cross-posted from: https://lemmy.today/post/32355068

‘It is a gift. They stole it without my permission.’

Archived article: https://archive.is/XnWSE

Blaming payment processor restrictions, Fansly—a platform creators flocked to after OnlyFans announced it'd ban sex—announced it's changing the rules for multiple types of content.

Archived version: https://archive.is/tx6nZ

This letter began in response to a piece recently published in The Bookseller, offering lessons for authors to draw from Unbound’s demise. As authors of the books at the centre of this conversation, we wanted to take the opportunity to redirect the article’s focus – because the crucial lessons to be drawn from this experience, we believe, are lessons for the publishing industry in general, and for the current and former management of Unbound and Boundless in particular.

Archived version of the article: https://archive.is/6WS8Z

“You are radiant, revolutionary and real. I will use my platform to amplify your beauty and power,” adds the star in her cover interview with Attitude.

cross-posted from: https://piefed.ca/post/28957

Ars chats with marine biologist David Shiffman about the film’s legacy—both good and bad.

The pair’s podcast collaboration was a depressing inevitability.

Archived version: https://archive.is/PVmTp

Guardian investigation reveals promotion of dubious advice, questionable supplements and quick-fix healing methods

Archived version: https://archive.is/vbuC5

GameStop is moving further away from being a video game business and more into trading cards. But the card boom is causing retail issues.

"We won’t compromise on what’s made Nexus Mods special."

Playing games while protests rage

Archived version: https://archive.is/31MzM

[The "Sims killer"] inZOI has a lot of issues, lets talk about them.

"I think this whole debate ... is hard to solve when people aren't on the fundamental same page about the existence of a trans identity and the fact that it is a valid identity."

Also, food influencers making anti-ICE content indicates a bigger, notable political shift.

cross-posted from: https://reddthat.com/post/43306752

Police in northwestern China are cracking down on writers of online erotic fiction across the country, including many college students, according to RFA sources and media reports, amid concern that officers are punishing people outside their jurisdiction.

Police in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, have been summoning writers who don’t even live there. A report from Caixin media group said some have been referred to police for prosecution, and anecdotal evidence indicates writers are facing substantial fines.

A source who spoke to Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity for safety reasons said the crackdown could involve 200-300 writers.

Their cases have also sparked a legal debate over the definition of “obscene materials” and renewed public discussion on the boundaries of creative freedom. Known as “Danmei,” the genre features romantic relationships between male characters. It originated in Japan and has become popular in China.

Amid tightened restrictions in China, many writers have turned to Haitang Culture, a Taiwanese-based adult fiction website established in 2015 to publish their work. The website on the democratic island doesn’t force censorship and allows explicit written content. Most readers are females.

Authorities in China have reacted. Last year, two China-based distributors affiliated with Haitang Culture were arrested for “assisting in information network criminal activities,” according to Shuiping Jiyuan, a news portal on the WeChat social media platform.

The recent police crackdown in Lanzhou followed similar moves in the eastern province of Anhui in June 2024, where authorities began arresting writers of online erotic fiction under the charge of “producing and distributing obscene materials for profit,” resulting in heavy fines and even prison sentences.

Police are seeking out writers even when they leave outside their jurisdiction - a practice that critics call “offshore fishing,” implying the motive of police is financial or political, rather than strictly legal.

“I don’t understand what they’re trying to do—are they pushing political correctness, or are they just desperate for money?” said Liu Yang, a veteran media professional in Lanzhou, told Radio Free Asia. “The police are short on funds, and now even arrests have become a way to make money.”

Ubisoft developers have told a French court that former execs Serge Hascoet, Tommy Francois, and Guillaume Patrux alleg…

Voice actors have been on strike since July 2024

Ghibli's characters have inspired women and girls across generations—but do these fantastical worlds reflect the reality for women making films at Studio Ghibli, and are their ambitions equally respected?

YouTube didn’t publicly announce the change.

Rumors of the actor's inappropriate behavior with younger women have swirled for decades. Now, nine people have come forward with their stories.

Archived version without paywall: https://archive.is/JjnTN

Imagine getting up on stage for a presentation that would have cost in the ballpark of $500,000, all to promote your new video game, and instead of having people talk about it, they are instead talking about: a) Your stupid hat b) How your little speech sounded like a wizard breathed life into a downvoted […]

Archived version: https://archive.is/kr1Uf

Judges consider verdicts against three men after hearing four days of evidence that prosecutor calls ‘overwhelming’

Archived version: https://archive.is/FJnyS

The mom of a trans girl pleaded with a New York Times producer not to use audio captured in a vulnerable moment. Against her will, the company is slated to use the clip for its new podcast.