Public Notice Regarding Expectations of Engagement
for the "Public Announcement" challenge
PUBLIC NOTICE REGARDING EXPECTATIONS OF ENGAGEMENT
Please be advised that participation
does not equal mutual agreement.
Following does not imply obligation.
Reading is not reciprocal by default.
This space does not operate
as an exchange market.
Attention is not a currency
redeemable on demand.
Responses may be delayed,
may arrive out of sequence
or may not arrive at all.
No explanation is required.
Silence should not be interpreted
as disregard, refusal,
or breach of trust.
Engagement is offered voluntarily
and sustained at individual level.
Users may be temporarily unavailable
due to limited service,
extended hours of labor,
or the physical demands of living
beyond illuminated screens.
Service interruptions may occur
due to weather, terrain,
exhaustion of power supplies.
Please note:
time spent elsewhere
is not evidence of indifference.
Some contributors operate machinery,
lift heavy weight, walk for hours,
return home with depleted reserves
not reflected in activity logs.
Demanding immediate,
reciprocated attention
may result in disappointment.
Prolonged accounting is allocated
in service of sustainable creation.is allocated
in service of sustainable creation.is allocated
in service of sustainable creation.of
unreturned favors
can erode genuine interest.
Time spent elsewhere
is allocated
in service of sustainable creation.
Creation precedes visibility.
Compensation, if any,
should be considered subsidiary.
Thank you for your understanding.
— The Management
The Sustainable Creativity Board
About the Creator
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insight
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Imola Tóth and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (13)
Well done
Your cover photo made me chuckle. These expectations made me scared. I guess it's good I never married, huh? 😂⚡ Kidding aside, this is a fantastic way to discuss the depth of such an emotional commitment. Good luck with the challenge! ⚡💙Bill⚡ (And I agree with Aarsh. "Attention is no currency" is just one of several really profound personal observations. We've all experienced that but you describe it so artfully.)
Your phrasing around “attention is not a currency” really hit me. It reframes engagement in a way that feels both realistic and kind.
Excellent work, hope this win 🏆
This is the very reason I stepped away from Vocal (Temporary). However now I choose when to read, without guilt or commitment. When I need a break I can go to any book, or any reading/ Writing platform because I wish to do so. Imola, I reread and saw a different meaning emerge I will say, for me, as a Canadian, your words hold a deeper meaning than just Vocal. It is how we, as a country, are feeling towards a former friend and Allie. Don’t expect reciprocation of un warranted loyalty just because we always have. The world is busy enough and we have our own life to live. I know I read too much in this but I wish to thank you for making it is okay to feel this way. Cheers
So many unspoken expectations finally put into words!
Sometimes I feel obligated to read and it gets very overwhelming. But I'm slowly learning to overcome that. Loved your take on this challenge!
💜💙🩷💛🩵
What an interesting take on the challenge. I think your position should be the foundation on which we all operate on Vocal. As someone who is trying desperately to get to a point in my life when I can write full time, rather than work full time, I often find myself wanting to read more of the works of others, but unable to do so. Your approach relieves us of a duty to read. It's necessary. I do think, though, that we should feel obliged to read. An obligation is softer, and asks that we voluntarily read to support each other. The luchre, filthy or no, is secondary to the feeling of support that we feel when other writers acknowledge something we've built. Congratulations on a thought-provoking piece. As always with your work, I've enjoyed reading it
nice take on this-yes sometimes people can't read your tuff-life happens
Very good take on the challenge, Imola. This is an original, thoughtful, and unique piece
Thanks for all the reminders in this piece. Good job, Imola.
I think many people are in two minds about this - there should be a fair exchange, borne of the williness of both parties. Thoughtful, and well expressed as usual, Imola.