I agree, it's not at all a safe assumption. It seems like increasingly, nothing about online fandom is safe. Frankly, I miss the years when the my-ship vs. your-ship and slash vs. het vs. gen were the wankiest wanks going.
But granted that many people don't come to online fandom to be rational - and many just aren't rational, full stop. Shall we all throw our hands up and quit? Retreat to the tiny little gated communities of BNFs and their satellite flists? (Those often have their own horrendous kinds of policing, which just because they're "on behalf of" some beloved well-known fanficcer, doesn't exonerate them from rationality and/or civility - or shouldn't.)
Fandom is still far better than some of the old fashioned list-serves I'm on. It's hard to top male scientists and faculty members for wankerrific attitude. Like fangirls, they often run in packs and one ends up having to avoid certain comms for months at a time, or be prepared to ignore half the posts and most of the comments.
Color me optimistic. I think the experiment is worth a try, and will do little harm, certainly not like the heavy-handed thought correction that has sucked the air out of half the months this year.
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Date: 2009-10-06 12:51 am (UTC)But granted that many people don't come to online fandom to be rational - and many just aren't rational, full stop. Shall we all throw our hands up and quit? Retreat to the tiny little gated communities of BNFs and their satellite flists? (Those often have their own horrendous kinds of policing, which just because they're "on behalf of" some beloved well-known fanficcer, doesn't exonerate them from rationality and/or civility - or shouldn't.)
Fandom is still far better than some of the old fashioned list-serves I'm on. It's hard to top male scientists and faculty members for wankerrific attitude. Like fangirls, they often run in packs and one ends up having to avoid certain comms for months at a time, or be prepared to ignore half the posts and most of the comments.
Color me optimistic. I think the experiment is worth a try, and will do little harm, certainly not like the heavy-handed thought correction that has sucked the air out of half the months this year.