set out to put a specifically feminist lens on his story. Which is why you still get the occasional whiplash-inducing male gazey moments and the sincere romanticization of some unequal/abusive relationships like Dany/Drogo and, potentially, Rhaegar/Lyanna (I'm keeping it in the hypothetical because we have no definitive version of it; but I highly doubt he is going to take the "she was groomed" standpoint part of the fandom is hoping for). It's not as bad as the orientalism which truly goes 99% unexamined, but it's there.

[greenbloods]

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

#I think I’ve always felt this particularly wrt loras/joncon/renly etc etc #bc it’s like damn man actually wrote pretty respectful representation of gay men in his fantasy series in like. the 90s/2000s #but at the same time he never truly examines what it is to be gay in his world #bc I think honestly when he said ‘I’ve noticed there are gay people in the world’ #that was an extremely literal statement 😭 #like I don’t think he avoids social commentary but agree w bidonica that first and foremost he’s in conversation w the genre and tropes (via @melrosing)

[atopvisenyashill]

Fancasts From Atop Visenya’s Hill

-> María Gabriela de Faría as Lady Leonette Fossoway

...dainty, bright-eyed Lady Leonette was a Fossoway as well, and wed to Ser Garlan.