RS: EXAMINE YOUR LIFE, EXAMINE YOUR CHOICES

[half_life_wolf]

So, my computer is still out of commission. Because of that I only wind up checking fandom_secrets  a day after the last post was relevant, which spurs some... odd fits of impotent rage/sadness/irritation. The 4/20 secret post was absolutely RIFE with bitchy secrets related to people posting unanon on kink memes, by which I mean there were two of them, and I was

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[half_life_wolf]

This kink meme and really this fandom as a whole have been unbelievably welcoming compared to... all of my other fandom experiences, really, and I think that's what made me angry about this specifically-- we don't need any of this drama in order to function. And, really, it's not so much that there is drama as it is a small contingent of people anonymously harping on, but it still makes me sort of uncomfortable because, as I said, social anxiety imbues me with the compulsion to go through self-flagellating rituals and various hand wringing maneuvers every time someone makes a negative blanket statement that could apply to me in any way, whether I actually care about their opinion or not.

But yeah. I've never had any complaints to my face (or, uh, e-face, whatever) about it, and I suspect that if anyone was to raise this opinion on the meme they would be shouted down, because goddamn. If we're in the business of chastising talented people for wanting recognition for their work now, then we might as well just close down fandom right fucking now because I can tell you that people aren't cool with that. And honestly? I work hard at this stuff and pour a lot of my effort into it, and I know everyone else you just named does too, and I really don't see what's wrong for wanting credit for all of that. There's a difference between being egotistical and between wanting to be acknowledged for the body of work that you spend hours of your life producing, for free, for people who you do not owe jack shit to.

In regards to your PS: I might. I've been considering putting the Revelations Cycle stuff on there, at least, because it's probably the thing I'm proudest of and also the only thing I've written so far that does not and never will include shameless porn, but if I do I'll probably wait until the initial run is over so that I can edit some things and consolidate chapters. I hadn't really considered putting anything else up since for the most part it seems to me like AO3 is geared more towards fic that actually has plot and does not exist as a vehicle for explicit sloppy interspecies make outs, though I'll admit to knowing next to nothing about it other than it being related to Yuletide somehow. Would you recommend?

[urban_anchorite]

Would you recommend?

Highly. My profile is here and Ceph's here, and there's a fantastic CSS mask created by Vector to assist with Pester/Trollian formatting. There's a huge Homestuck presence and, in fact, AO3 is absolutely there for explicit sloppy interspecies make-outs; the inimitable roachpatrol has her brill stuff up there, and although explicit it's been well-received, as is inkpool's and Laylah's. A lot of the kinkmemers put their stuff up there, and as do the old-guard MSPA ficwriters like dellaluce etc, and it is a very pleasant melting-pot.

I really hope you do put "Cycle" there because I think fandom at large should be privy to it.

But off that subject:

This kinkmeme and this fandom have been unbelievably welcoming. I can't be sorry enough that a small group of people are exacerbating the anxiety, and I empathise with you on that. All I can say is that the majority opinion is not like that, and has never been. You're right in that were anyone to say such a thing on the meme they'd be shouted down -- shouted down politely, though, as though people have been stern there's never been aggressive wank -- I love all of the Homesmut meme and the people on there are just fantastic.

I don't understand how putting a name to yourself is ego; my style of work is so pickable-outable by now that getting anonymous is getting more and more ridiculous. Like you said: this isn't our job, we're not getting paid, there is very little we get other than people enjoying our shit. That's all I'm there for, and saying "okay yeah this is me, here's my name," is crumbs in the corner. There's no BNF presence demanding fills. They're attributing power to the popular writers that they just really don't have.

I love it when people name themselves, because then I usually go and jump up and down at them and friend them on LJ and have the fun fandom experience people always told me about but never got. I really don't know why people would buzzkill that.

[half_life_wolf]

Fantastic! I have the feeling that the transition will probably be difficult for me, but I'll definitely look into that. And fixing some of the huge glaring problems that are plaguing this draft of RC before I put it anywhere half respectable oh gawd.

The majority of this fandom-- the vast majority of it --is so nice and lovely and wonderful that it just makes me want to cry sometimes. There's always the occasional asshole, but the general atmosphere of camaraderie and friendship is such a huge change and just so, so nice. It's also fascinating to me that this fandom has exploded in size and yet there hasn't really been all that much drama or kerfluffle; considering that I almost exclusively hang out on the kink meme and anonymity generally breeds wank and shenanigans it's surprising to me, but surprising in the good, "Oh thank Christ I don't have to deal with yet another incarnation of this bullshit" way. For the most part.

There really isn't a BNF system at all, no. There are a few known writers but that's because those people do absolutely brilliant work and are fairly productive and none of them act like traditional BNFs. There really isn't any service they provide other than fic or art, and I haven't seen anyone being egotistical about recognition they get or demanding things based on some imaginary concept of "status". None of the authors seem to be in this for anything other than the satisfaction of writing and having some people enjoy their work. That's definitely all I'm here for, anyway.

I love it when people name themselves too, even if I can never get up the courage to talk to any of them first, haha. There are plenty of people I'd love to get to know but intimidation is a pretty big thing. I agree, though; it's silly to demand that people stop making friends through being deanon-ed on the kink meme or whatever, and it just seems like a really bitter, stunted attitude to me.