Thanks. You're right ... one of the things I liked about LJ is that it allows for more personal communication, without the "on topic" requirement of mailing lists or forums. Unfortunately it also adds to the factionalism in a way that I don't think I want to deal with any more.
It's true that people's opinions don't have power over you unless you let them. I don't really care about what some strangers think, but part of the problem of trying to keep up with fic is that I've ended up with many people on my friends' list from different sections of fandom that I admire as writers. So when someone I admire (and the act of admiration gives them power over me, I guess) posts that "anyone who watches the show just for Spike and doesn't appreciate the glory of Wesley is a childish rape supporting moron who should stop watching the show and doesn't count as a true fan," it does hurt my feelings. It wouldn't if it were a stranger, but it's someone I know, someone I look up to, so they have the power to hurt me. And often it's someone who is specifically responding to something I've posted. They don't have the guts to tell me that I'm a moron to my face, so they go posting it in their journal--as if I'm not going to see it?? They're *on* my friends' list! And if they really think I'm such a moron, why don't they defriend me? And then I see people who I consider friends telling them how awesome they are, and I think--do these friends really think I'm a complete moron? Yet, y'know, every time they write a new story they send it to me for archiving, and really, if they think I'm such a moron then maybe they ought to say so to my face instead of sucking up and then gossiping behind my back.
And so on. Sorry for the rant; it's just all so political and juvenile and I don't want to deal with it anymore.
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Date: 2003-11-08 09:05 pm (UTC)It's true that people's opinions don't have power over you unless you let them. I don't really care about what some strangers think, but part of the problem of trying to keep up with fic is that I've ended up with many people on my friends' list from different sections of fandom that I admire as writers. So when someone I admire (and the act of admiration gives them power over me, I guess) posts that "anyone who watches the show just for Spike and doesn't appreciate the glory of Wesley is a childish rape supporting moron who should stop watching the show and doesn't count as a true fan," it does hurt my feelings. It wouldn't if it were a stranger, but it's someone I know, someone I look up to, so they have the power to hurt me. And often it's someone who is specifically responding to something I've posted. They don't have the guts to tell me that I'm a moron to my face, so they go posting it in their journal--as if I'm not going to see it?? They're *on* my friends' list! And if they really think I'm such a moron, why don't they defriend me? And then I see people who I consider friends telling them how awesome they are, and I think--do these friends really think I'm a complete moron? Yet, y'know, every time they write a new story they send it to me for archiving, and really, if they think I'm such a moron then maybe they ought to say so to my face instead of sucking up and then gossiping behind my back.
And so on. Sorry for the rant; it's just all so political and juvenile and I don't want to deal with it anymore.