fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3382 ]

[ SECRET POST #3382 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3382 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 093 secrets from Secret Submission Post #483.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I got an email from a "fan" (I suppose) of some of my older stuff, asking very abruptly where an older story of mine is. I hate the curt and entitled attitude. Like, I'm glad to help you, if I can. I'll even send it to you once I find it, but if you can't bother to be polite and say a fucking thank you, then I think you're an asshole.

Most of the "fans" who've contacted me wanting something extra like this have never written to me before, left a comment or (as far as I know) kudos, or anything--just an abrupt, entitled email when they want something. It's not always bending over backwards stuff they want, but it damned sure feels like it when I have to find stuff to send to them, or they want a compilation in a certain file format which I don't have, and they can't even be polite about it.

Maybe next time someone contacts me like that, I'll ignore them. -_-

I literally write original fiction now, and the fans who PAY ME for my work aren't this entitled.

Oh God, this. I'm like you in that I focus on original works now. I've taken down fan art before for a bunch of reasons, and the air of entitlement when people demand that I put it back up just rubs me the wrong way. My first reaction is "Well, did you save it to your hard drive? No? That's rough, buddy", but I ignore these kinds of people now.

I probably will next time. Thanks for replying. :)

That's the funny thing. I think there's way more entitlement with free stuff, funnily enough.

I think you're right...

Are you sure they meant to be entitled? They may have just wondered if it was on another site, keeping in mind that sometimes people sound more blunt on the internet because of the lack of tone.

Of course, I didn't read the original email, so I may be wrong - but it's just a thought.

I mean, I doubt anyone intends to sound entitled.

You do have a point.

And it's not like it happens all the time. (Most of my stuff is readily available and they don't have to write me anyway.)

But it's that combination of curt/entitled, and never contacted me before/don't bother to act grateful at all that really bugs me when I see it.

I think in future I likely won't respond unless I want to.

AYRT - I didn't mean that they meant to sound entitled, just that they may not have realized how blunt they sounded. But if it was flat-out rude and they never even thanked you for it, then yeah, that's pretty bad.

The way you make up for "lack of tone" on the internet is to use words like "please" and "thank you", after you introduce yourself politely and compliment someone BEFORE you ask them for a favor.

Right? It's weird how many excuses people make about this on the internet. Communicating via the written word is not some new fangled thing that people are still getting used to, you guys. People have communicated this way for hundreds of years! So we don't need to pardon special snowflakes who accidentally sound blunt over the internet, we need to point out that if they come off sounding abrupt or rude, it's 100% their responsibility.

Let me show you an example:

Dear [author name],

You don't know me, but I am a longtime fan and [the fic that I can no longer find] was one of my favorite stories. I noticed recently that I can no longer find it on AO3 and was wondering if perhaps it was archived anywhere else? I have such fond memories of it and would love to read it again. Thank you for reading this, and I hope you are well!

[my name]

Making sure you don't sound like an entitled fanbrat isn't rocket science, folks.

Some people are asshats :/ I'm sorry. Maybe you really should ignore them...

The other day I posted on a forum asking for some help about using Mod Podge for a cosplay project.
One person was like "Post a reference." Which annoyed me, since I wasn't asking for advice how to make something specific - just about materials. But I posted, and they never even responded or anything.
What the fuck, if you're not going to contribute why give me grief about posting references?

Yeah, I mean, I think my default from now should be to ignore them, since it does bug me. I don't owe these people anything.

Ugh, fan entitlement is such an annoyance. There are people out there who view fanfics as some sort of community service that writers owe the fandom. I don't think I'd ever approach a writer to ask about vanished fic (because I'd figure it's gone for a reason) but if I did I'd inquire POLITELY if it was still archived anywhere and mention how much I enjoyed it and would love to read it again. I certainly wouldn't be all, "Hey, where's [the fic]?"

In situations like this, I like Miss Manners' approach, which is to raise an eyebrow and ask in a slightly frosty but civil tone, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SECRET POST #3382 ]

Entitled fans bug me.

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