Things I Have Learned From Fandom

[synecdochic]

So back when we were planning the LiveJournal writing contest, I offered to be the one to do all the logistics, the preliminary judging, the coordination, etc. And we were all sitting around in our weekly management meeting, and we were setting timelines and schedules, and our Marketing Guy said to me: "How long do you think you'll need, after

Comments

[synecdochic]

I think the iterative nature of the lessons we learn are probably the most important part. Because, really, everything builds on everything else!

[devohoneybee]

I love your list.

My one, and very life-changing addition:

Fandom has taught me that just when you thought your life was pretty much set in its ways, you can find new friendships in the most unexpected places, and they can be the most unexpected sort of people, and lead you into the most unexpected things.

And it's all good.

[synecdochic]

Oooh. Yes. I hadn't quite thought of it like that, but yes, fandom does kind of prevent you from hardening of the opinions, doesn't it? :)

[scarym1]

An amazing life changing addiction. : ) Fandom has made excited about my life in a way I have never experienced before.

It is INDEED all good. : )

[jenett]

This is absolutely brillant. (Fandom is not quite the collective noun I've learned these things in, but we're close enough for horseshoes

[synecdochic]

Fandom has taught me that showing up and being willing to do something often gets you a surprising amount of say in not only how it's done, but how to do things down the road.

Ha! Yes! And there's the corollary: sometimes, being in the wrong place at the wrong time means you're suddenly in charge. *g*

[lillian13]

I'm really tempted to forward this to a dear friend, with whom I've Comitted Convention more than once, and will do so again next year.

Fandom has shown me that a bunch of self-described weirdoes will form ranks around you faster than a platoon of Marines if the occasion warrants it. (They will also disappear like the morning dew if th occasion warrants it, but what the heck.)

Fandom has proven the old adage "Everything you learn will be useful one day" about a thousand times...in the past year. Who knew that my experience in getting trophies made, knowing how to talk to printers, and where the best burger place were would be needed within a half-hour?

Fandom has shown me that the most enthusiastic volunteers are generally your least skilled; fortunately they keep plugging away. And coming back.

Fandom has shown me that saying thank you is an amazing morale booster. (And so is feedback.)

Fandom has shown me that feedback works, no matter if you are emailing a writer on LJ or your congresscritter about legislation. Everybody needs

[synecdochic]

Forward away! The more, the merrier :)

Fandom has shown me that the most enthusiastic volunteers are generally your least skilled; fortunately they keep plugging away. And coming back.

Yes! I am intimately familiar with this one. *g*

[synecdochic]

Long and painful experience, really, of talking with someone and suddenly realizing that we were talking at cross-purposes, or that we were using the same word to mean different things, etc, etc. And then sitting down and saying: okay, we've got a disconnect here, where did it come from? And what can we do to fix it?

It's not something I've learned entirely from fandom, but fandom certainly helped me refine it ...