snowflake challenge #3

[green]

In your own space, talk about a fannish opinion you hold that has changed over time.

OMG FRIENDS. I tried to write a post about how my holier-than-thou attitude has changed and it ended up being a long 'I'm so much better than THESE fans' post! I guess I have a ways to go.

Oopsie.

Starting over:

I wasn't always kind. I used to bash ships or characters. I still do somewhat but only among likeminded people or clearly tagged and I never do it TO FANS like 'omg you suck because you like X'. I used to do that. It's been awhile but the line was very blurry for me.

I used to have a lot of incorrect stances and I was loud about it. I don't even remember what half of those opinions were. I feel bad for souring anyone's fannish enjoyment. I wasn't always a positive ray of sunshine! I'm still not but I try. I used to join communities that were kinda close-knit but negative toward others. So-called 'elite' communities for art. Or for 'better' fanfiction. But I always ended up burned because sooner or later those groups would combust as we turned on each other. There's only so much negativity you can share before every interaction becomes catty and mean.

As I've gotten more (*ahem*) mature, I've learned to seek out positivity in fandom, and to curate my experience. I always want people to like me, so sometimes I do get dragged into negativity still. But I TRY to stay away from it.

Wow, this one really is a CHALLENGE.

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I've learned to seek out positivity in fandom, and to curate my experience. I always want people to like me, so sometimes I do get dragged into negativity still. But I TRY to stay away from it.<<

A useful response in many venues, when people start going on something negative, is for people to post other things that are positive. It opens an opportunity to pull people away from the negative thread into a more positive thread. Plus in any top down feed, it helps bury the negative post(s).

Re: Thoughts

[green]

Ah, burying the negative posts is a good point. Thank you!

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

It's a riff on something that Suzette Haden Elgin used to do in response to online misbehavior, which was to post recipes. I prefer a more topically relevant response. If you can post something else that's more interesting than the garbage fight, people are likely to prefer it.