One fandomer on a tiny soap box.
Aug. 13th, 2007 08:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mijanI originally posted this as a comment in emmagrant01's journal, but fiona_fawkes, told me that it should be a post of its ownand I think she may be right. So, here it is - my essential thoughts on this whole LJ/6A thing, stripped to the bare bones, and thrown to the center of the village green for your amusement, mocking, or even sincere consideration. (Note that I am editing this slightly as I go, as I discuss things with people, and listen to very good opinions and thoughts from fellow fandomers.) You don't have to agree with me. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, ever. However, remember, at the core of all this... the community of fandom is a family to me. We may argue, bicker, spork, cat-fight, bitch-slap, and even throw hissy-fits at each other, but in the end, I still consider you all family. In the end, I want to see the best for all of us. Because in the end... I think we all want the same thing: to write, draw, ship, slash, review, laugh, cry, and wank in peace, as one big creative, perverted community.
Enjoy:
There are so many things to say about the implosion of fandom on LJ, but sometimes, I wonder if everything has already been said, misinterpreted, re-stated, re-hashed, summarized poorly, CAPSLOCKED, diplomaticized (oooh, new word!), and eventually *headdesk-deleted*
There are harsh reactions from people, people who aren't thinking this through, people who are in a panic, people who are defiant, and people who are angry... some at the same things, some at different things, and some at each other.
Some people call it a customer service issue. Some people call it a moral issue. Some people call it censorship, while others call it bad business.
I call it a tangled mess, with so many knots tied by so many different people, all pulling at once, trying to untangle it, and only making the knots tighter.
I love my fandom. I've loved my fandom's LJ home in the past. I wish we'd listen to each other instead of screaming at each other. I wish we'd stand as a unified front instead of some people running off to the Attorney General while others go into lockdown while yet others abandon ship while yet others stand defiantly, saying "I dare you." But, as much as I would love for us to stand fully united, I know it won't happen. Each person is going to reach in their own way, and that's okay. One of the reason I love my fandom (and one of the reason it simultaneously drives me insane) is because we all ARE individuals. What you do... is up to you.
As for me... I already had JF and GJ accounts. It took me three minutes to get a blank IJ account, just to hold the spot. I'm not using them yet; they're just there, in case I need them later. Even if LJ!mijan is gone, it's not the end of the world, because JF!mijan, GJ!mijan, and IJ!mijan are all ready to go. I only friends-locked one post on LJ - the post at the top of my LJ that boldly linked all my fics, including NC-17. One of them was technically 7th year, and showed a 17-year old Harry in the middle of naught-naughty. However, the fic itself isn't locked, and I won't lock it. My art is still available, what little I've posted. I'm not leaving LJ until I decide that my friends are ALL elsewhere, or I get deleted, whichever comes first. However, I'm never giving LJ another cent, which explains why nobody got LJ-gifts for their birthdays from me. I have no love for LJ, I don't trust them as far as I could throw them, and they've repeatedly provem themselves to be complete idiots and asswipes. However, I will use and abuse their privilages until I've bled everything out of them that I want... which means, "until I feel a new home has been established for my slashy little family". As it seems that the community is reassembling over on InsaneJournal, I'll begin posting fic there, but I think I'll post it here, too... just to spite LJ. Why not, indeed? But I certainly won't remove what I've already built here. And what about those who have been removed? If ponderosa and elaboration end up in legal trouble because 6A actually reported them, which I hope never happens, I would be proud to stand beside them and back them up, if they would accept the show of support, because to me fandom is family and family stands by its own.
Aside from that, the best thing I can do is to keep talking to friends, keep reading fic, keep looking at art, be more faithful about reviewing and supporting my fellow fandom contributers, keep writing, keep drawing, and keep fandom going. Be ready to leave if we must, but don't run scared just because boogey-corporation said "boo!" If we leave, we've lost our LJ community anyway, so we might as well stick it out, keep doing what we're doing... just maybe be a *bit* smarter about it. I'll safeguard my real identity, but mijan is here to stay until they drag me out the figurative door and throw me to the curb, and I'll be damned if I'll change who and what I am for anyone, because if I do... I've lost anyway.
Anyone with me?
emmagrant01's journal, but fiona_fawkes, told me that it should be a post of its ownand I think she may be right. So, here it is - my essential thoughts on this whole LJ/6A thing, stripped to the bare bones, and thrown to the center of the village green for your amusement, mocking, or even sincere consideration. (Note that I am editing this slightly as I go, as I discuss things with people, and listen to very good opinions and thoughts from fellow fandomers.) You don't have to agree with me. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, ever. However, remember, at the core of all this... the community of fandom is a family to me. We may argue, bicker, spork, cat-fight, bitch-slap, and even throw hissy-fits at each other, but in the end, I still consider you all family. In the end, I want to see the best for all of us. Because in the end... I think we all want the same thing: to write, draw, ship, slash, review, laugh, cry, and wank in peace, as one big creative, perverted community. Enjoy:
There are so many things to say about the implosion of fandom on LJ, but sometimes, I wonder if everything has already been said, misinterpreted, re-stated, re-hashed, summarized poorly, CAPSLOCKED, diplomaticized (oooh, new word!), and eventually *headdesk-deleted*
There are harsh reactions from people, people who aren't thinking this through, people who are in a panic, people who are defiant, and people who are angry... some at the same things, some at different things, and some at each other.
Some people call it a customer service issue. Some people call it a moral issue. Some people call it censorship, while others call it bad business.
I call it a tangled mess, with so many knots tied by so many different people, all pulling at once, trying to untangle it, and only making the knots tighter.
I love my fandom. I've loved my fandom's LJ home in the past. I wish we'd listen to each other instead of screaming at each other. I wish we'd stand as a unified front instead of some people running off to the Attorney General while others go into lockdown while yet others abandon ship while yet others stand defiantly, saying "I dare you." But, as much as I would love for us to stand fully united, I know it won't happen. Each person is going to reach in their own way, and that's okay. One of the reason I love my fandom (and one of the reason it simultaneously drives me insane) is because we all ARE individuals. What you do... is up to you.
As for me... I already had JF and GJ accounts. It took me three minutes to get a blank IJ account, just to hold the spot. I'm not using them yet; they're just there, in case I need them later. Even if LJ!mijan is gone, it's not the end of the world, because JF!mijan, GJ!mijan, and IJ!mijan are all ready to go. I only friends-locked one post on LJ - the post at the top of my LJ that boldly linked all my fics, including NC-17. One of them was technically 7th year, and showed a 17-year old Harry in the middle of naught-naughty. However, the fic itself isn't locked, and I won't lock it. My art is still available, what little I've posted. I'm not leaving LJ until I decide that my friends are ALL elsewhere, or I get deleted, whichever comes first. However, I'm never giving LJ another cent, which explains why nobody got LJ-gifts for their birthdays from me. I have no love for LJ, I don't trust them as far as I could throw them, and they've repeatedly provem themselves to be complete idiots and asswipes. However, I will use and abuse their privilages until I've bled everything out of them that I want... which means, "until I feel a new home has been established for my slashy little family". As it seems that the community is reassembling over on InsaneJournal, I'll begin posting fic there, but I think I'll post it here, too... just to spite LJ. Why not, indeed? But I certainly won't remove what I've already built here. And what about those who have been removed? If ponderosa and elaboration end up in legal trouble because 6A actually reported them, which I hope never happens, I would be proud to stand beside them and back them up, if they would accept the show of support, because to me fandom is family and family stands by its own.
Aside from that, the best thing I can do is to keep talking to friends, keep reading fic, keep looking at art, be more faithful about reviewing and supporting my fellow fandom contributers, keep writing, keep drawing, and keep fandom going. Be ready to leave if we must, but don't run scared just because boogey-corporation said "boo!" If we leave, we've lost our LJ community anyway, so we might as well stick it out, keep doing what we're doing... just maybe be a *bit* smarter about it. I'll safeguard my real identity, but mijan is here to stay until they drag me out the figurative door and throw me to the curb, and I'll be damned if I'll change who and what I am for anyone, because if I do... I've lost anyway.
Anyone with me?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-08-14 02:01 am (UTC)I'm glad you're staying so I won't totally loose touch with you.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-14 02:10 am (UTC)I can't believe I'm posting this...
Date: 2007-08-14 02:28 am (UTC)fandomarmy, why does it go?""We didn't come here to fight for them. The
Six ApartEnglish are too many!""
DaughtersSons ofFandomScotland! I amMijanWilliam Wallace.""
MijanWilliam Wallace is seven feet tall!""Yes, I've heard. Kills men by the hundreds. And if
SHEHE were here,she'dhe'd consumeSix Apartthe English with fireballs fromherhis eyes, and bolts of lightning fromherhis arse."[
FandomScottish army laughs]"I AM
MijanWilliam Wallace! And I see a whole army of myslasher girlscountry men, here, in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?""Against that? No, we will run
to GJ-IJ-JF, and we will live.""Aye, fight and you may die... run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM!"
/insanity. lmao.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-14 02:41 am (UTC)I am in favor of moving. But when I talk about moving, I'm talking about taking our fannish activity off LJ. I don't expect everyone to delete their journals outright and potentially leave people behind.
I feel like, for me, for a lot of us, the damage is done here on LJ. We've been forced to lock down our adult-oriented comms (many of which I participate in regularly), which is incredibly discouraging. It completely defeats the purpose of sharing our work, and I know more than a few authors and artists who don't see much point in posting everything under lock and key.
More importantly, we DON'T have the same community here that we had prior to this debacle. Because 6A has already ensured that two members of my fandom are no longer allowed to play with us here. Many more are dealing with the fear that they might be next.
We ARE a community. This community is greater than LJ itself, and can and does exist off LJ.
Yes, I'm advocating a move, but I'm not talking about running away in fear, or leading a grand revolution. I just want to read/write/comment on fannish materials in relative peace.
Absolutely agreed, however, that no matter where people decide to base their fannish activities -- be it LJ, IJ, or someplace else -- we should be doing whatever we can to support our community right now. Because, as I said, that community is more than simply a journaling system, and we are awesome!!
no subject
Date: 2007-08-14 03:17 am (UTC)I want to stay on lj. I plan on staying at lj unless a large part of fandom moves. i just don't want a move that will make us lose our sense of community and family. I think we are a family, as you said a dysfunctioanl one, but a family none the less. So I will be here until I have to join you at the curb!
no subject
Date: 2007-08-14 03:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-14 04:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-14 09:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-14 01:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-14 04:40 pm (UTC)Word.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-15 03:06 am (UTC)And I, for one, agree. Fandom has been one of the greatest experiences, and, as I told you when we've met, I've never met a more powerful force. I agree that all of us will deal with this all the way, but I also want people to stay and spite LJ and continue this awesomeness. :) I don't like panic, and I especially do not like change (I was never able to deal with it well), and it's hard to have it one way one day, and then the next day everyone is up in a panic and running whichever way and leaving.
I'm with you. :)
no subject
Date: 2007-08-15 12:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-16 04:12 am (UTC)i feel the same way. it's akward because i'm so new to fandom, yet LJ has been with me for like 4-5 years, so it's strange to think of going elsewhere. i don't know where to start with fandom or where else to go, and don't really consider myself to be of valuable insight considering i haven't posted any fic or art yet (though its in the works) and a lot of the members that have been deleted, i don't know their work. the situation really bothers me though in that they seem to be picking on us alone, when there are such bigger issues out there (such as the anorexia stuff addressed earlier). i feel like its homophobic, prejudiced and just overall really really uncool. i'll probably talk about it more on my lj... but good for you about taking a stand, i'd say tell the 6apart people how you feel directly... they can't ignore us forever.