Fandom Thoughts

Just dropping in to share some thoughts—kind of like a diary entry. Not looking to start anything, just need to get this off my chest and put it somewhere.

[notachaconne]

As someone who has been on the Internet longer than many of you have been alive, I cannot emphasise enough what a good idea it is to block fools, bores, and drama-starters ON SIGHT. That means, on the FIRST sight. See the take, do not wait.

You are not a court of law. You are not required to hear them out, argue, nor give them a second chance. Block them. Nothing bad will happen to them without you! It's fine! Goodbye forever! Prevention is better than cure.

My fellow aunties will be with me on this.

[heywriters]

Block without remorse and skip away knowing freedom and peace

[fandomspacesmatter]

Blocking should be a tool for safety, not a declaration of war. People use it to protect their peace, set boundaries, and curate their space—and that’s valid. Responding with guilt trips, sulking, or nastiness only proves why the block was needed in the first place. Everyone deserves to feel safe online, even if that means they choose not to engage with you.

[fandomspacesmatter]

Every time something ugly happens in fandom space—someone gets harassed, excluded, or dogpiled—there's a moment when people could step in. Say something. Offer support. Push back. But most don’t. They stay quiet, even when it's their mutuals getting hurt.

And then, a week later, those same people wonder aloud: “Why is the fandom shrinking?”

This is why. Because when things go bad, people look away. Because silence is easier than conflict. Because letting someone else take the fall feels safer than standing up. And in doing that, the space becomes hostile, even if only in small, quiet ways.

Fandoms don’t just fade. They rot from the inside when community care is replaced with self-preservation. If you want a thriving fandom, you have to act like it’s a community worth protecting. That means intervening. That means not letting people you care about get isolated or pushed out while you watch from the sidelines.

You can’t have it both ways. You don’t get to mourn a shrinking fandom while choosing silence when it actually counts.