becomeyourfursona

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feathertail

A little while ago, I put in a suggestion to

dw_suggestions to have Dreamwidth's Diversity Statement modified so as to reject speciesist language, and include otherkin.

Just today,

denise contacted me to let me know that the suggestion was rejected. In fact, amendments to the Diversity Statement aren't allowed in

dw_suggestions ... because doing so makes people feel like acceptance is up for a vote.

What I should have done, apparently, is file a bug report. And there's now an upcoming patch that doesn't mention otherkin specifically, but says that people of any "identity, and self-identification" are welcome, and removes all speciesist language.

I guess welcoming "people of any species" is a little too progressive for Dreamwidth at this time. ~.^ But the new language doesn't exclude us, either, and allows wiggle room for otherkin to squeeze in. I'd say that's good news for those of us who identify as non-human.

feathertail

Reblogged from

otherkin_news:

A Japanese company called Neurowear has formed to create high-tech products for a fashionable image of an “augmented human body.” Neurowear’s first product is a pair of wearable cat ears on a headband, named Necomimi (from Japanese neko cat + mimi ear). The headband includes brainwave sensors. Based on live data collected by these sensors, the cat ears move around to express the wearer’s inner feelings: perked up when alert, drooping when relaxed, and several other states in between ...

More at the original site.

You don't have to get surgery or anything! Although personally, what I think might be neater (and cheaper) would be an ordinary pair of cat ears, which then has an augmented reality tag so that people using AR glasses or phone apps could see a live, animated pair.

Necomimi will supposedly cost a few hundred dollars when they come out next spring (and you are advised to beware of counterfeits. You can check out their blog if you want to keep tabs on this.

avia

http://kwiksurveys.com/?u=speciesdysphoria

Please spread this around and everyone experiencing species dysphoria or, who thinks they might be, please take this survey and help to collect more information on what species dysphoria is and how it expresses.

It’s anonymous, just something I am personally doing to help to have more solid information on this, so that it we have more solid data to explain and offer to people.

feathertail

It looks kind of freaky, IMO, but as GreenReaper of Flayrah reports:

Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have combined non-contact motion detection with animatronics to build a fursuit head which reacts to a performer's facial movements.

It's like a Kinect sensor built into your fursuit. Not bad!

feathertail

otherkin_news_feed exists, and is awesome. And I'm not just saying that because

waywind has collected a bunch of my writings onto it lately. >.>;

It's a mirror of

otherkin_news, if you prefer to use LiveJournal.

avia maintains a Tumblr mirror. And if you like to use an RSS reader, there's also an RSS feed.

avia

http://stargliderx.deviantart.com/art/Virtual-Swan-take-2-155988289
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Zb_usd7Os
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTc3_fJZ8uQ

Swandog send me these links, and I thought it seems something interesting for Become Your Fursona. It's not reality, but, a realistic simulation of non-human species is something we could enjoy, and this is exactly that. (And it has many species of birds including a trumpeter swan, how I could not like it?)

And, imagine how lovely it would be, if the avatar technology that Feathertail is talking about, mixed with something like this...

feathertail

We're not quite at the point where we can wear glasses that make people appear as their fursonas yet, but this add-on from Recon Instruments might be a first step:

With the MOD and MOD Live systems created by Recon Instruments, you can turn your [ski] goggles into a mini-computer. As you carve your way down the mountain, the MOD displays your current speed, altitude, distance traveled, temperature, GPS location and much more - all on a tiny screen on the inside of your goggles.

You have to wear big, bulky ski goggles, and it doesn't do true "augmented reality" at all; instead, it just projects a heads-up display into your field of vision.

They only cost $300 - $400, though, about the price of a modern game console. How much more would it cost to put in an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip? If enough people used things like this, would the slopes start putting in markers that could communicate with them and guide people down safely? Maybe they could even superimpose guide brackets (or herrings) over the path that you're supposed to follow.

These are all applications of the technology I've been talking about, which would appeal to non-furries and -otherkin. They're natural evolutions of what's already available. And it's exciting to see it start to take shape.

feathertail

Check out the comments thread on this entry I posted! I rambled for a bit about my idea for how to explain our fursonas (and otherkin identities) to a computer so that web sites and things can recognize us, and people started taking the discussion in new directions really fast.

Feel free to contribute! I'll post an update once I get the chance.

spectrum_x

( warning, link leads to video with blood. )

avia

I have been thinking about 3D printing, and the possibility for making a more real fursuit design, to allow us to feel like we become our fursonas. It's difficult to model the animal skull perfectly, to get the right face structure... but, what if we could 3D print the skull, at the size of our heads? Then, we would have a good base to start building the head... because the skull would have the perfect structure, but, also the right size for our head to fit in.

(It would also let the horns, teeth, etc. be perfectly matching the original. That's particularly good for creatures with beaks, like me, because, a realistic beak is very hard to make...)

feathertail

Courtesy of Long Zheng's istartedsomething, a report on how Microsoft's building a Kinect-powered holodeck. (You'll need Silverlight, or Moonlight on a Linux system, to see the video demo.)

Also, I put in a suggestion to

dw_suggestions about recognizing nonhuman users of Dreamwidth. The link goes to an entry on my journal that illustrates the problem, using a different website. When and if the suggestion is posted, I'll put up a link so that you can all vote on it.

feathertail

This is one we've probably all tried already, but there are a lot of different games out there (pencil-and-paper and otherwise) that let you imagine being your fursona. They range from rules-heavy to roleplay-heavy; I personally prefer the ones that are roleplay-light, because I'm shy and because I prefer imagining these things to talking them out.

MMORPGs are my favorite so far, because they're immersive solo experiences where I can interact with others but am not obliged to in order to progress. Playing a Worgen Warlock in World of Warcraft (say that three times fast) has been surprisingly fun because of how atmospheric it is. I'm not really a wolf-kin, but their story involves transformation and coming to terms with your changed self. I rather like it.

Pencil-and-paper roleplaying games are also conducive to this kind of thing, if you have a furry / transformation-friendly GM or game setting. Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition is very easy to reflavor and recustomize, species-wise. Pathfinder is more fiddly, but has the virtue of being open-source via the Open Gaming License, and having all of its rules posted online. Plus, Paizo is extremely good about working with its customers. Basically, Pathfinder is like the Dreamwidth of role-playing games.

A while ago I did a furry-themed game based on the 3.5e D&D rules (the precursor to Pathfinder). The wiki for that campaign is here, and includes stats for furry species. I've also looked at the Werewolf games, although they're less flexible in some ways and I'm not as familiar with the system.

Edit:

ysabetwordsmith suggests World Tree, an all-furry RPG with a unique setting and art by

djinni (who did the icon I'm using). I've also heard good things about Ironclaw.

avia

While we are looking into the scientific side of the question of becoming our true selves, I am also not forgetting the magical side. I decided to start a ritual: of praying every night, for one year, for transformation.

I'm not praying just for magical transformation. I'm praying for scientific doors to open. I'm praying for minds to become wise and understand our needs. I'm praying for the old prejudices to be destroyed. I'm praying for the situation, from all directions. I have been praying now, for almost 1 month.

I think that it might be even more helpful, though, if other people pray with me.

The prayer that I pray is not directly about transformation. I work with death gods, so, I pray to the death gods for change, because, death is change. Of course, not all people will be comfortable with this. So, I thought, it might be a good idea to design a prayer that everyone can pray, a prayer that is focused on transformation particularly.

I'm not good at things like this. My language is not great. So, would someone help me? Write a prayer or ritual for transformation, that our community can focus on?

feathertail

avia is working on a zine called The Forest Voice, which will explore topics relevant to otherkin. She would like people to create visual or written submissions (of any kind) about "The challenges of living non-human in the human world."

Imagine you were writing for a magazine to be delivered to the fae, and pour out your pure and wild heart.

Anything that blurs fantasy and reality (making it seem like you are writing as a physical nonhuman in the Earth world) is particularly welcome ...

If that sounds like fun, check it out and see what you can do. The deadline is December 1.

avia

Here is a post that talks about the ways we possibly could modify the DSM guidelines for transgender people, with only a small change to show that they similarly fit a transspecies identity. If you change just the word "gender" to "species", they really exactly fit.

It might be a good thought to have in mind when trying to present this in a serious way to the medical profession in the future.

avia

I posted this essay previously on my journal, but, I thought it was also suited for here.

In some way or other, what we are talking about here is p-shifting. To become your true self physically, is what we mean when we say "p-shifting". But, this term has become a bad word in otherkin and therian communities. I think, it's a good time to reclaim that word, to talk about more than just a magical miracle shift, but other kind of physical shift that are possible such as, surgery and hormones. This essay talks about why, and, talks about some possible paths we can take, based on current (though experimental) technology and medical knowledge.

( Read more... )

feathertail

As I explained in this journal entry, the floor is open! For the time being, anyone can register, and all registered members can post.

Otherkin and anyone else interested in becoming their fursonas are encouraged to post whatever you like, whether it's an idea you had, a technique you learned or just something you'd like to share. Don't worry about whether or not your idea is polished! We'll talk it out and come up with stuff based on it. ^.^

feathertail

So apparently this comm had its nav menu sorta break down awhile back. And at the time I didn't know what had caused it, but today I popped back in and remembered I'd seen those "expand cut tags" things on my journal. It's apparently a new module, that came in and cluttered my beautiful menu.

The first time I saw it I just sorta threw up my hands in disgust, since I didn't think anyone used this comm anyhow. But now I just fixed it. And I'm looking back here with a bit more interest now, since it seems like Dreamwidth's taking on a greater role in my life.

Should I put some more effort into spiffing this place up, and/or continue to post story updates here? Maybe encourage some people to write their own things? Especially about being otherkin / therian maybe ... I mean, I started BYF when it was just fursona stuff, but the stories have gotten deeper and deeper and so has my spirituality, in many ways.

I'm probably just talking to myself here, but if anyone's actually listening and has any thoughts let me know. >.>b

feathertail

“How long have you been on Earth?”

“Two weeks.” Tyris looks past his facemask without turning her head, knowing her visor is glossy enough that he can’t see her.

“How long have I been on Earth?”

“Three years.” He’d told her that morning.

He tells her about the savage, filthy Earth humans. The survivor camps that they live in. The crude machines that they drive, that they struggle to keep maintained, and the wars that they fight for the last drops of oil. And the way they mix animals’ souls with their own, turning themselves into animals. Turning themselves into beasts of burden.

Tyris listens, and reminds herself of how stupid she is. And how very out of her league she is on this planet.

Welcome to Earth … the most dangerous world in the galaxy. Especially after It happened. Can you keep from becoming an animal while you’re here?

I wasn’t going to write an original story while I was working on commissions. But I’d already volunteered to write Fox Hunt for someone, and when he decided he didn’t want it anymore I kind of left you all hanging when I lost my momentum. Here’s as much as you’re going to get for awhile, at any rate, unless I decide to work on it alongside Creator-Unreal’s commission!

I already have most of his story written, so expect the first part this weekend. Apologies once again, for the delay.

Cross-posted from Become Your Fursona.

Become Your Fursona

Become Your Fursona

Home

Sticky: <<< Newbies Read This First >>>

A victory for otherkin?

Cat ears that respond to your mood -- available 2012

Species Dysphoria Survey [tw: mentions eating disorders, suicide, SI, dysphoria feelings]

Animatronic "fursuit" head reads facial expressions

Otherkin News is on Dreamwidth

Windhaven

Augmented reality goggles

Tagging our selves

species mod update. (warning blood)

3D printing for fursuits?

More AR goodness, and Dreamwidth

List of permanent non-human-like body modifications that are available to the public right now

Roleplaying as your fursona

A prayer for transformation

Avia's kinzine wants submissions

One more thing...

Redefining p-shifting

Open microphone night

Broken thingy fixed

New story time