fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #6404 ]

[ SECRET POST #6404 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6404 ⌋

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

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[Tell Me Why]

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 10 secrets from Secret Submission Post #915.
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

02. https://i.imgur.com/forUkgy.png

It's just not true to say that the 90s were an objectively better time in fandom for literally everyone.

As someone who thoroughly enjoyed what time I got to have in fandom during that decade, I agree.

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(Anonymous) - 2024-07-19 04:15 (UTC) - Expand

This. Your experience wasn't everyone's, OP.

They were better, in aggregate, just not better in every specific aspect. Net, though, yeah better.

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(Anonymous) - 2024-07-19 01:32 (UTC) - Expand

It's all right

'cause I'm saved by the B.S.

I was in fandom during that era (thought I was mostly a preteen/teen), and I liked CERTAIN THINGS about that fandom era, but I mostly prefer early 2000s Livejournal fandom to newsgroups and forums of the 90s.

I certainly preferred some things about it over modern fandom but I think early 2000s fandom was better. The early online struggles had been mostly put to rest (still issues on The Pit but not surprising as we all know they continue to have seriously disturbed users even today), zines were not only still a thing but more people than ever knew about them and could order them. It was also a sweet spot for American media and more people around the world were just getting internet access all the time. It was shiny and new and for everyone, unlike earlier fandom that was so hidden that new fans didn’t find it or couldn’t afford to participate.

I was a bit too young, I got into fandom in the mid 2000s. From my impression, it seems like people had plenty of good and bad experiences in 90s fandom.

I think late 90s and early 00s were my personal faves. Went downhill about 2011 and hasn't stop crashing.

+1000000000

I know social media existed before then, but I feel like it just made everything worse after 2010, especially in fandom. I know I sound like "old man yells at clouds" but I honestly hate being expected to interact via Xitter or Tumblr or ten million subreddits or I don't get any interaction at all. And it's not even good or meaningful interaction.

Which was the objectively better part? The part where the internet was not available in a lot of places to a lot of people because the structure wasn't there? The part where commercial stuff was restricted until it wasn't? The part where finding what you actually wanted to find was kind of a crapshoot? The part where people decided that if there was a bright color to be had, they needed to used it for their background, along with another eye-searing color that clashed for text? The part where formatting for easy readability was kind of an afterthought to some and not a thought at all to others? The part where ship wars started up and het versus slash became a vicious battle? The part where stories were rated by citrus (I know some people liked this, but I could never remember what it meant)? I mean, there absolutely were some good parts, but if you include the whole of the 90s, there were some definite drawbacks.

Do not forget the joy of using modem or blatant homophobia and Studios like Lukasfilm going after fandom sites.
Also good luck if you don't enjoy something in fanfics

LBR, the part that was better for OP was probably being able to say whatever they wanted to whoever they wanted without people being like hey, perhaps think twice about what you're doing here. It was better for OP so it must have been objectively better for everyone, back when OP didn't have to account for the fact that not everyone is like them/had the same experiences as them.

Context clues right in the secret itself, you know?

Not OP

I miss the sense of community that I found in slash fandom in the late '90s and '00s. That's almost completely gone now.

Amateur Press Associations, letterzines and letter columns in magazines and comics were a thing. Fandom networks existed, even if people didn't get the instant gratification that the Internet offers.

One thing that was much better in the '90s and early '00s was that people were much better about not thinking that every little thing had to cater to them and only them all the time. If something wasn't for me, I just went and found something else to do. There were a lot of fandoms out there, and a lot of communities, especially online, and it was much easier to find one that was a good fit personally.

There was also a broad, but easily follows consensus about what constititued good behavior in fandom. The dangerous crazies (the doxxers, the stalkers, the death threat makers, etc.) were generally dealt with or at least given reason to seriously consider their behavior. Honest-to-god Nazis were less of a problem, that's for suer.

And given that I still routinely encounter just as many people whose world-views make my skin crawl, I don't think now is any better.

Also, bullying happened sometimes, but it wasn't the norm in most communities, let alone seen as the morally correct thing to do over petty things like shipping and character preferences. It was a lot easier to find a group of friends who shared one's preferences and hang out with them.

I’m probably alone in this but it’s annoying to me how the responses to this secret are exclusively about online fandom. Meanwhile zines and conventions were the sum total of fandom for most fans for most or even all of the decade.

OK, cool, let's talk about offline fandom. So, congratulations, you live in a place that doesn't have cons and there is no way you are getting to one. End of story.
Oh, you know a guy who knows a guy so you have some mailing addresses you use to communicate or get zines. One. Letter. At. A. Time.

And I had actual fun in offline communities in 90s but it wasn't perfect. And I don't know about others experience but our offline fandom places always had this one creeper who was there to prey on girls. So fun

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(Anonymous) - 2024-07-19 02:03 (UTC) - Expand

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(Anonymous) - 2024-07-19 04:48 (UTC) - Expand

what's with the 80's graphics?

TBF to the troll behind the secret, those graphics were in use in kids media at least through the mid 90s. I stopped babysitting around 95 so they may have been around even longer.

Because rampant widespread homophobia was so great. For everyone.