Mastodawn

Dan Watson Sep 3, 2024

I've deleted my NaNoWriMo account. They not only have a generative 'AI' sponsor, they're defending letting you use AI to plaigiarise yourself to 50,000 on the basis that disabled people need AI.

I have a cognitive disability that makes it very difficult for me to write and I am FURIOUS.

Make no mistake, it is very fucking ableist to use people like me as a shield when you are STEALING FROM PEOPLE LIKE ME. They are the ableist ones here. https://www.404media.co/nanowrimo-ai-policy-classist-ableist/

NaNoWriMo Says Condemning AI Is ‘Classist and Ableist’

The organization that runs National Novel Writing Month, a November challenge to write 50,000 words, said "the categorical condemnation of Artificial Intelligence has classist and ableist undertones."

404 Media

Dr Ro Smith Sep 3, 2024

A lot of people seem to have seen this toot, so I'm adding something positive that might interest people disappointed with NaNo as an organisation who still want to use November to focus on writing:

https://writingmonth.org/

It's still in development, but might be of interest. Set up by @amin

Writing Month

Claire Simpson Sep 2, 2024

@Rhube I was already struggling to find enthusiasm for doing Nano this year, and this has just smashed the last nail right through the coffin

Dr Ro Smith Sep 2, 2024

@RexMagenta yeah, this was my feeling exactly.

cognitively accessible math Sep 2, 2024

@Rhube Thank you for clarifying this.

Mystech Sep 2, 2024

@Rhube Wow, really hope this is not real. If it is, setting aside the hijacking of concept of social privilege to justify it, embracing AI with a user base that is particularly vulnerable to being victimized by it, is not something I see them walking back easily, reputation wise.

Dr Ro Smith Sep 2, 2024

@mystech it's completely real. Several authors who were involved in NaNo have stepped down. I don't have the spoons to find more links for you, but it's easy to look up.

lucretia Sep 2, 2024

@mystech Here's the statement from Nanowrimo.
Within the last few hours they've added a note to try and water down the message, but the sentiment remains the same.
https://nanowrimo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/29933455931412-What-is-NaNoWriMo-s-position-on-Artificial-Intelligence-AI

Mystech Sep 3, 2024

@lucretia Oof, talk about doubling down. That's not a very compelling or comforting statement from them. I can seriously see this ill-conceived decision tanking the entire project.

Raederle Sep 3, 2024

@mystech @Rhube It’s real. Here’s the 2024 sponsor list, among the sponsor is ProWritingAid. Clicking through to ProWritingAid: it offers “realtime” /instant feedback as you write. It lets you measure your writing against 50 well known authors including Stephen King (did he really authorize that?).

AI Sparks offers assistance: “Get ideas to improve readability and fluency, change tense or person, and add sensory details”

https://nanowrimo.org/brought-to-you-by

NaNoWriMo

Aviva Gary Sep 2, 2024

@Rhube *heavy sighs* figures don't it 👀

mirabilos Sep 2, 2024

@Rhube there’s now a replacement by @amin → https://alpha.polymaths.social/@amin/statuses/01J6T4AMVY6SM9CE71MW54PSSZ

Post by Amin Hollon 🇺🇸🇲🇾🇮🇳🇦🇫, @[email protected]

Ooookay so I had an idea and jumped on it. I'm now the proud owner of writingmonth.org. I'm gonna code up a site for a generic, non-enshittified site for community focused chasing of writing goals, coincidentally focused around the month of November. Any NaNoWriMo veterans who wanna give me ...

alpha.polymaths.social

Amin Hollon 🏳Sep 2, 2024

@mirabilos @Rhube

Welllll it's not done yet but I'm hoping to get something working within a few weeks, with enough time to spare for people to get signed up and figure out the platform before november. :)

mirabilos Sep 2, 2024

@amin @Rhube short heads-up, I just posted about it, linking this thread, on Goodreads. While I don’t personally have many followers there, others may.

mirabilos Sep 2, 2024

@amin so maybe put up an index.htm to tell people a two sentences “what will this be” and that signups will be available shortly/in $timeframe.

Once done, I can spread this even further.

Amin Hollon 🏳Sep 2, 2024

Yeah, I need to do that… argh

Okay I plan to have something within an hour.

mirabilos Sep 2, 2024

@amin sorry for making more hurried work for you.

You’ll need http://www.textfiles.com/underconstruction/MoMotorCitySpeedway1656construct.gif and perhaps http://www.textfiles.com/underconstruction/Atlantis1366construction.gif as well…

Amin Hollon 🏳Sep 2, 2024

okay okay I've got something basic up: https://writingmonth.org/

Writing Month

James Britt Sep 2, 2024

@mirabilos @amin

Wow. So old-school, they don't even use https!

Dr Ro Smith Sep 2, 2024

@mirabilos @amin thank you for the heads up - appreciated!

M. Forester Sep 3, 2024

@amin is there anything you need help with for the NaNoWriMo platform?
I'm mainly good at coding C#, Go, Bash or Python, but I could help out in other languages in a pinch.
I'm terrible at UI/UX design, so better count me out on that. 😅
My time is limited, but I'm ready to chip in. 🙂

Amin Hollon 🏳Sep 3, 2024

Currently working in Python for this, so if I have some tasks I can delegate I'll let you know. :)

Amin Hollon 🏳Oct 11, 2024

I've now published the repo and contributing guidelines: https://codeberg.org/Freedom-to-Write/writing-month/src/branch/main/CONTRIBUTING.md

The stack is Python/Flask/PostgreSQL. There are a few tasks there that I'm welcoming help with (though please read the contributing guidelines first!)

And don't worry, I'm telling people to mostly hold off of the frontend for now and will do a refactor later, so no UI/UX design needed. ;)

writing-month/CONTRIBUTING.md at main

writing-month - A one-month challenge to set free your creative side.

Codeberg.org

Econproph Sep 2, 2024

@Rhube Thank you. This neurodivergent and disabled person totally agrees with you.

D. G. Fitch Sep 3, 2024

@Rhube seems like we may need to start a fork, #NaNoAIWriMo? (edit: where the No stands for No)

Brandon Sep 3, 2024

@Rhube I imagine their intended use for AI as a disability aid is more likely to strip disabled folks of their creative voice. There are specific use cases where AI makes sense as an accessibility tool, but their position doesn’t engage with anything beyond “AI can help accessibility” and tries to use that to justify AI for creative writing.