Robert Hutchinson
@ertchin.bsky.social
just a guy who likes puzzles, VTubers, assorted other dorkery
he/him
please abandon Substack and generative AI
if forced to describe self politically in 2 words, "anarchist humanist"
trans rights
free Palestine
abolish ICE
he/him
please abandon Substack and generative AI
if forced to describe self politically in 2 words, "anarchist humanist"
trans rights
free Palestine
abolish ICE
Reposted by Robert Hutchinson
On August 12, 1971, 16-year-old me mailed the first story I ever wrote off on its first submission to my dream market, F&SF. My tale was quickly rejected. On July 17th, 2025, I finally sold a story to that magazine. Here's why I felt I had to withdraw that story. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...
November 12, 2025 at 9:27 PM
On August 12, 1971, 16-year-old me mailed the first story I ever wrote off on its first submission to my dream market, F&SF. My tale was quickly rejected. On July 17th, 2025, I finally sold a story to that magazine. Here's why I felt I had to withdraw that story. www.scottedelman.com/wordpress/20...
The horrible unpatriotic bald eagle pointing out how the top text is uncentered.
November 13, 2025 at 8:13 AM
The horrible unpatriotic bald eagle pointing out how the top text is uncentered.
Please read this. Among other things, it's a good reminder that freelance/contract workers can't point to things like massive layoffs as an alarm that's warning of the danger they're in. Their crisis is "never getting hired in the first place".
I wrote more words about how it feels to be a translator watching the games press report on AI and labor, coming from a field that's fought these battles for decades. It may look like I'm beating up on one outlet, but it's not about them; I've been trying to write this for me and my peers all year.
You Can't Report on Hunger While Taking Bread Off the Table
On the proliferation of machine translation in video game outlets covering the effects of AI on labor.
dateemups.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Please read this. Among other things, it's a good reminder that freelance/contract workers can't point to things like massive layoffs as an alarm that's warning of the danger they're in. Their crisis is "never getting hired in the first place".
Reposted by Robert Hutchinson
I wrote more words about how it feels to be a translator watching the games press report on AI and labor, coming from a field that's fought these battles for decades. It may look like I'm beating up on one outlet, but it's not about them; I've been trying to write this for me and my peers all year.
You Can't Report on Hunger While Taking Bread Off the Table
On the proliferation of machine translation in video game outlets covering the effects of AI on labor.
dateemups.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:13 AM
I wrote more words about how it feels to be a translator watching the games press report on AI and labor, coming from a field that's fought these battles for decades. It may look like I'm beating up on one outlet, but it's not about them; I've been trying to write this for me and my peers all year.
Maybe they just haven't gotten around to reading anything Singal has ever written, yet.
Maybe it's sorted in the queue from least to most total bullshit.
Maybe it's sorted in the queue from least to most total bullshit.
November 13, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Maybe they just haven't gotten around to reading anything Singal has ever written, yet.
Maybe it's sorted in the queue from least to most total bullshit.
Maybe it's sorted in the queue from least to most total bullshit.
Hey you.
You *are* following this year's Kneesvember ... right?
You *are* following this year's Kneesvember ... right?
November 13, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Hey you.
You *are* following this year's Kneesvember ... right?
You *are* following this year's Kneesvember ... right?
I *don't* hate the term "metroidbrainia", BUT, thinking about how to categorize the games in this general space is good and fun and this post is good.
azhdarchid.com/against-metr...
I really do hate the term 'metroidbrania'. I think so do many of you. Let's nip it in the bud before it becomes something people are financially invested in.
I really do hate the term 'metroidbrania'. I think so do many of you. Let's nip it in the bud before it becomes something people are financially invested in.
Against 'Metroidbrania': a Landscape of Knowledge Games
What are knowledge games? How do we relate them to each other? What sub-genres exist – and which ones might be implied?
azhdarchid.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:55 AM
I *don't* hate the term "metroidbrainia", BUT, thinking about how to categorize the games in this general space is good and fun and this post is good.
Reposted by Robert Hutchinson
azhdarchid.com/against-metr...
I really do hate the term 'metroidbrania'. I think so do many of you. Let's nip it in the bud before it becomes something people are financially invested in.
I really do hate the term 'metroidbrania'. I think so do many of you. Let's nip it in the bud before it becomes something people are financially invested in.
Against 'Metroidbrania': a Landscape of Knowledge Games
What are knowledge games? How do we relate them to each other? What sub-genres exist – and which ones might be implied?
azhdarchid.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:53 AM
azhdarchid.com/against-metr...
I really do hate the term 'metroidbrania'. I think so do many of you. Let's nip it in the bud before it becomes something people are financially invested in.
I really do hate the term 'metroidbrania'. I think so do many of you. Let's nip it in the bud before it becomes something people are financially invested in.
Reposted by Robert Hutchinson
not sure i ever posted this old goofy art of Petra being a drama queen #ironcompany #ocsky
November 12, 2025 at 11:13 PM
not sure i ever posted this old goofy art of Petra being a drama queen #ironcompany #ocsky
I'm not looking to excuse them on *anything* else, but I can absolutely believe that zero people who work at Bluesky recognized that as a Johnny Cash reference.
November 13, 2025 at 6:21 AM
I'm not looking to excuse them on *anything* else, but I can absolutely believe that zero people who work at Bluesky recognized that as a Johnny Cash reference.
Reposted by Robert Hutchinson
Reposted by Robert Hutchinson
As a former moderator, I do respect that this played out like it did (the nuance of "what is a death threat and what is a song lyrics" can sometimes be confusing) but it seems like your mod team is a bit over their skis if they're responding to something they think is a death threat a month later?
November 12, 2025 at 9:22 PM
As a former moderator, I do respect that this played out like it did (the nuance of "what is a death threat and what is a song lyrics" can sometimes be confusing) but it seems like your mod team is a bit over their skis if they're responding to something they think is a death threat a month later?
I think it's a little less noticeable for the enemies in underground areas, but yeah. I remember seeing Ludwig and thinking "does *every* Koopaling look different?"
Super Mario World has an extremely eclectic art style whereby many enemies are drawn in completely different ways. Development files reveal Mario went through many stylistic changes; it is possible that all the enemies were made to fit Mario, but at different points in time.
November 12, 2025 at 5:08 PM
I think it's a little less noticeable for the enemies in underground areas, but yeah. I remember seeing Ludwig and thinking "does *every* Koopaling look different?"
Reposted by Robert Hutchinson
Super Mario World has an extremely eclectic art style whereby many enemies are drawn in completely different ways. Development files reveal Mario went through many stylistic changes; it is possible that all the enemies were made to fit Mario, but at different points in time.
November 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Super Mario World has an extremely eclectic art style whereby many enemies are drawn in completely different ways. Development files reveal Mario went through many stylistic changes; it is possible that all the enemies were made to fit Mario, but at different points in time.
You don't have to look it up unless you want to, but I watched Jimmy Kimmel's tribute to his bandleader and lifelong friend, and everyone should be so blessed as to have a friendship that lasts for 50 years with someone that close.
November 12, 2025 at 4:44 PM
You don't have to look it up unless you want to, but I watched Jimmy Kimmel's tribute to his bandleader and lifelong friend, and everyone should be so blessed as to have a friendship that lasts for 50 years with someone that close.
Tonight in #Deltarune
I've managed to bring myself to like 30% belief (up from 1%) in the last 5 minutes that (rot13)xevfvfgurebnevatxavtug(/rot13)
It's the lighting, man, the lighting.
And other things. But the lighting is what's sticking with me.
I've managed to bring myself to like 30% belief (up from 1%) in the last 5 minutes that (rot13)xevfvfgurebnevatxavtug(/rot13)
It's the lighting, man, the lighting.
And other things. But the lighting is what's sticking with me.
November 12, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Tonight in #Deltarune
I've managed to bring myself to like 30% belief (up from 1%) in the last 5 minutes that (rot13)xevfvfgurebnevatxavtug(/rot13)
It's the lighting, man, the lighting.
And other things. But the lighting is what's sticking with me.
I've managed to bring myself to like 30% belief (up from 1%) in the last 5 minutes that (rot13)xevfvfgurebnevatxavtug(/rot13)
It's the lighting, man, the lighting.
And other things. But the lighting is what's sticking with me.
Reposted by Robert Hutchinson
day 5 of asking bsky to address the safety concerns with auto hiding replies based on an opaque algorithm we cannot turn off
@pfrazee.com can we please address the safety concerns with this automod? this is putting people like me in danger.
(i am tagging you because your team refuses to use official channels to announce rollouts and policy changes. this is a change that was announced by you.)
(i am tagging you because your team refuses to use official channels to announce rollouts and policy changes. this is a change that was announced by you.)
twitter hiding replies from me is how my stalker was able to reply to me for months talking about raping me and cutting me into pieces without my knowledge. he was violating my protection order and i didn’t even know it.
it kept him out of jail.
it kept him out of jail.
November 11, 2025 at 8:51 PM
day 5 of asking bsky to address the safety concerns with auto hiding replies based on an opaque algorithm we cannot turn off
You know, if I were running Bluesky, and I saw that many people use a Graphic Content warning as a means of hiding (non-graphic) spoilers, I would introduce a Spoiler warning tag, which seems
A) trivial to implement
B) a desired feature
C) beneficial for Graphic Content labeling as well
*shrug*
A) trivial to implement
B) a desired feature
C) beneficial for Graphic Content labeling as well
*shrug*
November 11, 2025 at 8:44 PM
You know, if I were running Bluesky, and I saw that many people use a Graphic Content warning as a means of hiding (non-graphic) spoilers, I would introduce a Spoiler warning tag, which seems
A) trivial to implement
B) a desired feature
C) beneficial for Graphic Content labeling as well
*shrug*
A) trivial to implement
B) a desired feature
C) beneficial for Graphic Content labeling as well
*shrug*
6 years later, and I'm still just as bitter that they only had playtest cards in Mystery boosters at Magic cons.
(I don't know what they've done with them more recently, since I haven't been playing.)
(I don't know what they've done with them more recently, since I haven't been playing.)
November 11, 2025 at 8:38 PM
6 years later, and I'm still just as bitter that they only had playtest cards in Mystery boosters at Magic cons.
(I don't know what they've done with them more recently, since I haven't been playing.)
(I don't know what they've done with them more recently, since I haven't been playing.)
I've said it before, but if your website lets me A) jump to footnotes with hyperlinks and B) jump back either with another link or by hitting the Back button, you *will* make it into Heaven.
November 11, 2025 at 7:44 PM
I've said it before, but if your website lets me A) jump to footnotes with hyperlinks and B) jump back either with another link or by hitting the Back button, you *will* make it into Heaven.
Reposted by Robert Hutchinson
Five Ways to Build a Story Around an Unlikeable Protagonist
Thoughts on hateable, problematic, and morally bankrupt characters.
reactormag.com/five-ways-to...
Thoughts on hateable, problematic, and morally bankrupt characters.
reactormag.com/five-ways-to...
Five Ways to Build a Story Around an Unlikeable Protagonist - Reactor
Thoughts on hateable, problematic, and morally bankrupt characters.
reactormag.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Five Ways to Build a Story Around an Unlikeable Protagonist
Thoughts on hateable, problematic, and morally bankrupt characters.
reactormag.com/five-ways-to...
Thoughts on hateable, problematic, and morally bankrupt characters.
reactormag.com/five-ways-to...
November 11, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Of all the times not to add alt text, I think the most egregious might have to be "post was too long so I took a screenshot and posted that instead".
November 11, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Of all the times not to add alt text, I think the most egregious might have to be "post was too long so I took a screenshot and posted that instead".
Link to the Past Dark World mentioned: main overworld music immediately pops into my head.
November 11, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Link to the Past Dark World mentioned: main overworld music immediately pops into my head.
Yikes! Just saw a post where
A) 5 of the 7 replies were hidden behind "show more",
B) All 5 were critical, but none were rude or vulgar, and
C) one of the replies had a whole thread under it that wasn't visible until I tapped on the reply!
A) 5 of the 7 replies were hidden behind "show more",
B) All 5 were critical, but none were rude or vulgar, and
C) one of the replies had a whole thread under it that wasn't visible until I tapped on the reply!
November 11, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Yikes! Just saw a post where
A) 5 of the 7 replies were hidden behind "show more",
B) All 5 were critical, but none were rude or vulgar, and
C) one of the replies had a whole thread under it that wasn't visible until I tapped on the reply!
A) 5 of the 7 replies were hidden behind "show more",
B) All 5 were critical, but none were rude or vulgar, and
C) one of the replies had a whole thread under it that wasn't visible until I tapped on the reply!