Comments | mark_asphodel: Dear Fandom

mark_asphodel

Dear Fandom

Mar 23, 2011 10:51

Not just the FE fandom, but pretty much everyone I've ever joined. But since those of you out there on f-list land are from the FE crowd, listen up.

This has irked me for years, but since darling raphien mentioned something about "a sinking ship," it's time for a reality check. Or at least some perspective.

Stop bitching about how fandom is dying. You ( Read more... )

wtf, fandom, writings, fanbrats, fire emblem

Comments 14

sarajayechan March 23 2011, 15:12:08 UTC

I can understand waxing nostalgic about The Old Days for the fun of it, but these people sound like they sit there with their heads in their hands moaning "nooooooooo change is baaaaaaad". As if they expected the fandom to stay frozen in time.

(The comment has been removed)

mark_asphodel March 23 2011, 22:59:28 UTC

In your defense, I sure don't recall you among the Chicken Little squad on the ffnet threads. Though I'm glad I found those, as it allowed me some insight into the situation that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

xirysa March 23 2011, 16:04:40 UTC

I never understood the hype about the "golden oldies" of the FE section's days of yore--Fourteen Days, SUtOT, all that shenanigan. I was, what. 14, 15 or so when I came to fandom, just as it was "dying", so I guess I can understand the bitching from a nostalgic standpoint, but. Really? From what I noticed in that time period since then? Really, it's not that bad at all, but were it not for people like Manna and Qieru/Sain and Kender, I'd probably have left it a long time ago.

Hopefully more coherent response to come when I get back to my room after class.

sailorvfan10 March 23 2011, 18:42:23 UTC

Yeah, the GET OFF MY LAWN attitude is really off putting. I often wax nostalgic about the Good Old Days in fandom, but I'm never complaining the fandom is dying or whatever. People might say it's because FE fandom is old or some shizz, but look at Weiss Kreuz fandom. The anime's been over since '01 and yet there's still fic, discussion, a kink meme, and a badfic sporking site. And icons. Look at Zelda! LOOK AT HARRY POTTER. And Gundam Wing! Gundam Wing's been over since like, 2000 or whenever the dub came out and finished, and it's THRIVING ( ... )

mark_asphodel March 23 2011, 23:05:18 UTC

and a badfic sporking site.

Holy hell, what a sporking site. She actually is pretty funny, too- not as epic as ficbitches, but better than what the Potter sporkings degraded to.

and when more people arrive they say OH THE NEWBIES ARE RUINING EVERYTHING.

I actually don't recall seeing this. Maybe some people got the impression, but FE has been a delightful change from the norm in this regard. I didn't ever feel like I had to "present credentials" to be allowed an opinion. Though I do recall when Raphi got jumped last year-- sad.

But if you want new blood, screaming about how bad things have gotten is NOT the way. Who wants to set up shop in a place that's about to implode?

Fire Emblem isn't dead, but it will be if people don't let go of being miserable about how "nothing's like it used to be"

It'll be interesting to see what happens if FE12 actually attracts new writers.

sailorvfan10 March 23 2011, 23:49:51 UTC

I check there every week too because I like her sporking style. Sure, it's not as awesome as Ficbitches, but I've found that good, funny, and TACTFUL sporkers are few and far between these days. Normally I don't even bother with sporking sites because I can do that myself, so when I find a good one, well... I'm excited ( ... )

mark_asphodel March 23 2011, 23:58:26 UTC

Sporking is like MSTing-- most of the "sporks" are no better in quality than the material they intend to eviscerate.

But it's not like I'm applying to be a quantum physicist or something where experience and references and what have you is necessary.

Well, a lot of fandoms do act this way. I was expecting some kind of "border guard" shakedown in FE fandom.

Fanbrat Guard: What are your credentials?
Me: I played one FE game through twice.
Guard: Which game?
Me: FE11.
Guard: There is no FE11! Access DENIED!

I was pleasantly surprised that nobody was in the guard shack and I could walk right in.

Thread 5

writerawakened March 23 2011, 21:17:45 UTC

Word. Nostalgia goggles are stronger than beer goggles. Oh yes. This sort of pining for the fjords "good old days" makes me wonder if people actually remember how things were back then. I don't even necessarily think there's a huge downturn in reviews--the old stuff has more reviews in part because they've had more time to gather passersby. But how much traffic/material/reviews stuff around LJ/ff.net gets is something that we as a community can have some influence over. Honestly? If half the people bitching that "oh ff.net is dead nuuu!" spent half that time trying to actively make things better, there would be a lot less to complain about.

Although I'm starting to think the complaining itself is what gives many people so much enjoyment. :|

So stop dragging up personality conflicts from a Very Long Time AgoYes, this. I've heard people around the anonmeme and elsewhere throw around the name of one author who isn't active around ff.net anymore--and it really ticks me off. From my experience, she was a good author and never known for ( ... )

sarajayechan March 23 2011, 22:26:31 UTC

Ahaha, yeah, about that last bit...I did bring up Atarashii, but I wasn't trying to start a bashfest or anything like that. She was just one of the big names when I first joined the fandom and was curious as to who else remembered her. (The bit about her stuff feeling OOC to me now was just an observation)

mark_asphodel March 23 2011, 22:51:22 UTC

Um... I believe I was actually thinking of her stuff when I mentioned "bad Kent/Sain slash," as I've read her stories and whoa baby were they out-of-character.

Saying someone's 'fic collection is, in retrospect, way OOC? Not a problem, really. That's just perspective. Bringing in all kinds of issues as to who did what on this message board or this RP thread or this chat room or who didn't want to make nice way back when... hey man, I can show you my enemies list from Usenet circa '99 and it's about as relevant. If someone in the community is an actual threat to people, different story. Very different. But if you just don't like someone 'cause they got on your nerves, or they don't like your OTP, or they're friends of a friend of your worst enemy, or they were a dipshit fourteen-year-old and sort of grew out of it but never apologized? And all of this started nigh on a decade ago ( ... )

sarajayechan March 23 2011, 22:53:56 UTC

Well, yeah, I had a feeling that's who YOU were referring to. XD; I was responding to Writer Awakened, lol.

Bringing in all kinds of issues as to who did what on this message board or this RP thread or this chat room or who didn't want to make nice way back when... hey man, I can show you my enemies list from Usenet circa '99 and it's about as relevant. If someone in the community is an actual threat to people, different story. Very different. But if you just don't like someone 'cause they got on your nerves, or they don't like your OTP, or they're friends of a friend of your worst enemy, or they were a dipshit fourteen-year-old and sort of grew out of it but never apologized? And all of this started nigh on a decade ago?

Ohh...so that's what WA mean, then.

Thread 6