Icon Manifesto (Because this isn't wanky enough.)

[saeva]

To preface this post: This was originally posted in response to a few questions asked by bop_radar over on a post about BNF-ism. S/he wanted to know more about the icon community and I started what I thought would be a short response here, but the conversation continued and eventually she asked a few direct questions. This post is a response to those

Comments

[likegunfire]

OOOH GUESS WHO DELETED THEIR OTHER COMMENT? ME!
here's the edited one because I'm paranoid.

a) wow, you wrote a lot and I read it all YAY
b) you're so nice to me!
c) why aren't you more popular? Probably your fandoms, but you do some pretty popular fandoms (bsg, supernatural, etc), so what gives? You're way more creative and daring than I am, and according to the truth meme, good with stuff like that, so you should be great and known for it.
byuinomiune I just said "what gives." kill me

HI
BYE

[saeva]

A) I'm surprised you read it all! *laughs* I figured it was way tl;dr for most people.

B) Yes, yes, I am, but you deserve it.

C) Chicken! *grins* No, really, that sort of makes a point I was making about self-monitoring in the icon community and what people will do under their own reputations.

And I have no idea why my stuff isn't more popular. Bad luck? It secretly sucks? I'm just horrible at marketing?

Also, I wrote this in three hours. I think I broke my brain.

- Andrea.

[saeva]

Also, in retrospect, I think I should probably have posted to the icon meme with saeva/nihil_est because it occurs to me that I post to challenge comms and lims comms with saeva, not nihil_est.

I'm kind of tempted to delete my original and repost with both names, to see if that helps.

- Andrea.

[trialia]

I read it all too! ;)

Well, I posted on the anon icon thread thing early yesterday, and I've only had one comment since I did, and it was very negative. *sad sigh*

[saeva]

I'm sorry you experienced that. I sort of feel I should have added the warning to my link that those things are very, very honest, whether the honesty is positive or not.

- Andrea.

[trialia]

Eh, it's not quite as hurtful as getting that kind of review for something I wrote, my writing is closer to my heart. *hug*

[watchpoint]

I thought this was a really interesting read.

I usually try to keep any wanky thoughts to myself or if I really need to rant about something, I talk to my sister, track_three, about it. It was out of an ongoing rant we had going on about the way LIMS are run that gave birth to the_showcase. (It made me very happy to see it mentioned, btw.)

I think it's sad that most people don't understand the things you mentioned in part two. Although I haven't ever had a practical art class other than photography, I've had a minors-worth of art history classes. My problems with iconing is mostly in execution. I'll know what I want to do but sometimes I don't know how to.

I'm kind of afraid of the Icon Truth meme. I'm worried that someone would tell me I should quit while I'm ahead or something. I was going to but I just changed my username and icon journal so I'm not very recognizable. If I ever was, that is.

Ack, long comment and not very interesting. Sorry. :)

[saeva]

That comment was not long! *laughs*

Re: the anon meme; though I have seen a few really negative comments, most of the comments have been positive or at least balanced. I think that if you're not comfortable you shouldn't play, but if you're curious than maybe you should put "clearthe_area // thebellaunion; previously prima..." etc. Only, I can't spell your previous name without looking it up. People are likely to recognize the prima name, I think, if only because of your participation in communities.

[In retrospect, I *really* wish I'd put saeva // nihil-est and not just nihil-est. Also, I totally only put together you were who you are today, because I was checking joule to see who new was watching my journal and I didn't recognize clearthe_area.]

Re: wanks and rantings. I think you're lucky to have your sister involved in the community. I have very few iconning friends, most of them built up through my involvement in the Stargate comms I moderate or by dragging my non-icon friends into iconning (*waves to siriaeve). It wasn't until

[palmaceae]

this was very interesting, i wish i had something more substantial to say, but it was cool how you spelled it all out and organized all this info.

[saeva]

*laughs* I'm worried at least some of it's inaccurate and other parts aren't clear, but, man, I finally had an interested audience and I was going to take it!

It's a little strange that, to my knowledge, info like this hasn't been spelled out and organized like this before. I've never seen a primer for the icon community, like I've seen one about fandom etiquette on the writing side of things. Maybe it exists and I don't know about it, or maybe there isn't a need for it. Hmm.

- Andrea.

[bop_radar]

I think it's great! Icon meta: awesome! The idea of a primer for the icon community sounds like a really great idea too

[dzurlady]

Ooh, very interesting, thanks.

[saeva]

Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment!

- Andrea.