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Roboton
Jan. 31st, 2026 01:01 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
languagelog_feedWe need a new word in English: "roboton"
The reason I thought of this is because it reflects my reaction to the constant, mindless, monotonous repetition of Chinese government spokespersons with ready-made responses to any should-be difficult questions that may be put to them. For example, "China maintains a position of strict neutrality in the Ukraine crisis and never does anything contrary to international law" (or words to that effect), as Mme. Mao Ning (Director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department of China) has said so many times.
When the word "roboton" popped into my mind to characterize Mme. Mao Ning's mode de parler, I just assumed that it already was an English word. But when the grammar / spell checker on my computer told me something was wrong, I looked up "roboton" and found that indeed it didn't exist in English. So I searched around and found that, as we all know, "robot" originates from the Czech word robota (forced labor, drudgery), introduced in Karel Čapek’s 1920 play R.U.R. ("Rossum's Universal Robots") to describe artificial, human-like machines. It refers to automatic, programmable machines performing tasks or, metaphorically, a person acting mechanically, a robotnik (forced worker).
So the "robot" part of my "roboton" was all right for what I wanted to say, but by "ton", in my mind I was thinking of something like an automaton, a zombie-like person who just says whatever he / she is programmed to speak when a certain button is pushed. We know full well that China has been measurably assisting Russia in its attack on Ukraine — there is hard, documented evidence of that. For Madame Mao to say otherwise is a blatant lie, but she had to say it because that is what she was programmed to say.
I was thinking of her speech as a "roboton litany".
Also, very much in my mind when I was inventing "roboton" was this song by Styx (1983):
Lyrics
どうもありがと Mr. Robotoどうもありがと Mr. Robotoまた会う日までどうもありがと Mr. Roboto秘密を知りたい
You're wondering who I am (secret, secret, I've got a secret)Machine or mannequin? (Secret, secret, I've got a secret)With parts made in Japan (secret, secret, I've got a secret)I am thee modern man
I've got a secret, I've been hiding under my skinMy heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain IBMSo if you see me acting strangely, don't be surprisedI'm just a man who needed someone and somewhere to hide to keep me aliveJust keep me alive, somewhere to hide, to keep me alive
I'm not a robot without emotions, I'm not what you seeI've come to help you with your problems so we can be freeI'm not a hero, I'm not the saviour, forget what you knowI'm just a man whose circumstances went beyond his controlBeyond my control, we all need controlI need control, we all need control
I am thee modern man (secret, secret, I've got a secret)Who hides behind a mask (secret, secret, I've got a secret)So no one else can see (secret, secret, I've got a secret)My true identity
どうもありがと Mr. Robotoどうも (どうも)どうも (どうも)どうもありがと Mr. Robotoどうも (どうも)どうも (どうも)どうもありがと Mr. Robotoどうもありがと Mr. Robotoどうもありがと Mr. Robotoどうもありがと Mr. Roboto
Thank you very much, Mr. RobotoFor doing the jobs that nobody wants toAnd thank you very much, Mr. RobotoFor helping me escape, when I needed toThank you, thank you, thank youI want to thank youPlease, thank you, oh-oh-oh, yeah
The problem's plain to seeToo much technologyMachines to save our livesMachines dehumanize
The time has come at last (secret, secret, I've got a secret)To throw away this mask (secret, secret, I've got a secret)Now everyone can see (secret, secret, I've got a secret)My true identity
I'm Kilroy, Kilroy, Kilroy, Kilroy
Selected readings
- "Measure words for robots" (9/4/21)
- "Robotic copying" (2/27/19)
- "The first conversing automaton" (8/7/10)
[Thanks to June Teufel Dreyer]
Schneewind
Jan. 30th, 2026 01:00 pmlanguagelog_feedAs editor of Journal of Chinese History, Sarah Schneewind asked me if I would do a review of this book: Documents géographiques de Dunhuang. Having done over three hundred reviews during my career, I try to decline them as much as possible at this stage. However, I succumbed to her offer because it was about Dunhuang and was by a French author, for both of which I have soft spots in my heart..
Jokingly, I wrote back: "In honor of your surname in these arctic times, Sarah, I will do the review."
She replied, "Vielen Dank, Victor! Ganz schön, dass meine Name etwas gilt!" ("Thank you very much, Victor! It's really nice that my name means something!")
Ahh! That gave me such a warm, bilingual feeling that I went upstairs and fell asleep without the customary shivers of the last couple of weeks. "Schneewind, wehe sanft."
Selected readings
- "'No word for X meets snowcloning" (11/20/20
- "Linguistic relativity: snow and horses" (4/15/25)
42— the answer
Jan. 29th, 2026 10:00 pmqwertee_feedBy carloj1956
42 — the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
42 — the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
What green olives do to black olives
Jan. 29th, 2026 08:53 pmlanguagelog_feed"How to Print Lists in the Reminders App on an iPhone & iPad"
August Garry, iPhoneLife (10/02/25)
See the second item:
Why?
Selected readings
- "Awesome foods" )2/23/15) — gǎnlǎn 橄欖 ("olive")
- "Oil: a partial paradigm" (6/19/22)
- "Tocharian words for oil" (6/22/22)
[h.t. François Lang]
Changes to Fandom Metatag Wrangling Guidelines
Jan. 29th, 2026 06:22 amao3_news_feed
Background
Over the last year, Tag Wranglers have been actively discussing how to make fandom metatags more useful to users, both to find the content they're looking for and filter out the content they aren't. Since our last update, these discussions have now concluded, and we want to provide an update about how our guidelines have changed.
Fandom metatags allow Tag Wranglers to connect groups of related fandoms together so that they can be more easily filtered on as a group. For example, if you're interested in all works related to Game of Thrones (TV), including the related novels or the 2014 video game, you may be interested in filtering on its metatag: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms. Filtering on the metatag means that you will find all the works tagged with the metatag itself or tagged with any of its individual subtags. In addition to this, having a group of fandoms connected together as a metatag and subtags means that selecting "Exclude crossovers" in the sidebar will not exclude works tagged with more than one subtag, and that selecting "Show only crossovers" will not include works tagged more than one subtags.
Metatags are different from merging ("synning") tags. When two tags are merged, the filters will treat them as if they are the same tag. When they are moved together under a metatag, each can still be filtered out individually from the metatag.
Guidelines update
Following extensive discussion, we have updated our guidelines related to fandom metatag trees, including when to create a metatag for related fandoms, when to merge closely related fandoms into one fandom tag (such as merging an anime and a manga), and when to split out subtags from a currently merged tag. The below paragraphs detail these updates and link to where you can find more information.
Metatag guidelines
Moving forward, Tag Wranglers may connect related fandoms using a metatag if there are at least two canons already canonized on AO3 that are:
- Closely related adaptations;
- The same story adapted across different media; or
- Canon with official prequels, sequels, or other related adaptations set in a shared universe.
Whether a fandom metatag is created will vary based on the specific fandom. Not all fandoms will require a metatag, even if they fit the above criteria, and some fandoms with complex and sprawling canons may require multiple levels of metatags. Fandoms that do not fit one of the above criteria can be evaluated for a metatag on a case by case basis, focusing on what would be most useful to the majority of its fans. Tag Wranglers are fans of these canons as well and may base their decisions on a variety of factors such as whether the fan base generally considers these separate canons as distinct, or to what extent fans of different adaptations overlap.
Existing metatags, such as Star Wars - All Media Types or Marvel will not be required to match these rules or formats. These formats and guidelines will be applied to newly created fandom tags or existing tags if Tag Wranglers or users request changes.
In addition to determining when a metatag may be created, Tag Wranglers have also identified some circumstances where a metatag would not be beneficial to the majority of fans and therefore these fandoms will be canonized separately, not linked by a metatag. These are generally fandoms that are not closely related, such as:
- Fandoms which are only connected by minor crossover events
- Fandoms which share a performer, director, or creator/creative team but are not related through a shared continuity, shared characters, or other shared elements
You can find the full list of situations where Tag Wranglers decided a metatag would not be beneficial in the Metatag Wrangling Guidelines.
Fandom merging guidelines
Similar to determining which existing tags should have a metatag and don't currently, existing tags that have multiple adaptations merged together into one fandom tag may instead canonize their adaptations and subtag them to a metatag if they meet the guidelines above for when to create a metatag. These will also be handled on a case by case basis based on what is most appropriate for the fandom.
Finally, Tag Wranglers reviewed their guidelines on when to merge fandom tags for two related adaptations into one shared fandom tag (e.g. fandom tags like Naruto (Anime & Manga)), partially in relation to anime and manga fandoms. Going forward, when requested by users and/or Tag Wranglers, fandom tags for nearly identical adaptations may be merged if it is determined that this will be what is most useful to AO3 users. These requests will always be examined on a case by case basis.
Canonizing adaptations separately will remain the default, as it's much easier to merge later if appropriate than it is to separate them. This is particularly true in the case of ongoing canons where it's highly possible that the adaptations may diverge in plot, character development, etc.
Changes in progress
As part of these guideline updates, we've already begun processing some commonly requested metatag and fandom changes. The below list represents a small sample of changes that we've already made in response to requests from Tag Wranglers and users. This is not a comprehensive list of every change we have made or will make, but these examples show how the above changes may look in practice.
Metatag change examples
- 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Modao Zushi - Moxiang Tongxiu & Related Fandoms has been made a canonical metatag, with the following fandoms subtagged:
- Good Omens - All Media Types has been made a canonical metatag, with the following fandoms subtagged:
Fandom merging examples
- 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime) and 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga) have been merged into 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime & Manga).
- 天官赐福 | Heaven Official's Blessing (Cartoon), 天官赐福 | Heaven Official's Blessing (Webcomic), and 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù have been merged into 天官赐福 - 墨香铜臭 | Tian Guan Ci Fu | Heaven Official's Blessing - Moxiang Tongxiu.
Other fandoms that have recently been updated to merge separate medias, add a metatag, and/or split out subtags to form a new fandom tree include: How to Train Your Dragon, KonoSuba, A Certain Magical Index, Uma Musume, Nine Worlds Series - Victoria Goddard, Monogatari Series - Nisio Isin, and Solo Leveling.
The above changes are already live on AO3, and others will be made in the coming days as wranglers and users request changes to their fandom's structure in connection with this change.
Have questions or want to request a metatag change?
You can find these specific guideline updates on our Metatag and Fandom Wrangling Guideline pages. As mentioned above, other fandoms may already be discussing making changes. These discussions will also include requests from users who've previously submitted feedback to Support. If you have submitted a request within the past six months asking for a metatag or merger to be considered, there is no need to submit another request at this time as your request is already being reviewed.
For more information about AO3's tag system generally, check out the Tags FAQ. To learn more about Tag Wrangling, refer to the Tag Wrangler position description or the committee description.
If you have questions about specific tags, want to request a change to your fandom's metatag, or have other questions about this change, please contact Support instead of leaving a comment on this post. Support handles questions and requests related to how tags are sorted and connected in addition to providing technical support to AO3's users.
Do not contact Support if the tags you wish to ask about are less than one month old. Please give Tag Wranglers time to handle new tags and wait to request changes until at least one month after a tag's first use.
Finally, while we know the majority of users find having a metatag helpful, we are aware that not everyone agrees with this due to the limits it creates on filtering. As such, we wanted to provide some advice on how to filter out works tagged with the metatag, if you wish to. Please select "How to exclude works tagged with a metatag" below to expand the instructions on excluding works tagged with a metatag.
How to exclude works tagged with a metatag
You can exclude works tagged with a metatag using the metatag's Tag ID, using the following process. For ease of use, we recommend you do this on a computer rather than on your mobile device.
Begin by finding the Tag ID of the metatag you want to filter out from its source code. Open the works page of the metatag you want to filter out, such as The Hobbit - All Media Types. Right-click on the "Favorite Tag" button, then select "Inspect". In the window that opens, locate the line that says: value="X" name="favorite_tag[tag_id]" where X is the ID of your tag. It should be directly above what is automatically highlighted when you click Inspect.
For this example, the Tag ID for The Hobbit - All Media Types is 541478. This is a fandom tag, so the search operator you'll need is fandom_ids:541478. (You can use this trick for other tag types, just swap the word fandom in fandom_ids for character, relationship, or freeform.)
Next, go to the works page for the specific subfandom whose works you want to read. For this example, we'll use The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien.
In the Filters sidebar, enter -fandom_ids:541478 in the "Search within results" field. This will show you all works tagged with "The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien", except those that are also tagged with "The Hobbit - All Media Types" (viewable here).
If filtering by tag ID is something you want to do often and you'd like to make your life a bit easier, you can use an unofficial script to display the tag ID of all canonical tags directly on the works page (if you're unfamiliar with scripts, you can find more information in our Unofficial Browser Tools FAQ).
The Organization for Transformative Works is the non-profit parent organization of multiple projects including Archive of Our Own, Fanlore, Open Doors, OTW Legal Advocacy, and Transformative Works and Cultures. We are a fan-run, donor-supported organization staffed by volunteers. Find out more about us on our website.
Changes to Fandom Metatag Wrangling Guidelines
Jan. 29th, 2026 06:20 amotw_news_feedBackground
Over the last year, Tag Wranglers have been actively discussing how to make fandom metatags more useful to users, both to find the content they’re looking for and filter out the content they aren’t. Since our last update, these discussions have now concluded, and we want to provide an update about how our guidelines have changed.
Fandom metatags allow Tag Wranglers to connect groups of related fandoms together so that they can be more easily filtered on as a group. For example, if you’re interested in all works related to Game of Thrones (TV), including the related novels or the 2014 video game, you may be interested in filtering on its metatag: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms. Filtering on the metatag means that you will find all the works tagged with the metatag itself or tagged with any of its individual subtags. In addition to this, having a group of fandoms connected together as a metatag and subtags means that selecting “Exclude crossovers” in the sidebar will not exclude works tagged with more than one subtag, and that selecting “Show only crossovers” will not include works tagged more than one subtags.
Metatags are different from merging (“synning”) tags. When two tags are merged, the filters will treat them as if they are the same tag. When they are moved together under a metatag, each can still be filtered out individually from the metatag.
Guidelines update
Following extensive discussion, we have updated our guidelines related to fandom metatag trees, including when to create a metatag for related fandoms, when to merge closely related fandoms into one fandom tag (such as merging an anime and a manga), and when to split out subtags from a currently merged tag. The below paragraphs detail these updates and link to where you can find more information.
Metatag guidelines
Moving forward, Tag Wranglers may connect related fandoms using a metatag if there are at least two canons already canonized on AO3 that are:
- Closely related adaptations;
- The same story adapted across different media; or
- Canon with official prequels, sequels, or other related adaptations set in a shared universe.
Whether a fandom metatag is created will vary based on the specific fandom. Not all fandoms will require a metatag, even if they fit the above criteria, and some fandoms with complex and sprawling canons may require multiple levels of metatags. Fandoms that do not fit one of the above criteria can be evaluated for a metatag on a case by case basis, focusing on what would be most useful to the majority of its fans. Tag Wranglers are fans of these canons as well and may base their decisions on a variety of factors such as whether the fan base generally considers these separate canons as distinct, or to what extent fans of different adaptations overlap.
Existing metatags, such as Star Wars – All Media Types or Marvel will not be required to match these rules or formats. These formats and guidelines will be applied to newly created fandom tags or existing tags if Tag Wranglers or users request changes.
In addition to determining when a metatag may be created, Tag Wranglers have also identified some circumstances where a metatag would not be beneficial to the majority of fans and therefore these fandoms will be canonized separately, not linked by a metatag. These are generally fandoms that are not closely related, such as:
- Fandoms which are only connected by minor crossover events
- Fandoms which share a performer, director, or creator/creative team but are not related through a shared continuity, shared characters, or other shared elements
You can find the full list of situations where Tag Wranglers decided a metatag would not be beneficial in the Metatag Wrangling Guidelines.
Fandom merging guidelines
Similar to determining which existing tags should have a metatag and don’t currently, existing tags that have multiple adaptations merged together into one fandom tag may instead canonize their adaptations and subtag them to a metatag if they meet the guidelines above for when to create a metatag. These will also be handled on a case by case basis based on what is most appropriate for the fandom.
Finally, Tag Wranglers reviewed their guidelines on when to merge fandom tags for two related adaptations into one shared fandom tag (e.g. fandom tags like Naruto (Anime & Manga)), partially in relation to anime and manga fandoms. Going forward, when requested by users and/or Tag Wranglers, fandom tags for nearly identical adaptations may be merged if it is determined that this will be what is most useful to AO3 users. These requests will always be examined on a case by case basis.
Canonizing adaptations separately will remain the default, as it’s much easier to merge later if appropriate than it is to separate them. This is particularly true in the case of ongoing canons where it’s highly possible that the adaptations may diverge in plot, character development, etc.
Changes in progress
As part of these guideline updates, we’ve already begun processing some commonly requested metatag and fandom changes. The below list represents a small sample of changes that we’ve already made in response to requests from Tag Wranglers and users. This is not a comprehensive list of every change we have made or will make, but these examples show how the above changes may look in practice.
Metatag change examples
- 魔道祖师 – 墨香铜臭 | Modao Zushi – Moxiang Tongxiu & Related Fandoms has been made a canonical metatag, with the following fandoms subtagged:
- Good Omens – All Media Types has been made a canonical metatag, with the following fandoms subtagged:
Fandom merging examples
- 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime) and 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga) have been merged into 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime & Manga).
- 天官赐福 | Heaven Official’s Blessing (Cartoon), 天官赐福 | Heaven Official’s Blessing (Webcomic), and 天官赐福 – 墨香铜臭 | Tiān Guān Cì Fú – Mòxiāng Tóngxiù have been merged into 天官赐福 – 墨香铜臭 | Tian Guan Ci Fu | Heaven Official’s Blessing – Moxiang Tongxiu.
Other fandoms that have recently been updated to merge separate medias, add a metatag, and/or split out subtags to form a new fandom tree include: How to Train Your Dragon, KonoSuba, A Certain Magical Index, Uma Musume, Nine Worlds Series – Victoria Goddard, Monogatari Series – Nisio Isin, and Solo Leveling.
The above changes are already live on AO3, and others will be made in the coming days as wranglers and users request changes to their fandom’s structure in connection with this change.
Have questions or want to request a metatag change?
You can find these specific guideline updates on our Metatag and Fandom Wrangling Guideline pages. As mentioned above, other fandoms may already be discussing making changes. These discussions will also include requests from users who’ve previously submitted feedback to Support. If you have submitted a request within the past six months asking for a metatag or merger to be considered, there is no need to submit another request at this time as your request is already being reviewed.
For more information about AO3’s tag system generally, check out the Tags FAQ. To learn more about Tag Wrangling, refer to the Tag Wrangler position description or the committee description.
If you have questions about specific tags, want to request a change to your fandom’s metatag, or have other questions about this change, please contact Support instead of leaving a comment on this post. Support handles questions and requests related to how tags are sorted and connected in addition to providing technical support to AO3’s users.
Do not contact Support if the tags you wish to ask about are less than one month old. Please give Tag Wranglers time to handle new tags and wait to request changes until at least one month after a tag’s first use.
Finally, while we know the majority of users find having a metatag helpful, we are aware that not everyone agrees with this due to the limits it creates on filtering. As such, we wanted to provide some advice on how to filter out works tagged with the metatag, if you wish to. Please select “How to exclude works tagged with a metatag” below to expand the instructions on excluding works tagged with a metatag.
How to exclude works tagged with a metatag
You can exclude works tagged with a metatag using the metatag’s Tag ID, using the following process. For ease of use, we recommend you do this on a computer rather than on your mobile device.
Begin by finding the Tag ID of the metatag you want to filter out from its source code. Open the works page of the metatag you want to filter out, such as The Hobbit – All Media Types. Right-click on the “Favorite Tag” button, then select “Inspect”. In the window that opens, locate the line that says: value="X" name="favorite_tag[tag_id]" where X is the ID of your tag. It should be directly above what is automatically highlighted when you click Inspect.
For this example, the Tag ID for The Hobbit – All Media Types is 541478. This is a fandom tag, so the search operator you’ll need is fandom_ids:541478. (You can use this trick for other tag types, just swap the word fandom in fandom_ids for character, relationship, or freeform.)
Next, go to the works page for the specific subfandom whose works you want to read. For this example, we’ll use The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien.
In the Filters sidebar, enter -fandom_ids:541478 in the “Search within results” field. This will show you all works tagged with “The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien”, except those that are also tagged with “The Hobbit – All Media Types” (viewable here).
If filtering by tag ID is something you want to do often and you’d like to make your life a bit easier, you can use an unofficial script to display the tag ID of all canonical tags directly on the works page (if you’re unfamiliar with scripts, you can find more information in our Unofficial Browser Tools FAQ).