dolorosa_12 | A not very ranty rantpost

In your own space, Scream Into the Void. Get it all out.

Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of three snowmen and two robins with snowflakes. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

I feel weird doing this, but anyway...

Moving from one online platform to another is not going to solve systemic problems within fraught and argumentative communities — it will just replicate those problems in another setting (professional SFF community, I am looking at you)

I would like more of an assumption of good faith when disputes flare up in fast-moving fannish spaces

And yet I would also like people in fast-moving fannish spaces (all right, fine, Twitter. I'm talking about Twitter, and to a lesser extent Tumblr) to consider the source and not just mindlessly click retweet/reblog from a stranger because their post is funny/appears to be aligned with the retweeter/reblogger's worldview

In general, retweet/reblog/share buttons plus algorithmic feeds plus easy to use apps with a low barrier to entry were a real double-edged sword for online community

Shipping is not activism

~~To be honest I feel like a lot of fandom activism is a displacement activity~~

~~I guess this post of mine is something of a displacement activity itself, given the things I'm lamenting are really insignificant in the scheme of things~~

I did mention I feel really weird writing this. I've said all these things in various places for years, but it feels odd to just pour everything out in a single rantpost. I'm also still in the serene and productive blissed out mood that always descends on me on New Year's Day, and find it hard to summon up much rage when it comes to fandom-related stuff.

Threaded | Flat

From:

yarnofariadne

From:

wearing_tearing

People who spend the majority of their time and effort complaining about the preferences of fandom at large instead of creating fanworks, commentary, or hype and enthusiasm about the things they would prefer to be fandom-at-large's preferences are exhausting
Y E S! A thousand times yes! It's so much more productive to create something you actually enjoy than spending your energy being a negative person. And if you must be very angry about fandom things, creating out of spite exists and it's also more helpful than complaining all the time.

To be honest I feel like a lot of fandom activism is a displacement activity
I would agree with this. Especially when that turns to calling people out left and right for not engaging at the same level. Fandom is an escape to a lot of people and not treating it as a form of activism doesn't mean one's a bad person and/or not advocating for change in their personal and real lives.

From:

senmut

Good points.

From:

corvidology

From:

peaked

People who spend the majority of their time and effort complaining about the preferences of fandom at large instead of creating fanworks, commentary, or hype and enthusiasm about the things they would prefer to be fandom-at-large's preferences are exhausting

But! But! How else will I get attention and validation for hating this one thing??? Why does no one like what I like??? I must complain and guilt people into liking what I like and seeing what they like is wrong!

Honestly, if people used all that energy they have judging others for liking things they don't like, they'd be encouraging more of the work that they do like. Fandom complains about the lack of work about X, but then spends all its energy policing those who like Y. It's inside out.

I would like more of an assumption of good faith when disputes flare up in fast-moving fannish spaces

Same. I wish people in fandom also realised that someone disagreeing with you has nothing to do with your value or quality as a person and isn't a reflection on who they think you are. They just don't like what you like. (And sometimes debates are just debates and have nothing to do with you as a person!)

From:

merit

Shipping is not activism indeed.

Yes, I've seen a few authors move from Twitter to Instagram and well. Your blogpost from 2021 sums up a lot of issues - with authors forced to be their own marketing, despite record book sales, these things will continue.

From:

svgurl

I agree with everything you said here.

Shipping is not activism
So much this.

From:

evilinsanemonkey

ficreadersadvisory)

Shipping is not activism
I remember Back in the Day when fandom was a) more openly homophobic and b) *even big name slash writers* were vocally homophobic besides shipping!!!

From:

darkmarcy

Excellent screaming, this. Very good points, my "favourite" is the Shipping is not activism.

From:

muccamukk

I really liked your blog post.

What happened on substack? I'm not online enough, I guess.

From:

lirazel

To be honest I feel like a lot of fandom activism is a displacement activity

It absolutely is.

From:

chestnut_pod

All good points -- and mostly, I'm happy that you are serene and blissed-out even 6 days after the new year! Long may that state continue.

From:

shipperslist

Shipping is not activism

*applauds*

From:

aquietjune

These past few months I've been trying to move away from Twitter fandom spaces (and also other twitter spaces to be honest) and rebuild an online presence that would be nourishing for me and others -- a slower pace, time to think and write about topics and not share everything, and especially a place where there's no need to try to sell anything to anyone -- and your thoughts on it (both the Wordpress post and the rest of your points) are great to read. To most, I agree wholeheartedly and everything is giving me a lot to think about: I too am worried about the blind celebration of the past, and the conflation of critique & preferences with activism in fandoms really bothers me just as well. Hopefully there's still a way to carve oneself a web space to just be, but work is needed in order to succeed. Thank you for writing this.