Snowflake Challenge: Fandom Changes
Jan. 29th, 2023 02:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
author_by_nightSo here is my part in the changing fandom conversations:
I say I'm fine with change, but truth be told, I'm really... not. I mean, I'm not one to glorify the good old days. It actually strikes me as ironic when people act like tumblr invented drama when LJ was one of the most melodramatic sites ever. I loved LJ! Don't get me wrong. I loved the hell out of LJ. But if it weren't a drama hub, fandom_wank wouldn't have existed. I think tumblr drama is a lot different in many ways, but in other ways, it's that the language has changed. If anything, LJ could even be meaner. There were dozens of communities that existed just to make fun of fanfics thirteen year olds wrote. I don't think that could happen anymore, and I'm glad for that.
But there was a lot about LJ that was great, too. And that's what I miss, what a lot of us miss, and I think a lot of people who only know tumblr don't get. Or who never used LJ for fandom. Which is valid. I miss LJ fandom how it was in 2007, okay? And it saddens me that it's smaller on DW. And while tumblr has some features of LJ fandom, the quirky stuff and the meta and the images, it's not really the same. I don't feel like there's a lot of community.
And on a personal note: Since this is a public post, I'd rather not get too deep into it, but several years ago I went through some deep personal trauma as a loved one was dying. I needed old school LJ/DW fandom more than ever, and it just wasn't there. I'm going to be honest, I think this led to some resentment. Which wasn't fair. It wasn't. I probably should have tried tumblr then, but I definitely didn't want to risk drama at that point. Then things were better personally, but I was still wistful for fandom. Then I got busy because of some GOOD real life changes, and for a while, I didn't really miss fandom?
Then 2020 happened, and once again I missed the escape. Then I found Schitt's Creek, which led me to being more active on Ao3, which finally saw me give in to tumblr. I'll be honest, I really wish Schitt's Creek fandom was on DW. Because I love DW. I don't love tumblr, it's just... where all the fandom stuff, at least for mine, happens. Things change, though. Tumblr's not going to be around forever; that said, I can't keep hoping DW turns into LJ in 2007. It's not going to. In some ways, maybe that's for the better.
As others have pointed out, fandom constantly changes. We've had fandoms since Sherlock Holmes, and if we ever actually terraform planets in outer space someday, astronauts will probably cheekily share "ancient" Firefly and Star Trek fanfic while writing fanfic for their new mediums. It's going to be different.
There are of course things I miss. There are things I don't like about tumblr fandom, or fandom altogether. I think it's honestly okay to be sad. I am a little sad about some things changing. I'm also a little sad about people I've lost touch with. But of course, the same is true IRL. But... things do still change, whether we like it or not. We just have to adapt.
I say I'm fine with change, but truth be told, I'm really... not. I mean, I'm not one to glorify the good old days. It actually strikes me as ironic when people act like tumblr invented drama when LJ was one of the most melodramatic sites ever. I loved LJ! Don't get me wrong. I loved the hell out of LJ. But if it weren't a drama hub, fandom_wank wouldn't have existed. I think tumblr drama is a lot different in many ways, but in other ways, it's that the language has changed. If anything, LJ could even be meaner. There were dozens of communities that existed just to make fun of fanfics thirteen year olds wrote. I don't think that could happen anymore, and I'm glad for that.
But there was a lot about LJ that was great, too. And that's what I miss, what a lot of us miss, and I think a lot of people who only know tumblr don't get. Or who never used LJ for fandom. Which is valid. I miss LJ fandom how it was in 2007, okay? And it saddens me that it's smaller on DW. And while tumblr has some features of LJ fandom, the quirky stuff and the meta and the images, it's not really the same. I don't feel like there's a lot of community.
And on a personal note: Since this is a public post, I'd rather not get too deep into it, but several years ago I went through some deep personal trauma as a loved one was dying. I needed old school LJ/DW fandom more than ever, and it just wasn't there. I'm going to be honest, I think this led to some resentment. Which wasn't fair. It wasn't. I probably should have tried tumblr then, but I definitely didn't want to risk drama at that point. Then things were better personally, but I was still wistful for fandom. Then I got busy because of some GOOD real life changes, and for a while, I didn't really miss fandom?
Then 2020 happened, and once again I missed the escape. Then I found Schitt's Creek, which led me to being more active on Ao3, which finally saw me give in to tumblr. I'll be honest, I really wish Schitt's Creek fandom was on DW. Because I love DW. I don't love tumblr, it's just... where all the fandom stuff, at least for mine, happens. Things change, though. Tumblr's not going to be around forever; that said, I can't keep hoping DW turns into LJ in 2007. It's not going to. In some ways, maybe that's for the better.
As others have pointed out, fandom constantly changes. We've had fandoms since Sherlock Holmes, and if we ever actually terraform planets in outer space someday, astronauts will probably cheekily share "ancient" Firefly and Star Trek fanfic while writing fanfic for their new mediums. It's going to be different.
There are of course things I miss. There are things I don't like about tumblr fandom, or fandom altogether. I think it's honestly okay to be sad. I am a little sad about some things changing. I'm also a little sad about people I've lost touch with. But of course, the same is true IRL. But... things do still change, whether we like it or not. We just have to adapt.
