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Fandom far afield
When was the last time you participated in fandom on the internet not through a journaling site? I don't really mean posting fanfic to something like fanfiction.net, unless you also post and discuss in the forums there. I mean discussion, meta, the posting of fanfic, the making of graphics, etc, all being share through a medium other than LJ, DW, Insane Journal, JournalFen, etc. This would be a forum, website, mailing list . . . if you did something like a fanzine, not online, I'm interested in that too.
1) What fandom was it?
2) What was the medium? (e.g. was it a forum, a mailing list, etc)
3) When was this?
4) Are you still active in that fandom?
5) Why did you participate there, and not at a journaling site?
6) Are you more active in fandom on journaling sites or at other places?
7) How did the different mode of interaction affect your fandom participation?
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?
9) What were the fen in the other medium's thoughts on yaoi? (No, seriously. What was the general sentiment towards slash?)
10) Was it easier or harder to get into a fandom through a medium other than a journaling site?
11) Which medium do you prefer?
If it sounds like I'm doing a study, I'm not. I'm just dabbling around in this other fandom, the fen of which seems mainly to congregate around a forum rather than playing on LJ/DW. I'm wondering how many people share my experiences there. Forums used to be my main method of fandom access. I was comfortable in them and found LJ inconvenient and not very suited to my style. I became used to it because I decided a lot of cool people were here...and now I'm beginning to think it's the only way!
1) What fandom was it?
2) What was the medium? (e.g. was it a forum, a mailing list, etc)
3) When was this?
4) Are you still active in that fandom?
5) Why did you participate there, and not at a journaling site?
6) Are you more active in fandom on journaling sites or at other places?
7) How did the different mode of interaction affect your fandom participation?
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?
9) What were the fen in the other medium's thoughts on yaoi? (No, seriously. What was the general sentiment towards slash?)
10) Was it easier or harder to get into a fandom through a medium other than a journaling site?
11) Which medium do you prefer?
If it sounds like I'm doing a study, I'm not. I'm just dabbling around in this other fandom, the fen of which seems mainly to congregate around a forum rather than playing on LJ/DW. I'm wondering how many people share my experiences there. Forums used to be my main method of fandom access. I was comfortable in them and found LJ inconvenient and not very suited to my style. I became used to it because I decided a lot of cool people were here...and now I'm beginning to think it's the only way!
Non-Journaling Fandom Survey
LotR
2) What was the medium? (e.g. was it a forum, a mailing list, etc)
Forum and Mailing Lists
3) When was this?
2003 to 2006
4) Are you still active in that fandom?
No
5) Why did you participate there, and not at a journaling site?
Journaling sites were not used. The mailing list and posting stories to archives and personal websites was how fandom worked.
6) Are you more active in fandom on journaling sites or at other places?
Much more active in fandom on journaling site.
7) How did the different mode of interaction affect your fandom participation?
Much more interaction between writers, readers, commenters. Much more discussion. Much more RL information easily shared. I learned more about coding. I wrote more fic. There were no fic fests organised in the archives or mailing lists (and to my knowledge, there still aren't)
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?
In my experience, the differences have not much to do with the different fen of LotR and HP. Both fandoms went into journaling sites, it's just that I am active in HP now.
9) What were the fen in the other medium's thoughts on yaoi? (No, seriously. What was the general sentiment towards slash?)
The mailing lists I was active on were all slash lists. Some of the big archives had issues with slash, but in general it was more the other readers, not the mods.
10) Was it easier or harder to get into a fandom through a medium other than a journaling site?
Harder.
11) Which medium do you prefer?
Journaling site, for sure.
Interesting stuff! :)
Re: Non-Journaling Fandom Survey
This is my experience too. Why do you think this is? Is it because anyone can organize a fest on LJ, whereas in a forum or mailing list people feel like they have to be a mod or something?
Thanks for answering these questions. My experience at non-journaling fandom spaces has been so different, and I just don't understand why!