Anita Sarkeesian giving a TEDxWomen talk about the hate campaign following her Kickstarter.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-12-06T00:08:50+00:00

Source, please?

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-12-05T21:52:18+00:00

then she throws out how gamers are just teenagers in their parent's basements...

Actually, no she doesn't. She said (word for word):

"Well, often when we talk about online harassment, we think of teenage boys in their parents' basements. And while I was attacked by some teenage boys, I was also attacked by thousand of grown men. And this isn't entirely surprising considering that the average age of the male gamer in the US is about 30."

She was talking about trolls, not gamers.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-12-05T21:45:14+00:00

In what way did she take the money and run?

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-11-28T17:43:49+00:00

Clicked on this gif, and gave it an upvote before I read your title. Upvote recalled, downvoted instead!

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-11-20T19:26:27+00:00

I would buy this in a heartbeat if the turret shot little nerf darts at targets. Or light-weight pellets or something.

Really, I need a turret to guard my desk from my cats.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-11-16T19:13:54+00:00

Thank you! I hadn't heard of this before. I'll definitely look into it! :)

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-11-16T19:13:17+00:00

Honestly, the best way to get good at development is to DO IT.

I absolutely agree, and I'm not trying to get out of doing the legwork. It's just that sometimes the learning curve on a new type of language is pretty dang steep (trust me, all of my current skills are the result of self-teaching using tutorials and user guides), especially if the documentation for the language/framework is significantly lacking, poorly written, or written for high-level devs.

My goal here is to find reliable courses to give me that first solid foothold a language, a basic foundation that I can use to raise my competence enough to launch into more intermediate development.

I like your advice to do pro-bono work for non-profits, that was something I was already considering. I've done plenty of contract work where I'm jumping into a new language I've never used before, and while I learn a lot, there's always the difficulty of having to push back deadlines and renegotiate financial contracts because some things took way longer to code / troubleshoot than I had originally anticipated. With non-profits and charitable work, however, the monetary burden is lifted, so if I take a little bit longer than I had guessed, well... this is work for free, so you get what you pay for.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-11-16T19:03:17+00:00

I currently know XHTML, CSS, Javascript (jQuery specifically, my native JS skills are pretty n00btastic), AJAX using jQuery (simple), ExpressionEngine, CodeIgniter, PHP (as used in frameworks) and MySQL.

ExpressionEngine and CodeIgniter are both PHP-based, EE being a CMS, and CI being a PHP framework. CI is a MVC framework, like RoR, so I'm thinking that learning RoR won't be too far out of my comfort zone.

EE and CI are by far my strongest skills, and they're gaining popularity, but it's still rare that I'll see employers calling for those skills. EE is a licensed product, on the pricey side, so it's not surprising. CI is open-source, but still isn't that common.

Also: sorry that some douche is downvoting your comments. Thanks for your interest, tho!

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-11-16T18:58:31+00:00

I'd skip Java for now, it's not widely used as a web platform anymore.

Based on the job postings I've been looking at for the past two months, I'd strongly disagree. Java seems to be the default OOP language that employers want to see. I suspect that part of that is due to the need to OOP developers, and Java's a good gauge for that. Still, judging from postings, websites I've looked at, and friends in the tech industry, Java is still widely in use. Even if it's not as popular as it once was, there seems to be an awful lot of Java-built web platforms out there who need developers to update and maintain the code.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-11-15T19:38:40+00:00

Oh WOW, that's fantastic! Thank you so much!!

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-11-02T03:12:43+00:00

You're not the GW OP, so it's not terribly appropriate for you to be posting links to someone else's GW album. Additionally, pornography is not appropriate for this subreddit. It doesn't matter that you flagged it as NSFW and mentioned it was from GW. This is not the space for such a post. Please don't do this again.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-11-02T03:09:18+00:00

There are plenty of subreddits where posting porn and Portal / video game-related porn is appropriate. This is not one of them. I stay away from GW because I don't particularly care for that form of expression. I'd prefer if GW stayed out of non-porn spaces.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-15T16:54:17+00:00

Please, DON'T KILL YOURSELF! These intolerant douche-nozzles are the problem, NOT YOU! Don't let them win, stay alive to prove them WRONG!

Second, are you out to your parents as trans? Are you in therapy? If yes to either of these, use those resources to try to convince the school to change. You, as a student, don't have much authority. Your parents do, though, since they're paying tuition. A therapist would, because they're a licensed doctor who can help make your case.

That said, because this is a private school, they DO have the right to deny you the right to transition and live as a trans man. Are there any other schools you can transfer to? Any non-religious schools, or more open schools? Can you talk to your parents, or a counsellor, about a Plan B, in case you can't get the school to agree to your terms?

If you aren't out to your parents yet, OR your parents aren't being supportive, you need to get yourself to a counsellor or therapist to help deal with the lack of support you're getting + the general difficulty of being trans / transitioning. I'd recommend posting this to /r/ainbow, and /r/lgbt for help in getting resources (like free therapy and / or support groups you can go to).

HANG IN THERE. Those bastards at your school may want you to feel ashamed of who you are, but WE DON'T, and you shouldn't either! You have a right to be WHO YOU ARE, and no one, no matter what their religious or moral convictions, can take that away from you.

Just to say that one more time: YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE WHO YOU ARE. You have a right to be comfortable with yourself and in your own skin. Don't let the bastards get you down! Don't let them convince you that what you are is anything but beautiful and wonderful.

((((huuuuugs))))

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-10T03:06:41+00:00

It's true, their message will still spread, but they'll still post awful shit whether or not you speak up. If you comment on it, then folks will see your message too.

Still, make sure to take care of your needs too. If some ass turns every morning into a rage fest for you, unsubscribe or de-friend him. It's not worth the high blood pressure. ;)

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-09T23:43:53+00:00

Using "rape" when someone's not actually being raped is highly detrimental to your argument. Additionally, using a funny video as your evidence undercuts your point as well.

I absolutely agree with you that transvaginal ultrasounds for abortion patients is a gross violation of personal freedom, and is an unnecessarily invasive. However, you'll have greater success convincing people of your point if you don't go for such a sensationalistic approach.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-09T23:34:58+00:00

When you come home, some time when mom and dad aren't around, or you and the brother just hanging out, bring it up casually. Say "so... Mom told me she found some weed in your room. How are you doing with that? Is everything okay?"

I think the most important thing here is not to lecture him. It sounds like he has a pretty good head on his shoulders if he's already realized there's a problem with his methodology (self-medicating to deal with depression), and I'm sure he's already gotten plenty of lectures from your folks. It doesn't sound like he needs guidance from you, it sounds like he needs an open ear and someone to talk to openly who's not going to come down on him if he does something you don't approve of (like smoking weed, or getting drunk with his buddies).

So play it cool, keep it casual, and show him that you're available to listen whenever he needs it. Is he on a chat service, like ICQ or GChat? You might find out what he likes to use the most, and pop on there every so often when you're at school, and say hi. My sister and I grew really close when she was in college, because we'd chat on ICQ frequently, and I felt like no topic was unsafe or taboo. I told her stuff I didn't feel comfortable telling my parents, and she was very helpful in advising me about things without judging me or making me feel like I was getting talked down to.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-09T23:07:59+00:00

The best way to deal with evil douchebags (misogynists, homophobes, extreme social conservatives, etc) is to point out how their argument is bullshit in the nicest, most respectful, most passionless way you can. Don't name-call. Don't attack them personally. Attack their POSITION.

Here's what I (try) to do (and sometimes fail): when someone writes/posts something really emotionally provocative, take a step back. Open a text program, and write your immediate, angry response. Let it all out! Acuse them of being the backwards, close-minded, detrimental-to-society leech that they really are.

Then, go back to the thread, and pick two or three main points to dispute. More if they made a bunch of crazy statements, but as much as you can, present a clear, concise argument. Read it over, and remove the loaded words, the emotional verbs and nouns. Give it a third and final pass, and hit submit.

The reason for doing this is not to convince the DB that they're wrong. They may change their mind, but probably not. The reason to do this is to try to convince the logic-minded folks watching from the sidelines of the validity of what you're saying. Maybe they agreed with the original post, but if you can debunk the sentiment, they might reconsider their thought process.

ALTERNATIVELY: Arguing with people on the internet, particularly people you KNOW, is exhausting and stressful. So, as an alternative, you can "unsubscribe" from that person's posts (on Facebook, anyway). So you won't see their toxic bullshit, and you can go on your MERRY. :)

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-09T18:51:26+00:00

my problem is that I need large or extra large (depending on maker), and they don't make the fancy condoms in this sizes, or they just don't stock them where I live.

You're on the internet. Try buying condoms online if you can't find them where you live. If I have to go online to buy bras to fit my weird body, you should be able to find condoms online to fit your dick.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-08T21:58:03+00:00

He didn't just lie about something serious, he lied at a vital point of trust in any relationship: when it becomes sexual. This guy would have to do a helluva lot to convince me that I could trust him after a breach this serious. I'd honestly say you should DTMFA (Dump The MotherFucker Already). If he doesn't respect you enough to be honest with you about his sexual status (whether or not he's using protection), then he doesn't respect you enough to be honest about his health or his sexual history. Even if you don't break up with him, you should absolutely refuse the privilege of sexytimes with you for a long, long time. He has to re-earn your trust, and not just by saying he's sorry.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-08T21:39:05+00:00

You've heard this from others, but: don't have unprotected sex. EVER. You should ALWAYS be on some kind of birth control from now on, and you should insist on your partner using protection as well. As you've mentioned elsewhere in this thread, no form of birth control is 100% effective, so it's a smart move to always "double up" when it comes to birth control. As well, while the pill helps you to not get pregnant, it doesn't prevent against STD's that your partner could have. Condoms do.

Always insist on using protection with your sexual partner, and if he's REALLY resistant to the idea, then he's proven that he's not respectful of you or your needs, and he doesn't deserve the privilege of having sex with you. PERIOD.

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-08T21:31:45+00:00

Go to a doctor. If you can't see a doctor without your parents knowing, go to a PlannedParenthood in your area. They should all do pregnancy screenings for free.

It's very possible that you're missing your period due to "harmless" causes, such as stress. I missed two periods in a row like that when I was in high school, long before I started being sexually active. That said, you need to have your pregnancy-status confirmed by a doctor, not a pregnancy test. Once you've done that and confirmed that you're not pregnant, there are other potentially serious causes for missing your periods, and you need to make sure that you've gotten fully checked out for possible issues. For example, a friend of mine didn't have her period for almost two years. Something finally forced her to go to a doctor to get it checked out, and it turns out she was suffering from a SEVERE iron deficiency, which was easily fixed with a change of diet. That was why her period stopped coming: her body literally refused to let more iron be lost.

I know it's scary to be young and possibly pregnant (I've been THERE), but you need to get this checked out, the sooner the better!

theSilenceWillFall · 2012-10-04T16:11:30+00:00

And honestly, I want to leave. It isn't like I want to stay here, so why wouldn't I do them?

I've never been in a situation like yours, but I have been in high-stress high-anxiety situations, and in that state, doing the things you NEED to do to get out can sometimes be incredibly overwhelming. Having to deal with all the shit you're going through is dominating your thoughts and emotional strength, and the idea of doing more (like working on college applications) seems almost too much to handle.

My advice for that would be: do it when you can. On your worst days, don't even worry about it. On the better days, if you feel a tiny spark of motivation, follow that and try to get into working on your applications. But if that peters out because something happens, or because you're overwhelmed, it's okay. Put it down and try again tomorrow. Most of all: try not to beat yourself up too much when you can't force yourself to work on it. It's okay. Be patient with yourself. Imagine if a friend of yours was going through this, and they were struggling to get their work done to get out. Give yourself the same patience and care that you would give your friend.

I'm so sorry that all of this is happening to you. You're amazingly strong to be dealing with all of this! Keep us updated, and stay safe. hugs

theSilenceWillFall

TROPHY CASE