I am ENTITLED to hear your thoughts on this.

[tzikeh]

taraljc and I have decided that what the hell, we'll tilt at the windmills a bit. We're putting together a Centralized Fandom Primer website. Once it's up, we hope that people who run lists or have archives or build faqs or run cons or what-have-you will choose to point a link our way somewhere in their cyber-existence. Obviously, nobody *has* to link to it, and we're sure to get our fair share of "who are you to tell us blah blah!?" But between T and me, we have closing in on 50 years in fandom (geez), so we think we have a decent handle on where it's come from and where it's got to. BUT WE WANT EVERYONE'S HELP.

If you would be so kind, drop a comment here and let me know: What kind of things do you wish new folks had a handle on before they arrived in fandom? What do you wish someone had told you when you first got involved? If you could announce one thing to every fannish mailing list in existence, what would it be?

We don't want to preach. We don't want to direct. (Well, actually, I do want to direct, but that's a whole other thing.) All we want to do is lay it out in plain words - "Here's where fandom came from, here's how things generally are in fandom online; here's how we treat one another. You can choose to ignore this - that's your right. But it's easier to be part of a community when you live by the community's generally agreed-upon guidelines. Some of this is common sense. Some of it is common courtesy. You'd think it doesn't need to be said, but - well, fandom's a queer duck, and online life is a queer duck, and you put those two together and sometimes people do things they'd never do if they'd actually sat and thought about it for a minute."

Let me know, guys - and ask your friends.

ETA: There are some great ideas being posted here and I just wanted folks to know that we are reading them all - please don't think if I haven't responded directly that I didn't read / didn't care what you said. I just don't want to pad out the replies with "Thanks!" fifty times.

Comments

Fandom isn't just the Internet

[cjandre.livejournal.com]

The Internet is a great tool - and I am a total addict - but it would be great to see a site that let's newbies know there are cons, panels, meetings, book clubs, and REAL LIVE 3D PEOPLE out there and they are just as much fandom as a mailing list and an LJ.

Re: Fandom isn't just the Internet

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

No worries, m'dear - Tara and I started in fandom with cons and zines, way before home computers were common, let alone the Internet. You're covered. ;)

Yay! - and can I take a moment to squee at your icon?

[cjandre.livejournal.com]

It's BILL!

My god is still remember taht song

Anyway - GREAT to hear that you two have feet firmly planted in both sides of the fandom camp.

I started in literary SF fandom and cons back in 1982-1987 and then had a long break while I lived overseas. Came back and discovered media fandom and the Internet. Now I enjoy fandom in both worlds. Looking forward to seeing your site!

CJ

Re: Yay! - and can I take a moment to squee at your icon?

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I love Bill. ;)

And yes, I started going to SF lit cons in the early 80s as well, and have long since entrenched myself in online fandom, so we do have a broad perspective here.

Re: Yay! - and can I take a moment to squee at your icon?

[eal.livejournal.com]

God, I totally love your icon.

That is all.

Beth

Re: Yay! - and can I take a moment to squee at your icon?

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ;) I totally love it too. I was supposed to be vidding the day I made it, but my Schoolhouse Rock DVDs were just sitting there... calling to me...

Re: Yay! - and can I take a moment to squee at your icon?

[amilyn.livejournal.com]

"Bill" is his *NAME*, too? ...Hence the name tag. There are times when I'm so slow it concerns me.

Re: Fandom isn't just the Internet

[taraljc.livejournal.com]

I've been media con going fen since 1988 or so, and I'm a big fan of showing how fannish life existed before and even now independent from the Internet :) But I've almost been online since 1992, and dig pointing out how fandom has evolved online too. So have no fear! All quarters and aspects will be covered :)