Entry tags:
One fandomer on a tiny soap box.
I originally posted this as a comment in ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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?