Li'l story. As long-time users of this site are aware, I have completed a novel. And as I was nearing the finish line, I began to think of clever, snide ways to announce to my Facebook friends that I had finished a novel - after all, many of them are also writers. It was a thought I had for a week or two, as I knew I was a few hundred words from done.

Then I typed the last sentence, and sat there, and realized that I'd accomplished something pretty monumental, as far as accomplishments go, and the whole idea of posting ANYTHING on Facebook got really unappealing.

My change of heart was directly related to my perception of Facebook. I have friends that only post when they've accomplished something monumental (one guy has a picture of him with DeNiro, another with the Dalai Lama). I have friends that never accomplish something monumental, so they post their breakfasts. I have friends that post vocabulary words. I have friends that check in whenever they're on vacation. And into this miasma of varying relevancy, I was trying to find some coy, clever way to say "finished a novel, bitchez."

No.

The act of announcing it on facebook would have trivialized my accomplishment. It's like texting a marriage proposal - why would you do that? Why would you sully such a thing with such a nonsensical platform?

* * *

Reddit refugees all have their reasons for leaving the Snoo behind. Most of them are related to the chatter, the chaff, the lack of substance, the insufficiency of content. Speaking as a mod of a default, most of them have no idea just how bad it could be but at the same time, I recognize and appreciate that it still isn't good enough. Over there, I mostly crack skulls. Over here, I mostly talk.

I talk because I think I have something to say.

That, in my trademark overly-verbose manner, is your answer: make the place more of what brought you here. Those things that drove you from Reddit? Do not share them, do not contribute to them, do not encourage them. Those things that brought you here? Add to them, share them, contribute to them.

I will say this. Hubski often has an overly-friendly relationship with self-produced content. Your pictures are going to be shared because many users don't understand the difference between "I support you" and "I want others to see your work." Do not expect a fair critique on anything, and understand that the more you flood the place with sub-par stuff just because you created it, the more likely others are to do the same. Got poetry? try it out on poetry groups, and if they like it, share it. Got photography? try it out on Flickr or the SFWPorn network and if they like it, share it. Got prose? Critters Critique is perfect for you. Hubski lacks the ruthlessness that makes Reddit what it is and in many ways, vacation pictures here will be regarded like Facebook but proliferated like Reddit.

Which is a roundabout way to say "step up your game." We've got some severely talented artisans here and I love to see their work... but I also hate to see their efforts drowned in a miasma of "hot chick shooting in black and white equals art."

It's what you bring to it. If you bring your best, that's what you'll see. If you bring your pun threads, I will mute and ignore you and anyone who responds.