2007 and All That

Inspired by catherine_clare, I read Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli. I'm not, and never have been, a member of the Harry Potter fandom, and although I was dimly aware of Anelli's identity as webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron, I'd never visited the site. What I am, however, is an internet addict, and a big believer in online community, and I was very interested to hear about the history of the Harry Potter online community.

Harry, A History is an intriguing little book. I've been involved in online fandom long enough now to know that it probably was written with a strong bias, as Anelli sought to justify her own interpretations of, and reactions to, the inevitable wank and debates that plague most online fandoms. As long as you understand this, though, Harry, A History is a pretty good account of the growth of the Harry Potter fandom and Anelli's own experiences of that fandom.

But for me, what shone through most clearly was how fandom had saved Anelli. This is a view with which I have great sympathy, as, two years ago, fandom - or, more specifically, online community did the same for me.

( My angst, let me show it to you )

2007 and All That

Inspired by catherine_clare, I read Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli. I'm not, and never have been, a member of the Harry Potter fandom, and although I was dimly aware of Anelli's identity as webmistress of The Leaky Cauldron, I'd never visited the site. What I am, however, is an internet addict, and a big believer in online community, and I was very interested to hear about the history of the Harry Potter online community.

Harry, A History is an intriguing little book. I've been involved in online fandom long enough now to know that it probably was written with a strong bias, as Anelli sought to justify her own interpretations of, and reactions to, the inevitable wank and debates that plague most online fandoms. As long as you understand this, though, Harry, A History is a pretty good account of the growth of the Harry Potter fandom and Anelli's own experiences of that fandom.

But for me, what shone through most clearly was how fandom had saved Anelli. This is a view with which I have great sympathy, as, two years ago, fandom - or, more specifically, online community did the same for me.

( My angst, let me show it to you )