Exploring Fandom
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I started musing about how fannish engagement starts. A while back I posted about what makes me fannish in general. I find that while it's true, it’s incomplete. Some thoughts about what I stick around for and the role of other fans in luring me in.
Originally posted April 20, 2007
Series
- Part 1 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 2,302
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
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- 1
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Perhaps because it's so common to see fics archived in several places, people get the idea that they can just toss vids up on YouTube and it's ok. So let’s talk “community” and what that means.
Originally posted January 17, 2007
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- Part 2 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
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- 1,723
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- 1/1
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- 1
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- 2
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All of which is a very long way to say, how do people define what they "watch" and how much does the way they watch have to do with whether they are fannish or become involved in a fandom?
Originally posted May 4, 2007
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- Part 3 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,999
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- 1/1
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- 1
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- 1
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Originally posted September 11, 2007
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- Part 4 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,735
- Chapters:
- 1/1
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- 1
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- 1
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Originally posted June 27, 2008
Series
- Part 5 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 971
- Chapters:
- 1/1
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- 1
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- 3
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Originally posted June 20, 2010
Series
- Part 6 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 483
- Chapters:
- 1/1
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- 1
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- 0
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Merlin has had a similar effect in terms of how work for that canon has taken over the broader umbrella of Arthurian Myths and Legends. So I imagine Sherlock has taken over the general Sherlock Holmes tags.
Originally posted August 4, 2012 and January 2013
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- Part 7 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 444
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- 1/1
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- 1
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- 0
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How a Platform Shapes a Fandom by yourlibrarian
Fandoms: Fandom - Fandom, Jane Austen - Fandom
17 Dec 2022
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I would agree very strongly that website interface and design has a strong effect on the community practices that develop there.
Originally posted January 21, 2017 / September 24, 2017
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- Part 8 of Exploring Fandom
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Repetition is the god particle of fandom
Originally posted February 10, 2017
Series
- Part 9 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 369
- Chapters:
- 1/1
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- 1
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- 1
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I was talking with someone about Sherlock and how much we minded whether or not it continued. And it made me wonder if we just miss things less these days because we have so many choices for entertainment (in ever developing mediums).
Originally posted March 29, 2018
Series
- Part 10 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 545
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
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- 1
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Through Another's Eyes by yourlibrarian
Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fandom - Fandom
17 Dec 2022
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It's interesting to see how one person reacts to canon when they're unconnected to other fans
Originally posted October 7, 2013 / October 28, 2013 / March 31, 2015
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- Part 11 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
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- 919
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- 1/1
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- 1
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- 3
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Even better is when I can just download stuff and get to it whenever instead of worrying that whatever link I saved isn't going to be there at some point in the future.
Originally posted January 14, 2012.
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- Part 12 of Exploring Fandom
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I have to say, I love the term "curiosity sherpa" and think that it should be widely adopted.
Originally posted August 26, 2011.
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- Part 13 of Exploring Fandom
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Rising Above the Material by yourlibrarian
Fandoms: Star Trek TOS [TV - 1966], Merlin [BBC], Marvel Cinematic Comics TV Universe
17 Dec 2022
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How we may look at canon differently in different periods of our lives.
Originally posted January 27, 2018
Series
- Part 14 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,173
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- 1/1
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- 1
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- 2
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I have to wonder if current fandoms even develop much meta anymore.
Originally posted January 27 and August 14 and August 23, 2018
Series
- Part 15 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,303
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
- Hits:
- 2
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What Grabs People by yourlibrarian
Fandoms: Fandom - Fandom, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, How I Met Your Mother, The Social Network (2010)
17 Dec 2022
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The crux of the thing is that the canon, whatever it is, has inspired the audience's imagination and engagement, but whatever that spark is may prove to be overly specific, or elusive, or transitory.
Originally posted January 15, 2012/January 23, 2012/January 26, 2012/February 2, 2012
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- Part 16 of Exploring Fandom
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I couldn't get through this game without a walkthrough to tell me what I'm supposed to be seeing or heading toward. However these guides vary a good deal in terms of, well, helpfulness.
Originally posted July 11, 2011.
Series
- Part 17 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 785
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- 1/1
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- 1
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- 2
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It seems to me the whole issue of "culture" turns more on the issue of commercialization than it does on group practice because there is a group practice that surrounds everything –- professional behavior, family activities, entertainment choices, forms of government. However I think there's been a very sharp divide attempted between high culture and middle and low culture that seems dependent on the idea of commercialization and private ownership.
Originally posted March 5, 2011.
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- Part 18 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,491
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
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- 4
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Which works hold their power?
Parts originally posted on April 25, 2011.
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- Part 19 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 583
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
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- 1
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Does fandom deepen your interest in a text, or lessen it?
Originally posted December 11-12, 2010.
Series
- Part 20 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,800
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
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- 1
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What it suggests is that even though a lot of people may be reading something you wrote, technically they are not your core audience and never will be.
Mostly posted on October 14, 2010.
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- Part 21 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 936
- Chapters:
- 1/1
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- 1
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- 0
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Artificial Scarcity and Disappearing Communities by yourlibrarian
Fandoms: Fandom - Fandom
17 Dec 2022
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The differences between fanworks and high art is mostly one centered on money. Plus, the problem with getting new people involved in one's fandom
Originally posted February 25, 2010 and March 3, 2010
Series
- Part 22 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 862
- Chapters:
- 1/1
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- 1
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- 2
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Do we not have more commentary posts where creators discuss the process of their own work because they're not interested in doing so, because there aren't many readers interested in seeing or engaging with them, or because people feel inhibited in doing it?
Originally posted August 22, 2009
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- Part 23 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,164
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
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- 1
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I was given two questions to answer:
• "Do you think meta ranks on a par with fanfic/art?" and
• "Do fanfic readers 'count' for as much as the writers?"Originally posted August 22, 2009.
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- Part 24 of Exploring Fandom
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On supporting things that aren't good and on how we describe what we do.
Originally published January 26, 2009.
Series
- Part 25 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
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- 906
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- 1/1
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- 1
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- 2
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A friend wanted to know what sorts of source materials I thought tended to give rise to a lot of good fanfic. Of course, the big problem with that question is how does one define "good fanfic"? Really, the answer seems to be that, if you are finding a lot of fanfic that you want to read, and it proves satisfying once you read it, then that fandom has a lot of "good" fanfic.
So, putting aside the fact that many of us are going to have different ideas of what "good" is, I am still intrigued by the question itself. So I thought I'd put it to a vote. What factors does a canon text have that you think contribute to a substantial body of good fanfic?
Originally posted December 7, 2008.
Series
- Part 26 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,403
- Chapters:
- 1/1
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- 1
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- 2
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Responding to the March Meta Matters Challenge prompt, "When you write meta, what is it you're hoping to have happen?"
Series
- Part 27 of Exploring Fandom
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Insiders and Outsiders: Who's Who? by yourlibrarian
Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel the Series, Fandom - Fandom
18 Dec 2022
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A sportswriter's rant about fantasy football reveals that there are more similarities between media and sports fandom than one might think.
Originally posted August 25, 2005
Series
- Part 28 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 2,156
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
- Hits:
- 3
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What sorts of source materials tended to give rise to a lot of good fanfic? Maybe it's just random chance? But putting aside the fact that many of us are going to have different ideas of what "good" is, I thought I'd put it to a vote. What factors does a canon text have that contribute to a substantial body of good fanfic? These were the results.
Originally posted December 7, 2008
Series
- Part 29 of Exploring Fandom
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Fannish Origins by yourlibrarian
Fandoms: Supernatural, Firefly / Serenity Universe, Harry Potter 'verse - J.K. Rowling, Stargate Atlantis, Charmed (TV series 1998), White Collar, Castle, Community (TV), Carnivale
19 Dec 2022
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By looking at various fandoms and their fanfic production over the last decade, I can make some guesses as to why some fandoms take off in a big way.
Originally posted March 10, 2011
Series
- Part 30 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 2,970
- Chapters:
- 1/1
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- 1
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- 2
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Drug use, alcohol, smoking in fanfic by yourlibrarian
Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel the Series, Supernatural, Fandom - Fandom
19 Dec 2022
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An enormous amount of drinking seems to go on in many fics. This stands out to me for two reasons. The first is that the amount of drinking seen compared to the amount of smoking and drug use is very imbalanced. And it seems to me that a central reason is that in canon we hardly ever see these characters smoking or using drugs, but we do often see them drink.
Originally posted on September 13, 2009 as part of the Mini Meta Fest.
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- Part 31 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 2,742
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- 1/1
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- 1
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- 2
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I bring this up because fandom groups are in a similar transitional moment right now in leaving some heavy traffic sites. But I think the big change is what current and incoming generations have become accustomed to as their default online experience.
Originally posted November 1, 2021
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- Part 32 of Exploring Fandom
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Series
- Part 33 of Exploring Fandom
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I wonder if it's because I circulate in parts of fandom that are fanworks oriented (and thus free) but it surprises me that I don't read more posts and articles about how fandom is divided by haves and have nots, even though it seems to me that applies to practically all fandoms.
Series
- Part 34 of Exploring Fandom
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I don't often see discussion of how TV viewers are like readers, in that they not only like certain genres but also certain story tropes, and evaluate what they see based on whether or not it satisfies their story cravings rather than on the merits of whatever the thing is. Fanfic is a genre grounded in scratching itches, it is very reader oriented (even if the only reader is the writer) and is, especially when shared online, often part of a larger community of readers and set of works that all set up certain expectations.
Originally posted January 23, 2019
Series
- Part 35 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 800
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
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- 1
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Originally posted February 19 and February 21, 2019
Series
- Part 36 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,551
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
- Hits:
- 1
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Originally posted February 21, 2019
Series
- Part 37 of Exploring Fandom
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Originally posted March 5, 2019
Series
- Part 38 of Exploring Fandom
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 669
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
- Hits:
- 0
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Summary
What types of behavior qualify a group as a fandom? And how much does it have to do with closely examining the canon?
Originally posted March 27 and April 8, 2019.
Series
- Part 39 of Exploring Fandom