#I think curating your fandom experience is also kind of hard if you're more of a part-time lurker

[violetdisasterzone]

it's kind of sad to say but sometimes I think I'm not cut out for fandom. I've always been more of a lurker than a contributor anyway, but even then I feel like I might just be too much of a canon purist to really be part of them. so much of being on the internet is about curating your own experience, but fanon (mis)interpretations/characterizations are so rampant in some spaces, treated as canon to such an extent that some people literally believe they ARE, that they're often hard to avoid completely.

the point of fandom isn't supposed to be nitpicking every little thing for accuracy, obviously. I like talking with people about my favorite things, and seeing how my thoughts and interpretations match up with theirs. I don't expect everyone's experience with whatever media to be the same. but I think a lot of people view canon as something separate, as something they get to play around with and take the parts they like and change what they don't. and that's fine, but I don't really get it, not entirely. I like playing around with hypotheticals and what-ifs and stuff, but to me canon is always going to be superior/unchangeable. and it's even worse when people will try to use canon to explain that their blatantly fanon-based interpretations are, in fact, canon somehow. and it gets even WORSE when it turns into actual discourse, and suddenly people are claiming that not following their fanon interpretation means something about your real-life values.

it's just kind of exhausting sometimes. I love a lot of y'all on here and it can be so fun to be a part of things, even mostly from the sidelines. but sometimes all I want is to close social media forever and reread my novels in peace

#this is something I've had a hard time with for a while tbh #I'm never quite sure how to put it into words but I was v annoyed earlier so here this is #and you may be thinking #'vi it's not that deep just close the app if you want to leave' #which yes. but also can't a person complain a bit!! #I think curating your fandom experience is also kind of hard if you're more of a part-time lurker #than if you have a bunch of mutuals who you regularly talk to outside of post interactions lol #which could definitely be part of my problem. unless it's just a ME problem #I want to know if this is a me problem or if others experience this #but I also don't really want my shitty vent post to be reblogged lmao

[northern-passage]

honestly same...I also only stick to reading the same ifs I've been reading since like 2 years ago + as a disabled lgbt person this community has gotten to toxic to interact wth tbh

hmmm putting this under a read more but here's some ramblings about my personal experience as well as some advice if anyone wants it

before i started writing tnp, when i was just a reader, it was very easy to curate my space and avoid a lot of the nastier people (especially back when the forums were the main space for people to talk about IF. i didn't go on the forums at all) and i was very much outside of the fandom and followed only like one artist whose recommendations i started off with before finding more stuff on my own.

once i became an author though it is impossible to avoid certain groups of people and it's really hard to hold on to that comfortable space. over the last like 3 years now my audience has definitely changed and dwindled a lot due to my.... Big personality but before that i had to endure a lot of harassment, people stalking me, people harassing my friends just for being my friend, almost constant transphobia and racism, and even now i still have people that seem to just camp in my inbox waiting for any opportunity to try and hurt me/get a reaction out of me.

i've been pretty open about all of this stuff happening too which most people also don't like, though that seems to be pretty standard across any fandom when you try to talk about how bad they are. i'm never really surprised when other authors delete without any warning or they just slowly stop posting and never come back. it's definitely something i've wanted to do more than once and still think about sometimes. even now after finally seeming to find my "niche" and a more understanding audience, it's really hard and i struggle with finding inspiration and motivation because of how people have treated me.

unfortunately i think it's always been this way, it's the nature of sharing work online and especially with IF feeling so "collaborative" people really feel entitled to it. and i also see readers facing this same kind of harassment, too, so it's definitely not just an author problem.

my advice is to just block and ignore people as best you can and just stay in your own little bubble with your friends or at least people that you trust. if you're an author going through any of the things i mentioned then just know there are a lot of other authors that have had to go through it, too, and that you should also just block and ignore to the best of your ability. just because you're an author doesn't mean you have to tolerate it. i used to respond to a lot of messages which is why i feel that a lot of my harassment lasted for so long, because they thought it was "funny" to upset me, but the more you respond and give them attention the more they'll keep doing it. so just block anons and move on (i know i make it sound so simple. trust me i used to be really bad about it, now i try to take at least a day or two before responding and usually by that time i realize how stupid it is and i just delete it without any fanfare)

at the end of the day though it's your decision, and your well-being comes first before anything else. i say this to both authors and readers, there's no reason to force yourself to stay in a place that makes you uncomfortable or is triggering. sometimes it's better to just let go and move on, though i know that's easier said than done. i'm a prime example as someone who still logs into tumblr daily despite trying really hard not to do that.

and i'm not saying to give up on your work, but rather that writing privately is always an option, and it's what i've been doing now with my other projects ever since i took siren's call down. i know the desire for outside validation can be overwhelming but i think it's important to remember that you should be writing this for yourself first and that there's no harm in keeping your work private until you're ready. tumblr is fun but there's also a lot of problems that can be difficult to deal with while you're also trying to keep motivation and creativity up to write your story, and it can be really discouraging.

like i said, your first priority should be yourself, and if you have to step back away from tumblr/fandom then you should & you shouldn't feel guilty about it.

all of that to say that there are nice people out there, too, i've made really good friends here and i really value their friendship and their understanding, especially when i was going through the worst of it. and there are a lot of readers who have been very kind to me and that have sent me very nice messages and drawn lovely art over the years and i always try to focus on that over everything else.

it can be really easy to get overwhelmed by all the negativity and hostility which is why it's so important to find your people and be supportive of each other.

#obviously negative discussion under the break #i might delete this later #the only thing i dont really have any advice for is the stalking. im still dealing with fallout from that #and i don't know if it's something that i'll ever be able to get over or really feel closure about #ask #anonymous

[themetalvirus]

hi, i can tell some of my followers are from twitter, so here's some tips:

LIKING a post increments the note counter and lets the original poster know you saw the post.

liking art is appreciated, but does not get more people to see it. liking vent posts is also a way of nonverbally patting someone on the back / nodding along sympathetically. likes basically just give the original poster the info that you saw their post and felt the need to interact with it in some way but didn't have anything to add and didn't want to share it.

REBLOGGING is the main verb of this site. the etiquette is hard to nail down for newbies, and i think it's the second hardest thing to grasp for a lot of people.

reblogging is extremely important. if you do not reblog posts, the posts will not be shared, and there is no other efficient way to spread posts. your dashboard is populated by people you follow (if you have every algorythmic recommendation turned off, which is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to curate your experience; those who use tumblr regularly and have for years have "based on your likes" and "best stuff first" turned off) and if you do not populate your followers' dashboards then they will not have any reason to follow you. they cannot see posts you have liked on their dashboards.

if you do not reblog posts and only like posts, you will be assumed to be a bot and blocked. even if there's evidence you are a person, going through someone's whole blog and reblogging absolutely nothing while spam liking for a half hour straight may very well also get you blocked. every like shows up on the op's feed AND in the blog you're browsing's feed. be polite!

when you comment on a post in the main post body while reblogging (not in tags or in replies), that comment will stick to the post and be seen when others reblog it. it's considered rude to add a comment to the main post body without having something meaningful to add, whether it be a joke, more information, or continuing a discussion. commenting something like "yes, lol" adds clutter to OP's notes and the notes of whoever you reblogged from, and others down the reblog chain will have to manually remove your junk comment.

be kind! reblog! share! there are other ways to comment on posts, like...

REPLYING which is an alternate way to get your comments to stick to a post semi-invisibly.

everyone who opens the notes can see your reply, like when you open replies on twitter, but it won't show up attached to the post, like twitter. this also pings the op and the person whose blog you left the reply on. it's useful for questions or conversations that you want to have but don't want on your blog! it's great to add feedback to a post without sharing it.

THE TAGS are the most difficult part of tumblr culture to grasp for a lot of people.

tags can be used as organizational tools (for instance, categorizing pictures or fandom posts or your own posts) and can be browsed either exclusively on your blog or globally. if you put organizational tags like #photo on a reblogged post, it will not show up in the global tags, but will show up when you look at the #photo tag on your blog. if the post is original and not reblogged, the post will show up both in global tags and in your blog's tag, so if you search #photo on either your blog or the search function, it'll show up.

however... tags are the primary way people comment on posts. it is a tidy way to say "lol" or "OH MY GOD???" or make a small, potentially funny quip that you don't want to stick to the main post. commenting in tags is customary and will make you look more like a local. if the post is funny, it's normal to say in the tags "i snorted" or "i am on the FLOOR" or something like that. you can say pretty much any comment in the tags as long as it's broken up between multiple different ones.

if you want someone to know how much you appreciate their art, leave a comment in the tags and the op will see it! your tags also show up in the notes of the person you reblogged from, so, for example, if you wanna say hi, you can say "hi [friend's name]" and they will see it in their activity. (i recommend using DMs for this though, lol)

if you never ever talk in the tags and never ever make your own posts, people will have no clue who you are and will have no clue what you think or what you want to create. if you enjoy that, then go ahead! but talking in tags is how you make your blog your own without your comment sticking on others' reblogs. it's also a way to mumble under your breath on your own posts, make little additions that people can see on the original post but not on reblogs!

i recommend really trying to get to know how to talk in tags instead of adding comments directly to posts you'd like to share. it helps everybody!

aaand that's all i've got

#exoticbutterstxt #twitter #twitter takeover

[sunhated-a]

Hello! Welcome, this is a blog I've created to curate inspiration for Muzan Kibutsuji. But I am open to interactions, so I may dip my hands in some writing for him as well.

My portrayal of Muzan is quite canon divergent and based on equal parts headcanon and canon material.

I'm very laidback on this blog, so expect minimal formatting and icons, sporadic activity, and varying post length.

Guidelines under read more.

Basic RP etiquette applies. Do not control my character without my permission, in character =/= out of character. Muzan is a very abrasive muse. So please don't take his rudeness personally. If you are a personal blog, you may follow me and send in asks or like headcanon posts. I have anon enabled if you'd prefer to use that. However, I would ask that you do not reblog my headcanons or threads. Please understand you are a guest in this space and be mindful with how you engage. Other than that, you're welcome on my blog! I hope you enjoy!

Fandom is a space meant for everyone to enjoy. Period. Bigotry of any kind, racism, sexism, transphobia, etc. Will not be tolerated. If I catch you engaging in any of these behaviors it's an immediate block from me.

Do not involve me in interpersonal drama. Roleplay is a fun hobby to me, and drama exhausts me. And to be frank, I am too old to care to keep up with who did what and why. I don't engage in dogpiles. I am just here to write my characters and stay in my lane. However, if any issues were to arise, I'd prefer to talk it out like adults. But if you'd no longer wish to interact for whatever reason, feel free to hard block me. There will be no hard feelings.

I am neither pro-ship nor an anti, nor do I care what camp you fall into. I'm just here to do my own thing. I will be exploring darker content on this blog: Including manipulation, abusive relationships, cannibalism, obsession, twisted dynamics among other things that come with the muse. I do have hard limits, however. I will not interact with you if you engage in noncon, underage smut, or adult / underage muse ships. All triggers will be tagged accordingly. And as always, if you need something tagged do not hesitate to let me know!

I run my blogs primarily on an interest basis, I also manage a household and I work. So my activity will fluctuate and be sporadic. I manage chronic depression and unmedicated ADHD both so I will probably be all over the place. IRL > Anything else. I will always prioritize the comfort level of a mun over writing and roleplay.

This is a canon divergent blog, as it says on the tin. There are a lot of aspects about Muzan and his story that I interpret differently, or omit entirely. If something about my portrayal isn't to your liking, I completely understand. You are entitled to your opinion, but please don't try to argue with me. Feel free to unfollow or block.

OCS. I love them. Feel free to send them my way, just be sure to have a page where I can read about them and we're golden. I am also duplicate friendly.

I am not open to shipping on this blog. I, however, will make exceptions if we have interacted OOC or if we're on the same page on what we want out of a ship. I'm uncomfortable shipping with people I don't interact with, this is purely for my own comfort and because of personal experiences in the past. But, if we've interacted and you think our characters would mesh well and have a good dynamic, by all means feel free to bring it up. I will not be posting smut or sexual content on this blog. So anything veering into that territory, I will ask to move to discord or another platform.

#guidelines. #pinned.

[spicybylerpolls]

Hi! Adding my two cents to the bad fanfiction writing debate.

Lots of fanfic authors don't read anything but fanfiction, and are more interested in their favorite characters than they are in reading or writing itself. Obviously, big readers make good writers, and for that you need to read lots of things, not just fanfiction written by other fans who don't have editors of any sort. You need to read novels, nonfiction, articles, copy, textbooks, even the back of crisp packets.

Even writers who have beta'd works are often working with other fans who don't have any professional experience or training in how to edit. Some writers are intuitive, sure, but they can always benefit from editing.

My pet hate: describing a character by their hair colour when its irrelevant to the plot. Maybe your character finds it sexy, and you're writing a sex scene. But if it's just there so you dont have to saythe characters name again, then your sentence structure itself needs reviewing.

All this said, fanfic is meant to be fun so it's a space where people are free to be a bit shit and learn haha, which is great. I just think it's a bit gross when people get angry at criticism. Sure, you didn't ask for critique, but by putting your work out there, you kind of did. Any artist who shares work (in any platform) should expect to be critiqued. Obviusly there is meanness and then there is criticism, but if a lot of fanfic writers are young people with egos and hormones running wild, it's no surprise they can't handle criticism well. Accepting criticism gracefully and learning from it is something writers and artists of all kinds learn when training in their field. But like I said, if your fanfic writer isn't interested in the craft of writing, and only their character/fandom, then they won't be interested in improvement in that way.

Hmm, yeah I've definitely experienced some fanfic that seems to... let's say... have beef with the basic grammatical structures of the English language. (Honestly, most of us use A03, but back when Wattpad was more widely used, this was even more noticeable. Sometimes it was genuinely hard to decipher what people were trying to say). You're right about some fanfic writers being very green and unrefined, more interested in just engaging with their fandom and getting their feelings about their favorite characters out there than in storycraft best practices. (That's probably where fanfic got the negative reputation it has in some corners of the world, where people see it as unserious and as writing that's "less" real).

That being said, there's also a lot of amazing fanfic writers out there in the Byler fandom and in every fandom, and they should be given their flowers. Many of these stories are better than Hollywood movies and bestselling books. And fandom is ultimately about fun, so if someone genuinely isn't interested in the craft of writing and just wants their blorbos to kiss, I'd say that's fine too. There's an audience for that, there's really no right way or wrong way to do things, and there's obviously a fine line between constructive criticism and just mean-spirited attacks. But I think it's ultimately a balancing act. Curating your own taste both in writing and reading takes time.

#byler #spicy byler #no poll #fanfic discourse

[pompurumi]

What's your opinion on proshipping?

uuuuhhh idk really. So i'm gonna ramble for a second!

I'm aware of what proshipping actually means, something like ship and let other people ship, but things like tiktok and twt has kind of skewed my view on what proshippers are — which are weird noncon loving weirdos who like brothers kissing — but ik the rational side of my brain is telling me that what I just said is a fat generalisation. ofc some proshippers are like that, but ik most proshippers aren't and just dont care what other people do in fiction.

i do kiiiinnndddaaa believe that what you like in fiction does reflect your person in some way, since it does with me. for example, I consider myself to be very gentle and a hopeless romantic, and I project that onto the media I consume and create. but I have also written about some very harsh and dark topics in the past, just never in a way that glorifies or sexualises them.

I do believe that fiction does affect reality in certain scenarios... but I also know that some things are purely fantasy and it's fun to let go of morals and be gross and freaky (in a FICTIONAL SPACE!!!). but I don't think you're free from judgement from other people purely because what you do is fictional. If I found out that someone i followed on social media/or knew irl had a thing for noncon then I don't think I'd be able to look at them the same.

I wouldn't consider myself an anti (anymore) bcs they've grown a bit of a harsh name for themselves, but I certainly wouldn't consider myself a proshipper mostly because they have ALSO grown a harsh name for themselves and I've had very rough and weird experiences with them. I feel very strongly for fictional characters and their experiences, even if its a random oc that I see on my dash, and that in turn means that i cant really view fictional characters as little puppets in which we use to tell stories or project onto. idk whether it's because my imagination is vivid or something to do with autism, but it's hard for me to move on with my day after reading something abt my fav character being attracted to a child (even if it is technically canon... salad fingers...)

there have been times where I come across a darkfic, skim through it due to morbid fascination, and just regret it to the point that I feel myself physically restrain the need to type out my strong opinion furiously in the comments. but I know that no one forced me at gunpoint to read it and it was all my doing. I believe heavily in curating your own online experience, but have a hard time following that advice myself lololol.

and I think that's the problem with antis. they don't curate their online spaces enough and end up looking at the things that make them feel mad and weird. that was definitely my issue not too long ago and it just made my mental health terrible and life all dull and sad. but now that I've kinda realised that searching for the content that makes you upset and doomscrolling through it to the point it makes you seethe, and then venting about it isn't doing anyone good, I've instead channelled all that energy into finding people who share the same views as me and like what i like !!!! trust me, that is SOOO much more better.

but at the end of the day, I dont think I'll ever feel neutral about proshippers. If i see any terms like "proshipper" or "comshipper" or "anti-anti" I would feel that little ick in me, a hint of disgust... but I'll do my best to move on with my day !! people have the right to feel disgusted, grossed out, even sad about what proshippers do, they have the right to think of them as weird and strange because of proshippers liking what they like, and proshippers should expect that not everyone will feel how they feel. Especially since people who aren't in fandom spaces are sure to side eye you if they find out you post about twincest or dad x daughter relatiobships. but they do not have the right to go out of their way to bully and harass proshippers who are in their own little bubble with their own little audience, posting what they like. ofc you can vent about the things you don't like to people and on your socials, as long as you're not actively searching for it.

I have no idea if this sounds hypocritical or weird, I've read over it a few dozen times and I think I sound decently coherent. idk maybe someone wants to fill me in on some things, but I stand by my opinion.

#ask #proship discourse #ngl tho i would rather see proship hate than anti hate any day #just wouldnt engage in it

[rainbowsky]

hello, I read on twitter that last time as well it was esquire that gg had shot for and did a 3 hour interview with but it got scrapped because it was leaked. recently I also came across ggs song leak through your blog. so everything that gets leaked doesn’t actually reach the audience as a full product? im a little taken aback thinking of all the hard work people put into something and suddenly because of some nosey people all their hard work goes to vain, I hope I’m wrong :(

Hi Anon,

If I had a dollar for every issue that began with the phrase, "I read on Twitter that..." 🙃

I wish people would not open up old wounds by bringing up these past situations. There's nothing good that can come out of it, and all it really does is cause more anxiety and confusion among fans.

It appears you might be conflating and misunderstanding a few things, perhaps being given unverified information.

The previous Esquire shoot took place around the time 2/27 was still at its peak, and it's unknown how much of that played into the situation. Yes, there was a leak, but there were also anti campaigns trying to pressure the magazine to scrap the cover.

There were some appearances and projects that were cancelled because of 2/27, and we'll never know the full scope of it or what was due to 2/27 and what was due to other factors.

The song leak had nothing to do with its cancellation. It wasn't leaked until a year after it was supposed to air.

Leaks do have a negative impact on stars and their projects. However, there is a lot of speculation, incorrect and misleading information that swirls about these things as well.

Ultimately it's completely pointless to worry about these things, and I think it's harmful to keep dredging them back up. I look forward to the day when GG can have positive things happen without people always bringing up those dark times.

Here's an idea: How about we all get excited about the fact that GG is going to be on the cover of Esquire rather than making everything in his career into a tragedy?

And a gentle suggestion to you, Anon, to maybe rethink who you're following if this is the kind of thing you're stumbling across. Our experience of fandom is something we have control over, and it starts with curating what we see.

#ggdd controversies #twitter is a cesspool #ask

[intermundia]

Hi! I’m a huge fan of your fics (honestly they’re some of the beat fics I have ever read in my life, you’re so talented) and I love your blog so much! I hope you don’t mind me asking how many followers you have? I also want ask some advice on how to increase interaction and activity on my blog with other obikin fans?

thank you!! you are very kind. one of the things i like best about tumblr is that our follower counts are hidden, i think it harshes the vibe to put hard numbers on things, because we’re all peers here on this hellsite imho. i guess i’m comfortable saying that before i started star wars blogging in april 2020, i had around 350 followers. i started writing, and by early jan 2021, i had 1k followers, so that was the early trajectory, helped by the fandom boom during the pandemic.

my advice for increasing interaction really depends on understanding what your goal is in seeking that interaction. why do you want interaction, what does it mean to you? if you’re a content creator looking for an audience for your art, gifs, or writing, it’s a slightly different situation from if you’re someone who participates by sharing excitement through reblogging (in my mind i think of these people as “curators” of their feeds). seeking friends is different from seeking an audience, basically.

i have high levels of interaction when i write stories and meta posts, or share lore from legends, or make gifs. the way my blog first got attention was i wrote a couple short stories that spawned AUs, classics au and murder puppy au primarily, that people would ask questions about, i would answer them and build out the au more, tag it obikin, and my posts showed up in the obikin tag. it prompted a virtuous circle of more asks leading to more spread and to more followers. i was responsive and available to asks (lmao remember that) and produced a lot of content. that is extremely helpful.

however it really is possible to have interaction without being a content creator!! the way i had followers before star wars was being a curator of aesthetic posts that i love. i would follow other similar blogs and occasionally reach out to people who shared interests and that's how you make mutuals. you have to show up, offer something to others, even if it's just your taste in collecting other people's posts for your feed, which would make people want to subscribe to see it, you know?

if you're looking for more followers, you have to be mindful of why other people would choose to follow a blog, like what’s different, special or interesting there, which can just be your personality! you have to show that personality off though by interacting with others: send people asks, leave tags on reblogs, like that's how i follow people!! if i see a name enough, i will check them out, we become mutuals, and now i have more friends. be kind, be interested, and be involved, and you are automatically a welcome part of the fandom.

also: some harsher advice, if you're willing to hear it. if you are a content creator, the quality of your work will attract people, and there are no shortcuts to producing excellent things. to have something individual to offer often takes years of work. in my case, you say i am talented, and i appreciate that! but my work is the result of years of practice and study. i didn’t just wake up able to write lex talionis. i couldn’t have written it at 19. i'm 31 now and have had the blessing of an incredibly thorough education.

my unique perspective that i offer though my analysis comes from the fact that i lived like a weird monk studying intensely for years, sacrificing a normal college experience to wake up at 3am and study greek for hours and hours. my understanding of the jedi comes from probably thousands of hours of study of insight meditation that i did and still do to deal with my manic depression. i write fanfiction well because i read tens of millions of words of fanfiction before i started writing, on top of pretty much all of the literary classics in the western canon.

i am trying to say that i worked my ass off to get where i am, and there was no magic wand to wave to get here. my stories are not the result of talent, even if i have that, but the result of hundreds of hours of intense dedication to improving. the articulate meta that seemed to just flow after the kenobi show? that was the result of two years of intense study of obi-wan kenobi. i had a two year head start on people just coming to the show, so of course i was able to parse it differently.

if you produce content, tagging it correctly and networking and all that helps, but there are no shortcuts to being really good at something. quality both draws and retains an audience. so basically if your art isn't getting the attention you want now, it might in a few years if you keep working hard at it!! keep dedicating your time, developing something unique and personal, and then offering it to people. i know it sucks now, but you have to put in the work to improve, and if you do, you will have something to offer that nobody else has, and that is how you really get interaction.

#asks #fanfic stuff #long post #sorry #basically tldr is #why do you want interaction and what does it mean to you #what do you have to offer and what are you seeking in return #think about these things #and then get to work on something even if it's just vibing #be social and be kind #and people will engage with you with open arms i think

[bogunicorn]

also, okay, one more thing about people in fandom actively disliking the thing they're a fan of.

i do think some people genuinely enjoy being kind of a hater. like, i think we're all better off in this conversation if we acknowledge that some people just like that. being angry, being offended, being put-upon, feeling like you and your friends are the only people who see The Truth, all that shit releases hella dopamine, especially in relatively low stakes situations like fandom.

and i think that's okay in moderation! i love a good fix-it or rewrite of canon or canon-divergent OC, but those tend to only work when the person writing them genuinely loves the original thing in some capacity. fix-its and rewrites are like parodies: without love involved, they're just mean and shitty.

the problem with getting your emotional fix from complaining is that it doesn't last. i forget if i've said it on tumblr or just in DMs, but it's like junk food. oreos fucking slap, but it most of your diet is oreos, you're not going to stay full for long and eventually you'll get the shits. genuine positive enjoyment is a healthy meal full of protein and vitamins and shit; doing things you love keeps you happier and fuller for longer. and all sorts of food is good for all sorts of situations. sometimes you want to sit around and just rewatch your favorite parts of a show. sometimes you want to shovel oreos into your face and bitch about how Actor X is a hack who never should've been hired, or a dialogue chain in a video game is fucking stupid and you're stunned it got past the editors.

the point is balance. and i will say the most important thing i learned in my 20s (in fandom, not in general) is that hobbies shouldn't hurt. if i catch myself bitching and gossiping more often than enjoying myself, it's time to quit. if seeing a specific fandom i used to love on my dashboard stresses me out, i block it. fandom is a hobby. it's supposed to be fun. if it starts giving me the metaphorical shits, it's time to go eat somewhere else until i can be responsible with myself again.

learning to pull up stakes and just fucking leave is a hard skill to learn, especially, i think, for autistic and adhd people. it's hard for us to find media that really scratches the itch, so to speak, and it makes it really difficult to leave things behind even when they're not scratching so great anymore. like, it would take a lot for me to leave DA fandom permanently; it's been my special interest for, like, 12 years or whatever. but if it made me miserable, i'd ditch it. hell, i did basically peace out for a bit a few months ago until i felt comfortable again, and i'm better off for it.

you can't stop other people from being A Hater 90% of the time. if that's what they've decided to do, that's what they're doing. so i guess my advice for that (such that it is) is to just curate your experience. and if you feel yourself getting anxious a lot, or feeling angry or guilty or obligated to have specific Takes when you log into your fandom spaces, step back and check in with yourself. fandom isn't supposed to make you feel that way, and the people who think it's the norm or try to make it the norm are dealing with shit that's just... not your problem.

#bog post

[heartfulselkie]

im sorry youre sick selkie!! i hope you feel better soon 💕

🎀 and 🕯️ for the ask game! (i think there are two questions with the last emoij; i mean the ''was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?'' one lol)

Thank you!

From the Fanfic Writer Ask Game

🎀give yourself a compliment about your own writing

Hmm... I think I'm good with characterisation? At least, I don't think I make Adrien or Marinette OOC when I write them. And even when they deviate slightly from the show's canon, its within the realm of reason (like Adrien's hero Ladybug persona being slightly different in Kaleidoscope AU since he's a solo hero)

🕯️how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety?

When people curate their fandom experience and treat each other with respect and kindness, it can really create one of the best experiences of community. There's something really special about obsessing over a piece of media and its characters and find other people who also obsess over it. I've always been really attached to my interests, and IRL I've known other people who've also liked those interests too, but just never to the same extent. Finding other people who like these things just as much as I do is incredibly validating.

I am someone who struggles with crippling social anxiety. Honestly every time I've joined a fandom discord server I have to try not to panic about people welcoming/greeting me. People are just being nice but it's just a reaction I can't help. And there's numerous times when I see a discussion happening and want to join in, but my anxious brain cell stops me (what if i'm misunderstanding the topic? what if i derail the conversation in a bad way? what if i'm interrupting someone else? what if no one actually likes me being here and will get annoyed if I try to join their conversation?? do I just sound selfish if I talk about something I know or do?). It's hard, but when I do persevere through those moments of anxiety my experience has overall been very positive! Being a part of a fandom has only helped me become more comfortable with myself in all sorts of ways. I started drawing a writing again after so many years of not doing it because of the ML fan community! I've found a kind and supportive corner to be comfortable in and I'm so glad to be here even when working through my low moments!

#bugaboooooooooo #ask selkie #ask game

[ghetsis]

20, 21, 29, and 30!

various topics (open) 20. smut

I got out of writing smut a long time ago. I'm ace, so it's not really my thing and my current muses are terminally unfuckable anyway. thankfully, it seems like the Poke RPC isn't as smut obsessed as other fandoms I've been in, but I don't know if that's the nature of this RPC or the current trend of the tumblr RPC as a whole. back in the day, it felt like smut and shipping was all anyone cared about. it still kind of feels like un-shippable muses are a bit harder to gain traction with, but it's not as bad as it was.

21. violent threads

violence... V I O L E N C E. god I love violent threads, but they can be so tough to write with Ghetsis. he's generally a "psychological warfare first" and "violence second" kind of guy, but also I tend to be so cautious with violent threads because it's very easy to get OP or godmoddy when you have a powerful villain. it can be hard for me to gauge if someone wants their muse to get fucked up and how bad. I know that generally people with bratty muses want them to get smacked down when they poke a villain, but Ghetsis can and will beat someone within an inch of their life for crossing him and it's hard to know if other people want or are ready for that.

29. your first muse

lol my first muse was a self insert for a webcomic called Romantically Apocalyptic, but they were so different from me, it's hard to really call them a self insert. I think most people's first muses are self inserts because that's what's easiest to write when you're learning the ropes of RP. I didn't even know the RA fandom was a RPC at the time lol. I just saw other people making what I assumed were 'sonas and joined in lol.

30. blocking

I was just talking about it this morning that it sucks that we have to paint so many situations with the same blocking brush. there's no way for me to tell if someone blocked me because Ghetsis is triggering, they're just not interested, someone's talking shit about me behind my back or if they just hate me personally. it all looks the same and I know that's how it looks to the people I block even though it's generally not personal when I block someone.

I have it in my rules that I want people to hard block me if they're not interested in RPing with me (for any reason) or if they ship nasty stuff, but getting blocked by someone, especially if I don't even know who they are can still be like ????

that said, everyone has the right to block whoever, whenever for whatever reason is necessary to curate their online experience, I just wish we had a more sophisticated way of doing that.

#picavecalyx #meme answers #throw it! it'll explode!!; asks

[truckfreaks]

Something I feel like people are actively ignoring is that the creator didn't even say "u can't do that!" ... All they asked was that people hold off on posting it in tags until he gets a wrangle on the situation. That also isn't carte blanche to do whatever you want. But... Nobody's saying "don't do it" or "you cant". However, you also need to recognize that this is this singular person's livelihood, and often times that can be somewhat detrimental to one's personal and professional opportunities... and safety. Really all anyone is asking is that you slow down for a second and/or at least just keep it to a private 18+ disc or something, FOR NOW, until some kind of nsfw tag is defined.

And nsfw doesn't just mean sexual content, so the argument of purity culture here is not entirely valid in my opinion. Nsfw also is in regards to horror elements, of which we still don't have a clear definition of within the universe of Welcome Home. So if you're going to create content for something the creator goes out of their way to try to tag and make blockable for people who are uncomfortable with certain triggers, you should also be mindfully tagging and/or including content warnings for those items as well. At the end of the day yes, we all curate our own online experiences, but a fandom isn't going to suffer horribly if people just take an extra step or two to make it a safer place for everyone involved - as in, the people who want to see and create that content, and the people who do not. Like, the creator is (again) not asking you not to do something, but just that you are mindful and respectful of *all* the members of your community. Because that's how a good community grows.

Ultimately we can't curate our experience if things aren't being properly tagged or proper warnings aren't being disclosed. So it isn't fair to put the onus on either side - "do" or "do not" participate, that is - and the only thing that really makes an iota of sense is slowing down until the fervor blows over and, additionally, being mindful of how the elements of your content might affect others. And part of that is recognizing that right now, the fandom is insanely huge and confusing and sprawling and messy - which is okay, it's new, it's exciting, whatever. I get it. I've seen this happen over and over and over. But you also gotta respect that the creator of the content that you're policing in either direction is just one person, and was not even informed ahead of time that his content would be posted on a massive YouTube channel. Please take a moment to empathize with how scary, confusing, and overwhelming that must feel.

In short - give each other more grace. Stop slinging insults at each other that this one is a puritan or that one is unsafe. Stop getting mad at someone for trying to get a hold on their feelings and ensuring their safety (and by extension, the safety of their fans) after amassing a following literally overnight. I understand it is hard sometimes when you are very excited about something, but a group of tens of thousands of people brought together by the same interest are bound to be full of many different kinds of folks! And there's gonna be disagreements! But if we work together to be respectful of one another, we can move forward in a way that allows all of us to curate our experience within the context of our shared interest.

I don't speak for anyone else, only myself, but I think this is what makes the most sense moving forward and I hope other people agree. I love Welcome Home very much, just like everyone else here, and I think the fandom is more viable if we work towards helping one another rather than getting angry and misconstruing things.

#welcome home

[kimtaegis]

Maybe you just don't want to talk about this with anyone, so feel free to ignore it, I'm glad if you only read. Please please take control of the people you follow, the people you interact with and have on your blog or in any other site or social media that you use to share your interest in BTS... Our experience in the fandom will depend 100% on that, the way you see armys will be entirely affected by it. Don't follow anyone just 'cause they're nice if what they say upsets you, don't be afraid to block or unfollow anyone who makes you uncomfortable. There are many types of armys and accounts you can engage with, there are fanbases sharing beautiful projects and kind actions from armys around the world, there are artist armys (just like you!) who show their creations, armys focusing on gathering votes and streams (this will be forever important) and overall many many armys who just care about what BTS have to say, trusting their messages and trying their best every day. I'm afraid that you may start to see armys in a negative way, I'm afraid that you can believe that this fandom isn't a good fandom, that this doesn't feel like home... This is not true, please remember that? Ever since I becamy army I never thought bad of this fandom and I always could understand why BTS love armys so much, 'cause armys have been comforting me too and I don't even have friends... I'm comforted just by "strangers". Even on Twitter, where things are much bigger and easier to trigger us, I've found my "safety zone". It's all a result of whom you follow. This doesn't mean I haven't found mean people, stalkers or antis, I did and sometimes I kept looking for them, even knowing how it made me feel, but I do my best to control what and whom I search for. Please take care of this ♡ life is already so hard, this part doesn't need to also be. Our fandom is the biggest in this world and of course that it means there'll be more toxic and obsessed people, the bigger it is it can be scarier, but I hope you can always see that this number isn't even close to all the kind armys who learn a lot with BTS, all the armys chasing for their future and trying to be better human beings. You're one of them!

oh you’re very sweet for sending all this, I appreciate it. I just think that it’s pretty much impossible to avoid any of this simply because of how today’s social media works; I have a tiny twitter account, only follow a very small bunch of fans (mostly mutuals from here and editmys/fanartists); the algorithm still suggests super problematic tweets to me. Which is sad in itself because those tweets get so much traction that they’re suggested to me, do you know what I mean? I do block and mute every single one of these accounts, have a mile-long list of muted words, and yet. And just leaving or disabling these functions would let me not see the stuff I would like to see anymore, so that’s also not great. Tumblr is comparably fine but is also absolutely deserted and boring. I’m sorry to say this but ever since I joined the fandom two years ago, I had my opinion on the general vibe of armys and this didn’t change at all. I’ve never seen this fandom as a healthy community or a home, I’m only in it because I love the group. Yes there are definitely amazing (and sane) people I’ve met here on tumblr through the boys and I’m so grateful for that, but unfortunately it’s really just a very small number of people who I truly get along with (probably my own fault but yeh). Also it’s not just the negativity by the way, but also the infantilism, or the other extreme, sexualisation of the members, the absolute obsession with chart and streaming numbers, awards and records, the “quantity over quality” way of thinking, the list goes on. There’s just so much I can’t vibe with, don’t want to. I’m trying my best to keep curating my own fandom experience and I don’t see myself not following bts’ career at any time soon, but it still sucks that such a big part of loving them feels so.. corrupted at times.

#thank you for all the subtle compliments you seem very kind 💗 #long post #anon #annie’s mail

[laviejaguardia]

So, you made a Tumblr blog

You're finally here, after seeing many screenshot on Instagram, and hearing many times this site is dead on Twitter. Here you are, and you got no clue how any of this works. That's okay, this should help

[these are just social cues about how this site works that us old users don't even think about but can feel confusing for users coming from other platforms.]

Let's begin:

How does this site work? Easy! The blood and soul of this site is reblogs (not to mistake them with reposting). Think of it as finding something cool and going "hey guys check out what my buddy did", except way less annoying because you can do it 300x times a day and no one will mind and actually they'll thank you for it. A reblog might sound like a Big Deal but it's the equivalent of an Instagram like, as in the currency of the platform.

What if I don't want to spam the dashboard? Then you can use the queue. Click the options on the reblog window and chose "add to queue", you can configure it from your blog options for when and how it posts. You'll find many users use tags that include the word 'queue' to signal that it isn't an "online" reblog, this is totally optional.

What about the tags everyone treats as sacred? Tags are mostly for your organization, but also for speaking your mind (keep in mind, it's considered rude to diss the creation/fandom/ship in the tags of a positive post! The creator will see it in their activity page and it's a bummer, keep your comments silly or positive. If you wanna vent make your own post and tag it accordingly with anti-fandom/ship/character). If you don't have anything to say on the tags of a reblog don't let that stop you! Reblog without tags, you can always reblog it again later if you came up with something to say (no, OP won't mind).

What about likes? Likes are more like bookmarks for stuff you wanna find easily later, maybe for a personal post of a friend. You'll find you can actually hide your likes page (as the people you follow) on your blog, that's the common practice. Litterally no one will go look at your likes page,,, ever. trust me, it's easier to just have it hidden.

On the contrary, reblogs and original posts tell people what you're interested in, what you enjoy/don't enjoy. This is what it'll decide if someone wants to follow you or not: what kind of content you'll bring to their dash (don't worry if it's not consistent, we'll get to that later). Likes are mostly just for yourself.

What are replies for then? Probably the least used feature. You can use it to reply to a friend's personal post, or if you have a question for OP that needs an answer. This is not like a Twitter or Instagram comment! They won't boost the post and the creator would rather you'd put that praising comment in the tags of a reblog. They'll see it in their activity page for sure 😉

How do I find blogs w juicy posts to reblog as a newie? Search a fandom/ship you like and follow the top blogs there, scroll till you find a post you like and follow the original poster. They might follow back if they check out your blog and see you reblog content they like and congrats! You're mutuals 💕

You can also follow tags and there's always creation hubs blogs that exist solely for the purpose of creating or rebloging gifsets and content of a specific fandom/ship.

Do timelines matter? Is it cringe to reblog old things? An unequivocal no. You'll find its hard to know when something was posted to begin with, and we love that! It doesn't matter if it's from a deactivated blog, if it's 5 days or 7 years old, reblog it anyways, you won't be judged because no one will look at the date it was posted either.

What is it this about "curating your online experience"? Just like Instagram, you can block people, just like Twitter, you can also mute/filter words. On Tumblr you can also filter tags. (They'll appear like posts w a message that they contain filtered content). And like neither, you can turn off all suggestions so you see stuff only from people you follow, in the order it was posted.

How do I do this? Settings > dashboard > preferences > best stuff first/include stuff in your orbit/include "based on your likes!" > Off/on as you prefer!

Next is tags and keywords, these will depend on who you follow and what stuff you're sick of seeing. Filter freely! No one will know except you and the better tailored to your interests your dash is, the more fun using this platform will be. Remember, this site doesn't have an algorithm that hides content from the people you follow based on your activity like other platforms, so don't hold back. (Filtered tags are also great to use like on twitter to hide spoilers or trigger warnings, with the added bonus that tagging those is a popular policy here, it can be more effective than on twitter.)

I'll give you a tip: if you've blocked someone but are still coming across their stuff in people's reblogs, load their URL as a muted word and say bye to their annoying content for sure 😘 I also use it for meme posts that start to get on my nerves.

What about those comments about the likes and reblogs ratios? Well, that's A Thing here. Like I said before, reblogs are the whole point of this site, so when in recent years people seem to have switched to only ever liking stuff (along w many other reasons. It's not one single person's fault), the site traffic has plummeted. This has been very disheartening for creators who started to feel like the fandom communities they loved and interacted with on the daily became silent audiences who are not interested in making the community grow or even engage with it. It sort of escalated from there.

The bottom line is that we all want to support and enrich the fandom/s we're in, so I wrote this in the hopes that it'd give new users an idea of how to best do it in this particular platform 💗

For more info you can check tumblr's official guide

#getting started #Tumblr basics #tumblr #fandom #fandom etiquette #fandom basics #new users #tumblr tips #tips #engagement tips

[rainbowsky]

I've start seeing more tweets about GG & DD from solo fans recently. After a while, I start finding myself feeling "unkind" towards GG. I realize this was bcos I've seen too much posts from some overzealous protective & possessive GG fans, and my feelings towards them somehow bleed into my feelings towards GG. I know he never condones any irrational fans' behaviour, and I really want to believe he will never approve of his fans belittling others just to elevate him. But why do a lot of his fans think it is ok for them to "attack" DD so relentlessly? I mean some of what they posted are just so disgusting I can't believe they came from the same people who claim to love GG so much they're willing to do anything to make sure the world knows their GG is the best. Why are they so insecure about GG talents and so-called greatness that they must work hard to put down other people? Sorry to rant here, I just feel like you're the most rational blogger in this fandom.

Aww, Anon, I know it can be upsetting.

You are by no means the first person I've seen who expresses these kinds of feelings. I actually see this a lot in the various Chinese drama communities and also on YT, on Twitter in a lot of spaces where general entertainment enthusiasts gather.

Quite often when GG's name comes up I've seen people say that they were really interested in him and dipped their toe into his fandom only to be completely scared off by aggressive, hostile, toxic, homophobic fans. They say the climate was so bad that they are left with this off-putting feeling about him and decided to focus their interests elsewhere.

I've also seen a lot of turtles who have said that it was the hostility and toxicity of GG's fans that made them curious to dig deeper into Yizhan (a lot of turtles are hatched this way).

It's frustrating to see this kind of bad behavior being conducted with GG's name attached to it, especially since GG is such a sweet, kind-hearted person who deserves fans who support him and respect his repeatedly, emphatically, clearly stated wishes around fan behavior, but there's nothing to be done about it. Haters gonna hate.

I feel it's really important to remind everyone that these people do not represent GG. Nothing they say or do is about GG or is any reflection upon him. Everything they say, do and think can only ever be about them, can only ever be a reflection of who they are. Their hatefulness comes from inside them, not from GG. They couldn't possibly be more removed from what GG is about.

It's also important to remember that these toxics are only a tiny fraction of GG's fans. Most of his fans are focused on him, on his work and on enjoying being fans and supporting him and just living their lives. So let's try not to paint with too broad a brush. Not all of his fans are this way. The toxics are just so vocal and so aggressive that they drown out the other voices and it distorts our perception of that fandom.

I would also urge everyone to focus on GG and DD, not on other fans. We are here to support GGDD and enjoy them. Other fans and what they're doing... it's just not worth worrying about.

We have no control over what other people say, do or think. The only thing we have any control over is how we respond to what other people say, do or think. The choices we make about how to respond will shape our experience of fandom.

As always, I recommend that we block and ignore (and report when appropriate). In this way we can curate our fandom experience to ensure we're not being exposed to things that upset us.

Related posts:

Toxic fans and staying in your own lane

CPN isn’t a railway line in Canada

“I came across a nasty rumor about them online”

Why arguing online is a bad idea

Fandom Survival Guide

#it's in the air it's all around #fandom reflections #solos belong to moling su sect #ask