On Fanlore and Squee

[stultiloquentia]

Here's the thing: I want to play with Fanlore. Specifically, I want to run around adding links to more rec and master lists than anybody could possibly want, and citations of specific stories that I think are good illustrations of trope x, and author blurbs! "Author X is influential in this corner of fandom, and here's what she's known for, and here's her website."

But I'm embarrassed!

I'm not afraid of being biased, because that's hopeless; of course I'm going to be biased; I'm a FANGIRL. But I'm afraid of looking like I'm just sucking up, scurrying around kissing the velvet slippers of my favourite BNFs. I already maintain a recs site in which I fawn with perfect complacence, so it's a dumb hang-up, really.

But I think it's Fanlore's big problem right now: people are afraid to add stuff, because they might do it wrong, and accidentally let loose a squee or something. Oh noes.

I have a proposal.

How about we declare it Shameless Fangirl Week at Fanlore (I am open to catchier titles), and go out and persuade everybody to pick one fan -- reccer, mod, maker of good things -- who helped shape their own fannish experience, and give them a page. Doesn't have to be comprehensive. Needn't even contain adjectives, if you still fear being flogged by a ghostly Salmon of Objectivity. Just needs to be a start.

Fanlore can still get down with its judicious overviews of Major Trends and Prominent Figures. But can we make it a crazy, Willy Wonka-esque Clearinghouse of Goodies, too?

Comments

[elf]

Fanlore's big problem right now: people are afraid to add stuff, because they might do it wrong

Second this point. Third and fourth it, if I can.

Fans are nervous about editing/creating pages about archives, zines, pairings, shipwars, etc., because they know they're biased, and have incomplete info, and don't know what's proper for the site.

Fans who fall outside of media-fic fandom are generally utterly lost.

I'm a gamer. Tabletop RPGs. Have been for--eep--slightly more than thirty years. I have no idea where to start putting gamer "lore" on the site, nor any idea what's welcome. The line between "canon" and "fandom" is a lot different in gaming.

Got friends who are filkers. How much of the 50-odd year history of filk should go on the site? (Certainly, Off Centaur's rise & collapse should be there somewhere. I'm not qualified to write it. I'm not sure it's possible for anyone who knows the details to write it, without the entry turning into a wankfest.)

Is the Jedi religion a fan thing? The Klingon language? Otherkin?

Should "copyfight" have an entry?

I really, really love Fanlore. I just don't know what to do with it.

[kass]

I'm not a member of the wiki committee, so take this response with the proverbial grain of salt, but I tend to think we should err on the side of adding too much awesome stuff rather than too little. It's always possible to trim later if upon conversation it's decided that something doesn't belong there; I don't know much about the history of filk, or the Jedi religion, but I'd love to read those pages once people who do know them write them. :-)

[elf]

I know just enough about the history of filk to be thoroughly intimidated at the very idea of trying to write about it. Especially knowing that very few other fen involved in Fanlore are likely to notice & fix my mistakes. Makes me twitchy, it does.

I might try anyway, on the theory that flawed info is better than no info, and eventually the flaws would be noticed & fixed.

I don't know much about the Jedi religion, and I'm pretty sure the Fanlore page shouldn't say "some fanatic poseurs in the UK decided they loved Star Wars so much, they declared it to be their religion." (Which isn't quite how I think of it, but isn't far off, either.) (And don't get me started on Klingon Wicca.)

I think I'd like some kind of gathering, either in-person at a convention or an online chat group, with a goal of "let's add 50 new pages to Fanlore by pooling our info."

I'd be delighted to share what I know of the history of filk. I'm intimidated at the idea of a Fanlore page that's basically "Elf's take on the Off Centaur wankstorm." (Especially since I was nowhere near involved; I dated people who dated people who were involved.)

FWIW, drive by comment:

[francescacoppa]

It's actually not true re: filk; Mel Tatum was working on filk pages and linked fanlore in some filk communities, and there are other folk around, too.

You should totally add "Elf's take on some filk issue" and if you're worried, you should just say its your take and explicitly invite people to add more/different.

[stultiloquentia]

Fans are nervous about editing/creating pages about archives, zines, pairings, shipwars, etc., because they know they're biased, and have incomplete info, and don't know what's proper for the site.

Oh my god, I would love to see more about RPGs and filk on Fanlore. Wouldn't it be neat to be able to trace the connections between table-top and LARP and online RPGs, and find local LARPing resources, etc. One would, I imagine, have to be extra cautious with people's privacy, but a few starter links ought to be kosher.

As for your, "I have no idea where to start!" (with which I totally sympathize, and I've only been in fandom since 2002!), how about some basic lists of resources?

The line between "canon" and "fandom" is a lot different in gaming.
Talk about that! That's so interesting to me, the sliding scale of read-write culture, and how much responsibility for world-building and whatnot is in the hands of the fans across different media.

Is the Jedi religion a fan thing?
Well, it sure ain't a Mundane thing...

The Klingon language? Otherkin?
And Otherkin is a perfect example of something that needs to be at least defined on the site, because I have no idea what it is. *g*

Should "copyfight" have an entry?
Yes.

:D

[elf]

I am terrified of having an entry on Otherkin, because they might show up to correct it. (You think fandom wank gets bad? Imagine that level of bickering, plus a swarm of people who think they are half-angel-half-werejaguar, yegods I wish I were making up that example.)

If the Otherkin community just stuck to those who believed they were elves, dragons, vampires or fairies of various sorts (or mix-n-match blends thereof, don't ask), they definitely shouldn't have an entry. Since they are also prone to pulling their species claims from fandoms--Drow elves, star-vampires, Pernese dragons--and often call non-otherkin "muggles," there's at least some fandom connection.

Note where the Pagan Hierarchy Chart puts Otherkin. It's accurate. (The whole chart is frighteningly accurate.)

Otherkin are much more a Pagan fringe group than a fannish one. And I'm sure we'd all like to keep it that way. However, they exist, and they show up on the edges of fandom every now & then. They are more common in fandoms that have powerful, magical sentient creatures, especially gaming fandoms. I'm sure there are some WoW Otherkin, about which I very much do not wish to know the details.

[(Anonymous)]

As far as I've observed, the otherkin are actually quite civil in correcting false information about their subculture. :) They're also more prone to calling non-otherkin "mundanes" instead of "muggles" - that's a Harry Potter thing.

You are correct in that they're Pagan oriented rather than fan based. Most stick to themselves and their own when it comes to discussing otherkin, however some have been known to garner attention through (rather blatantly) intentional means.