This is what I get up to when I'm bored at work.

[t_eyla]

Under the cut, you will find a long ramble about fandom, fandom etiquette, the differences between real life and fandom, and the mechanics behind some types of wankery. If you read it and end up thinking it worth being linked, feel free to link away, because I like discussion.

Comments

[hibernia1]

I love you. You put into words exactly what's so wonderful & special about both the internet and fandom. *hands T'eyla back the internet, bowing*

[t_eyla]

:D Thank you! *puts internet on shelf*

[nemesishamartia]

I think part of the reason people are so batshit insane on the net is that people are constantly encouraged to better their position in RL, esp at the expense of others. So in RL, it's considered sorta humdrum to better yourself by putting someone else down -- even if it IS very nasty. And I guess some people just have a harder time of grasping the "This isn't an okay thing on the net" than others (the really competitive ones

[t_eyla]

people are constantly encouraged to better their position in RL, esp at the expense of others
Ugh, yes. I think the internet is one of those places where a lot of the people gather at whose expense other people have bettered themselves in the past. Which is why I think people who try to use their RL bullying methods on the internet put their foot in their mouth twice over: once for just being jerks, and once for doing something no-one here will have any tolerance for whatsoever.

We're a pretty egalitarian group, and we welcome people in heartily, until they prove themselves to be batshit insane
Actually, I've made the experience that even if someone has acted very batshit insane in the past, if they stop, stuff is easily forgiven. I know a few people who used to be known as wankers, and who are established members of fandom now. It's really very much a question of how you are acting right nowI have to admit, I'm usually wary about fic by authors I don't know. But then, I'm generally wary about fic. I don't read all that much. But

[nemesishamartia]

(Part two, sorry about that)

As I said: if you start acting irrationally, fandom will very quickly stop listening.
And then you DO make a name for yourself as being batshit insane, and then people really don't pay attention to you. Except to make fun of you.

Nobody cares if you got the knowledge at university or watching educational TV while ironing. Telling people of your accomplishments in RL to back up your argument only demonstrates blatant disregard for fandom etiquette, and will not count in your favour.Just makes you sound like a pompous ass. I think on the net especially, people react more strongly to pomposity and arrogance than even in RL, since in RL, you can sorta tell if someone is jerking you around or serious. But on the net, I can say that I have a PhD in astrophysics, and who can really refute me? (Presumably an astrophysicist, since I don't know jack about astrophysics, but if it's something I DO know something about, or something that's easier to fudge). And people don't like to be portrayed as a fool. Or being