1) What fandom was it? The Cal Leandros series by Rob Thurman. 2) What was the medium? Most of the active internets fandom can be found on the Tumulus messageboard (http://robthurmanbooks.proboards92.com/index.cgi); there are comms, but they're rarely in use. 3) When was this? Up until this spring, I was reasonably interested/active in the fandom. People still use that forum, but it's not a large fandom. 4) Are you still active in that fandom? No. The book series continues, but my patience with the author does not. 5) Why did you participate there, and not at a journaling site? As mentioned above, that's where the fandom's centered. Thurman herself used to post there, too. 6) Are you more active in fandom on journaling sites or at other places? I'm more active on journaling sites overall. 7) How did the different mode of interaction affect your fandom participation? It felt less immediate than it might on eljay; people on not-journaling sites aren't on them nearly as often. 8) Does there seem to you to be a difference in fen between the other medium and journaling sites? What are the differences? Why do you think those differences exist? Is it the nature of that fandom, or do you think it has anything to do with where that fandom is taking place? The fans tended to be/come off as much younger than in many of my fandoms, so most differences can be chalked up to that and the feeling of "what if the author is watching." Saying anything critical of the series wasn't especially welcome, for instance. 9) What were the fen in the other medium's thoughts on yaoi? Shallow fangirling. Not that there's anything wrong with that--it's a series for that sort of thing--but the attitude was basically, "they're pretty, sounds good." 10) Was it easier or harder to get into a fandom through a medium other than a journaling site? About the same? I don't feel a very strong connection to fandom outside of people I already know anyway, for a lot of reasons. If I was aiming for a closer bond with other fandom people, I would find it a lot less gratifying in the short term, though. 11) Which medium do you prefer? Journal sites, because that's where my friends are.
I've had other fandoms where the fandom presence is stronger/extant at all outside journal sites, but in at least one case (A Song of Ice and Fire, I'm looking at you), I've heard enough about how disagreeable the general viewpoints of non-journal fandom are that I have little desire to go seeking it.
Also, my experiences with fandom tend to be less social in general than I think others' are. I already have my small group of friends to get excited over things with; I don't necessarily want to go try and bond with strangers.
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2) What was the medium? Most of the active internets fandom can be found on the Tumulus messageboard (http://robthurmanbooks.proboards92.com/index.cgi); there are comms, but they're rarely in use.
3) When was this? Up until this spring, I was reasonably interested/active in the fandom. People still use that forum, but it's not a large fandom.
4) Are you still active in that fandom? No. The book series continues, but my patience with the author does not.
5) Why did you participate there, and not at a journaling site? As mentioned above, that's where the fandom's centered. Thurman herself used to post there, too.
6) Are you more active in fandom on journaling sites or at other places? I'm more active on journaling sites overall.
7) How did the different mode of interaction affect your fandom participation? It felt less immediate than it might on eljay; people on not-journaling sites aren't on them nearly as often.
8) Does there seem to you to be a difference in fen between the other medium and journaling sites? What are the differences? Why do you think those differences exist? Is it the nature of that fandom, or do you think it has anything to do with where that fandom is taking place? The fans tended to be/come off as much younger than in many of my fandoms, so most differences can be chalked up to that and the feeling of "what if the author is watching." Saying anything critical of the series wasn't especially welcome, for instance.
9) What were the fen in the other medium's thoughts on yaoi? Shallow fangirling. Not that there's anything wrong with that--it's a series for that sort of thing--but the attitude was basically, "they're pretty, sounds good."
10) Was it easier or harder to get into a fandom through a medium other than a journaling site? About the same? I don't feel a very strong connection to fandom outside of people I already know anyway, for a lot of reasons. If I was aiming for a closer bond with other fandom people, I would find it a lot less gratifying in the short term, though.
11) Which medium do you prefer? Journal sites, because that's where my friends are.
I've had other fandoms where the fandom presence is stronger/extant at all outside journal sites, but in at least one case (A Song of Ice and Fire, I'm looking at you), I've heard enough about how disagreeable the general viewpoints of non-journal fandom are that I have little desire to go seeking it.
Also, my experiences with fandom tend to be less social in general than I think others' are. I already have my small group of friends to get excited over things with; I don't necessarily want to go try and bond with strangers.