Progress and Explanations
May. 7th, 2022 10:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blue_green_dream posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
longwalksThe weather has not been terribly conducive to outdoor activity. Yet somehow, improbably, we are actually far ahead on our first part of the Lord of the Rings Conqueror challenge! aseanchai and I currently have our apps set to catalog all of our daily steps, rather than specific exercise. While part of me worries that this is cheating, I also know that life sometimes intervenes in even the best laid plans. Rather than feeling guilty about those days when I cannot get a dedicated walk in due to weather or family concerns, I can remind myself that in this particular case, every step really does count.
The Conqueror app allows you to create a fellowship (team) so you can walk virtually with friends and cut down on the amount of walking you need to do. (The distance is split between participants.) Because it's adding up the total steps for both of us, the app says that we're about 18 miles ahead of the pace we'd originally set. That's absolutely wild! I'd originally assumed it would take us about 18 months to complete the entire 1,8020 mile challenge, but I think I vastly underestimated us. That's no bad thing. If you end up signing up for the challenge yourself and are looking for a team to join, let us know. We'd love to have more companions on our journey. We'd also love to have people join Team Westmarch, where we're trying to raise $1,000 for the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank.
And now, it's time to answer one of the questions I'm sure you have.
So, why a Dreamwidth account? Why not just make a Squarespace or Facebook page? Frankly, the answer comes down to communication. A website is probably the most direct way to reach people, but it also has a comparatively steep barrier to entry. You have to build it, manage it, monitor it for views. You have to pay for it - not a bad thing, necessarily, but rather counterproductive for an activity with a charitable component. It also doesn't allow for a lot of interaction in the form of comments.
Facebook suffers from a different problem. Its funding comes from ads, which have become more and more numerous over the past few months. (Did a foreign revenue stream dry up, I wonder?) You're constantly fighting for space on the feed, and Facebook is making it clear that they will drown you out unless you pay up. And while websites don't allow for much interaction, social media like Facebook and Twitter can offer too much. Modern social media seems to be a cynicism engine, with everyone jumping at the chance to tell you why your idea is wrong or stupid. At the very least, there are plenty of people who will be right there to tell you exactly why the cause you've chosen to support isn't good enough. I didn't want this fundraiser to turn into an airing of anyone's grievances.
Lastly, there's a certain element of nostalgia to it all. The Fellowship of the Ring came out in 2001, way back when I was in college. I had an active LiveJournal back then, along with a thriving community of Internet friends from around the world. I loved interacting with this circle of friends, even though I never met most of them. That sort of nuanced discussion and long form communication is mostly lost on today's Internet, and I deeply miss it. I hope what I may be able to recapture a bit of that joy here. You can help by commenting here and spreading the word. We may do all the walking, but we'll need a lot of help to raise as much money as possible.
For those who are interested in our fundraising progress...well, there's not much to report there. It's been a busy week, and I haven't had a chance to let friends and family know about our endeavor. If you're in a position to help Team Westmarch, please consider donating via our page. Remember, every dollar provides four meals for people in need! And if you can't donate, please consider sharinglongwalks and the Team Westmarch donation page with your friends, your family and your communities - virtual or otherwise. We can all come together and make the world a bit better than it is now. And that, my friends, is beautiful.
aseanchai and I currently have our apps set to catalog all of our daily steps, rather than specific exercise. While part of me worries that this is cheating, I also know that life sometimes intervenes in even the best laid plans. Rather than feeling guilty about those days when I cannot get a dedicated walk in due to weather or family concerns, I can remind myself that in this particular case, every step really does count.The Conqueror app allows you to create a fellowship (team) so you can walk virtually with friends and cut down on the amount of walking you need to do. (The distance is split between participants.) Because it's adding up the total steps for both of us, the app says that we're about 18 miles ahead of the pace we'd originally set. That's absolutely wild! I'd originally assumed it would take us about 18 months to complete the entire 1,8020 mile challenge, but I think I vastly underestimated us. That's no bad thing. If you end up signing up for the challenge yourself and are looking for a team to join, let us know. We'd love to have more companions on our journey. We'd also love to have people join Team Westmarch, where we're trying to raise $1,000 for the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank.
And now, it's time to answer one of the questions I'm sure you have.
So, why a Dreamwidth account? Why not just make a Squarespace or Facebook page? Frankly, the answer comes down to communication. A website is probably the most direct way to reach people, but it also has a comparatively steep barrier to entry. You have to build it, manage it, monitor it for views. You have to pay for it - not a bad thing, necessarily, but rather counterproductive for an activity with a charitable component. It also doesn't allow for a lot of interaction in the form of comments.
Facebook suffers from a different problem. Its funding comes from ads, which have become more and more numerous over the past few months. (Did a foreign revenue stream dry up, I wonder?) You're constantly fighting for space on the feed, and Facebook is making it clear that they will drown you out unless you pay up. And while websites don't allow for much interaction, social media like Facebook and Twitter can offer too much. Modern social media seems to be a cynicism engine, with everyone jumping at the chance to tell you why your idea is wrong or stupid. At the very least, there are plenty of people who will be right there to tell you exactly why the cause you've chosen to support isn't good enough. I didn't want this fundraiser to turn into an airing of anyone's grievances.
Lastly, there's a certain element of nostalgia to it all. The Fellowship of the Ring came out in 2001, way back when I was in college. I had an active LiveJournal back then, along with a thriving community of Internet friends from around the world. I loved interacting with this circle of friends, even though I never met most of them. That sort of nuanced discussion and long form communication is mostly lost on today's Internet, and I deeply miss it. I hope what I may be able to recapture a bit of that joy here. You can help by commenting here and spreading the word. We may do all the walking, but we'll need a lot of help to raise as much money as possible.
For those who are interested in our fundraising progress...well, there's not much to report there. It's been a busy week, and I haven't had a chance to let friends and family know about our endeavor. If you're in a position to help Team Westmarch, please consider donating via our page. Remember, every dollar provides four meals for people in need! And if you can't donate, please consider sharing
longwalks and the Team Westmarch donation page with your friends, your family and your communities - virtual or otherwise. We can all come together and make the world a bit better than it is now. And that, my friends, is beautiful.