Introductions
Howdy! This is a comm for new and old users alike to introduce themselves and what their hobbies/interests are. This is also a good place to ask questions on anything you'd like to know more about, and generally to get acquainted with Hexbear and its users.
Rule #1: DON'T DOX YOURSELF - Don't post/comment any personal identifying information. Obviously it's ok to talk about yourself, but make sure there is no information that could potentially lead to doxxing yourself.
Rule #2: BE NICE - Assume everyone making a post here is doing so in good faith. Keep in mind that people introducing themselves may have limited knowledge of site history, in-jokes, etc. Also keep in mind that new people might not have the same understanding of leftist theory and/or knowledge of global politics that you do. We were all there once, so it's not a bad thing to be reasonably understanding and patient with new folks. Likewise, for those who are introducing yourselves, please have an open mind, be willing to interact and make friends, and don't come here with the intent to start fights.
Rule #3: DON'T BE A JERK - Any sort of transphobia, racism, homophobia, ableism, or other forms of bigotry will lead to an immediate ban. Similarly, harassment, being a creep, "chaser" behavior, or anything else done to make others feel uncomfortable will be dealt with harshly. Also try to keep any fediverse drama to a minimum. It's assumed new users are posting here to make friends and not to wade into any previous or existing conflict between instances, so please be respectful of that.
Rule #4: TRY TO BE HELPFUL - It's encouraged to help newcomers wherever possible, including explaining various aspects of this community, providing helpful resources, sharing similar interests you may have, and suggesting comms that they may be interested in.
Rule #5: USE CONTENT WARNINGS - For anything that might be considered a sensitive topic, please use the spoiler format along with a content warning to give people a heads up on what is being discussed.
If anyone has any feedback or any suggestions for improvement to this comm, don't hesitate to reach out to the mods here. Thanks!
view the rest of the comments
Learning the language is an act of love! If you're not able to find a múinteoir, then there are some great resources online.
Mollie Guidera offers online language lessons (www.irishwithmollie.com) and often offers free courses/workshops, and if I remember correctly she has social media with cute little videos on language learning and speculation on etymology.
Molly Nic Céile just released a lovely little book, Gaeilge i mo chroí (Irish in my heart), and also does some online lessons.
Manchán Magan is an Irish folklorist who explores very localized language to preserve words, phrases, and expressions that are particular to specific communities/areas. He also has a fantastic series of explorations on the connections between Irish and Indigenous struggle, and has a new book coming out about the common root of Irish and Vedic folklore/cultural traditional.
Ciara Ní É is a queer poet that I recommend, as she is part of a generation of queer Irish speakers that are at the forefront of building new language that expresses queer Irish identity without reliance on Anglo queer terminology.
Also, this is a really old classic, but Myles Dillon's Teach Yourself Irish, coupled with some online resources, maybe Rosetta Stone, will do much more for you than Duo Lingo.
Above all: music. Music is the living soul of language, if you want to understand Irish then immerse yourself in Irish music.
Wow. Thank you for all this fantastic advice and resources!! The best thing I was looking at before this was a paid online course done by DCU, but Mollie Guidera looks like a better option, and the rest of the resources mentioned look fantastic as well. 💚💚💚