B.A. Baker's Blog, page 3

Microblogging vs. Normal Blogging

That’s right, I’m about to do a spiel on microblogging vs. normal blogging.

(This article inspired me to write this.)

First off, fuck Twitter, it sucks and it probably ruined more lives than any other social media platform in history. (Ruined lives in a metaphorical sense. Facebook ruined in a much more literal sense with actual civil wars.)

But the appeal of microblogging is really there, honestly. I like the idea of being able to shoot off some three sentence thing and it not take up ...

Succeeding at Dating Apps

That’s right, I can tell you about succeeding at dating apps. A little, at least.

I made multiple posts about this in the past year or so. Dating apps are poorly designed, emotionally manipulative, and exhausting. They made me feel like a shmuck.

But this summer, I actually managed it. Going on dates, meeting new people, making out. Succeeding at dating apps is actually possible. It’s just incredibly annoying.

For a trans, queer, foreigner in Japan, options are definitely limited. Most ...

Watch Strap Broke

Well, I never expected it, but my watch strap broke this morning and changed up the rest of my day.

I’ve only had my Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 for two years. The little plastic bits holding the metal connecty part were wearing out, and I knew it was a matter of time before I needed a new strap. And yet, I never thought to actually buy a replacement ahead of time.

So when my watch strap broke this morning, I had to just go to work watchless. It’s not the end of the world. My workout this eveni...

Search for Progression Fantasy Books with This Cool Website

I’ve just been made aware of this new site where you can search for progression fantasy books. It’s titled, conveniently, Progression Fantasy & LitRPG.

The site is similar to that old Web Fiction Guide, where it’s a big listing of stories all across the internet. This time, though, it focuses purely on letting you search for progression fantasy books. Physical, ebook, and web fiction alike!

It’s still new, but it already has hundreds and hundreds of listings. Even if you’re a megafan of t...

Cybernator Looks So Awesome

In round 3 of me gushing about media I haven’t experienced, Cybernator seems so friggin’ cool.

Recently, the game’s been rereleased on modern hardware, got a full SNES reprint (preorder it before November 5th), and it’s become the talk of the town for retro game enthusiasts. So, suddenly, I’ve encountered it a whole lot on the internet. It really makes me wanna play it.

By the way, Cybernator is also called Assault Suits Valken. It got renamed for its first localization in the 90s, b...

Systemless Series Ebooks Are All Released

People ask me all the time where the Systemless Series Ebooks are, and I can tell you they’re all on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. That’s where they tend to be most of the time.

Of course, I’ve been publishing this series since February 2020. Three and a half years spent with Eryk Solbourne, Francis Bacall, Delta Rafati, and absurd comedy stuff. I love these characters! The book finally finished this summer, and I’m very glad to be done with it just for all the stuff surrounding it. I’m not go...

Disney+ Compilation Movies: An Idea For Your Consideration

How come there’s no Disney+ compilation movies yet? Or compilation movies for any of these big streaming series, really?

I’m not necessarily arguing anything for artistic integrity. In fact, in some cases this flies in the face of it. But I’m a big proponent of stories expressing themselves in multiple mediums in different ways. And this is one way to present a story in a new way to a new audience.

I say this because I’m a major film fan, as you might know from my Letterboxd. TV shows are ...

My Media Squares

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A friend shared this template with me, so I made a version of it for myself. I filled in these squares with all the media that impacts me the most. As a human, as a nerd, as a creator… I’m not sure which. But these are all definitely incredibly influential on me and will do so for the rest of my life.

The five biggest squares are the most important media to me, while the ones inside are less vital but still really big.

I’ll list all my media squares off for your convenience, Clockwise ...

Fandom CEO Perkins Miller: Delusions of Corporate-Led Fan Passion

I listened to Decoder’s interview with Fandom CEO Perkins Miller, and it really enlightened things. Really showed me why his company is so awful.

It’s a good interview; I recommend listening or reading the transcript.

For about ten years, the quality of Wikia, later Fandom, has plummeted gradually until it’s become a site I actively avoid as much as possible. Slow, confusing layout, covered with ads, not well-maintained. When I search online and Fandom shows up as a top link, I scroll as m...

Writer Beware – Update to Web Fiction Directory

Here’s a short Writer Beware themed update to my Web Fiction Directory I’ve lightly maintained for a few years now.

Anyway, I’ve had trouble keeping up with one important thing–which websites turn out to be scummy? Which ones offer really oppressive terms to their authors, and which ones have deceptive practices towards readers? If I find a website or app that gains a bad reputation, I’ll always remove it from the list.

But I’m not super engaged with the web fiction community these days, s...