Snowflake Challenge Day 14

[olivermoss]

In your own space, talk about what you think the future holds for fandom.

This is a toughie. A really thorough answer would dive deep into Net Neutrality, the current dystopian state of social media, and the effects of many younger fans only ever experiencing fandom on Tumblr. I could talk about algorithms, shadow bans, sites deliberately pushing toxicity because that means higher engagement and, well, everything else I wish others understood more about in social media. I don't know and thinking about it too deeply is depressing. I so badly want to tangent about how harmful allowing algorithms curate our online experiences rather than us curating it is, but I will refrain. If I head that way I'll just post several pages of scary, scary things and depressing anecdotes.

Instead I'll post a few hopes:
* Fandom is very hard on itself. It likes to hyperfocus on flaws and not on the good things. Younger fans must think that everything that came before them was nothing but weird drama about hair color. Hopefully we can start accepting that fandom also does good things, from community building to charity to reclaiming the stories that effect us.

* People actually get more educated about the sites they choose to be on. If you are going to be on sites that boost toxicity and literally silence others, it's way better to at least be aware of the problems.

* A resurgence in small fandoms. Changes to social media has made things very hard on small fandoms for years, but they play important roles in giving a more varied fandom experience. They also provide social spaces where people aren't as lost in the shuffle.

* And that all my old fandoms suddenly become active again. A Buckaroo Banzai reboot for realsies? Jeeves and Wooster getting some high profile radio play? I can hope! I just hope no one ever reboots The Sentinel because wow that would be a trainwreck. I wish The Sentinel's place in fandom history was better understood, but please no reboot ever.

Hopes instead of predictions, because I am bad at following instructions!

Comments

[lightofdaye]

I like your hopes a lot.

The second point is quite interesting; are there any neutral, reliable guides to the platforms and any issues they have?

[olivermoss]

Thanks!

I don't know of any guides. I wish I did! It would save me a lot of explaining :)

[spikedluv]

These are all great! I second especially your hope for a resurgence in small fandoms. *g*

[olivermoss]

Thank you! So many people feel lost online because twitter is so massive and boundaryless. It's like being in the ocean. Other sites are nearly as bad. Small fandoms can be a really good counterbalance to the sheer size of online society.

[meridian_rose]

Fingers crossed! :D

[silveradept]

Those are very nice hopes. Although I admit that I would also sit with you for the original thought you had, as I think we both have Opinions about these things and that they might be concurrent opinions.

I share your hopes for more engagement, more knowledge, and more of small and old fandoms coming back.

[olivermoss]

Thank you!

I know I could be doing a lot more to help set up comms and fandom structure on DW, but I have a tendency to do too much of that sort of thing. I am trying to keep a limit on what I do.

[silveradept]

Limiting and avoiding burnout are excellent things to do. We want people to enjoy fandom.

[teigh_corvus]

I've struggled with answering the challenge because of the depressing pieces you mention. And I'm glad that I don't understand the process of gaming social media better. I also prefer hope. So- my hope to your hope. May we hold the good and cherish it, that it may endure.

[olivermoss]

I think if we can have some strong communities here, even if it's not as big as tumblr, it's a good balance to all that junk. At least provide an alternate fandom experience for people who don't want to do endless hot takes just so their content can just get seen. It's also easier to do events, have real convos and also build things here.

[teigh_corvus]

It's also easier to do events, have real convos and also build things here.

Exactly so. That's why I threw up my hands and wandered back over here, just a smidge ahead of the tumblrweeds. I *missed* thanking to My People!

Strong communities would definitely help. But again with the HOW?

[olivermoss]

I don't know, but I am going to think out loud for a moment :)

I know over at Imzy some of the old, large LJ fandom comms tried to set up over there. They had literal pages of rules. It was hard to navigate all those rules even for me, and it quite frankly made a lot of the fannish types there resistant to coming to DW after Imzy shut down. That was a big part of why we didn't get the Imzyites migrating here, even though they wanted comms and threaded comments.

The comms that thrived there and on LJ often had co-mods so it wasn't just one mod slogging away. Having a co-mod or at least deputy mod made modding more of a social experience.

Even if people don't mod, having people who will at least one a week reply to a comment or post a random question really helps take a lot of strain off of mods. It gets people talking among themselves rather than being in a space that feel hosted.

[teigh_corvus]

Yay for thinking out loud!

A giant rule list, while understandable on one level, is NOT conducive to community building. Particularly as we're dealing with differing platform cultures.

I think co-mods and/or periodic volunteer mods is the only way to keep comms viable and FUN. But then, I'm a newbie to modding ANYTHING. Socially it does make sense. Also, it would help ease burnout.

[olivermoss]

I am a big believer in only having 5 or 6 rules for a com. Anything more and people don't read 'em anyway. Their eyes glaze past like it's a TOS for an iTunes update.

[teigh_corvus]

I laughed because it's true.

Five or six rules seem exactly right.

[hannah]

I wouldn't be in fandom now if people hadn't been generous with their time and patient with me when I first got here. We need to remember how to do that.

What I'd like, akin to your small fanodm resurgence, is more stuff available to watch easily. Maybe streaming sites, maybe someone handing out $12.99 USB drives full of mid-90s shows at a fandom convention.

[olivermoss]

I sort of clawed my way in. I could not get an LJ code or an AO3 code to save my life. That is part of why I've spent a lot of time trying to help others and kick at barriers.

[przed]

Buckaroo Banzai reboot FTW!

Also, I'm pretty much with you on everything else. I've hung out in small fandoms for most of my fannish life, so suddenly being in a monster one has been a bit disconcerting.

[olivermoss]

The last attempt got as far as having a writer's room! But now it's back in rights limbo, where it lived for so long. I used to be involved in the analog piracy of the film back in the day:)

[przed]

I didn't realize they'd gotten as far as a writer's room. That's...disappointing. Though for my money, there will never be as good a Rawhide as Clancy Brown. ;-)

You were clearly doing good work keeping the fandom alive.

[olivermoss]

Very true! Clancy Brown was amazing!

I was not nearly as involved as others in distributing the film, but I am glad I did my bit.

[stellar_dust]

I agree so hard with everything in your first paragraph.

[olivermoss]

Yeah, it's a mess out there.

[mistressofmuses]

I share in your hopes!

Your earlier paragraphs about some of the threats facing fandom (and online spaces in general) gets a big co-sign from me too, but I do really hope for better as people learn to navigate the limitations of the above.

[olivermoss]

If people at least understand what is going on rather than just react or be tossed around by it, that would be much better.