We are the Knights who say "Squee!" @knightsoffandom - Tumblr Blog

Zenkaikon bound

Hello Knights,

We are once again presenting at @zenkaikon, which will take place next weekend. If you’re going to be at the con, you can find us on Friday, March 22nd, at 12:30 pm in “Live 2.” This is one of the bigger panel rooms, which is very exciting! Details can be found here.

2019 got off to a rocky start, so I haven’t been able to devote any time to that restructuring of things that I planned. Things haven’t been bad, just busier than I expected. I think the ultimate issue is that I’m largely overthinking things. At our core, this group is meant to spread the ideal of people just being nice to each other, and the truth is that you don’t really need me for that. You do that all on your own; if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be following this blog!

At the end of the day, what I personally do best is to remind people that they are loved unconditionally. So that’s what I will do - I’ll remind you. You’ll remind others, through words or deeds or however you’re most comfortable. And that’s what I mean when I say that you are my reason to be brave - knowing that there are so many people out there who share this ideal and want to do their part to make it happen is deeply encouraging.

~Your Knight-Commander

We live.

Hello my Knights. It’s... been a while. When I last posted, I was trying to reconfigure how we were going about all of this. I was getting ready for our annual presentation at Zenkaikon, and a personal trip soon after that.

To put it as succinctly as I can, 2018 has been a madhouse roller coaster and I spent a lot of it trying not to be sick. I mean that both literally (because I am chronically ill) and figuratively. A great many things, the majority of them not good, happened to me in the real world in the last several months. I did keep up on my personal blog, or try to, but I lost a lot of my energy for the knighthood. For that, I humbly apologize.

I’ve been trying to pull myself back over here but I really haven’t been in the best place for it. I still have to give this organization a great deal of thought and figure out just how to structure it so that, should something like this befall me again, my dear Knights are not left wondering. But for now... we are here. We are strong.

We are the Knights of Fandom.

And you are still my reason to be brave.

~Your Knight-Commander

Some updates

As I do every year, I’ll be hiatusing the blog on account of heading to @zenkaikon this weekend. Before I go, however, I do want to point out some stuff I realized recently.

I thought it was a good idea (and I’m not convinced I’m wrong) to have spread our presence onto Facebook and Twitter, but I think I’ve gone about it a bit backwards. See, the thing about those social media platforms is that unlike Tumblr, they don’t have the option for anonymous messaging. So while I’m sure there IS bullying to be found on those sites, it’s of a different sort than we see here on Tumblr. For that reason, the reactions of the users on those sites tends to be a little more laid back.

I’ve discontinued the daily challenges, because it turned out to be too much work on my end for very little response on any other end. But I’ve decided that the three platforms will have different points of focus, apart from sharing news about what the group is doing. Twitter will largely be used for retweeting other organizations, so that our followers can find ways to invest their energy into making the world a better place. Facebook will occasionally have discussions or polls. And Tumblr - well, we’re still here on Tumblr doing our Tumblr thing. You can still contact the blog if you know of someone who needs our support.

We’re here for you. You make us what we are. Thank you for that.

~ Your Knight-Commander

OCW, con update, and daily challenges

Hello, my Knights! I want to get into the habit of updating you on a more regular basis, so this will be a somewhat lengthy post to get that started.

First of all, I wanted to introduce the other members of the KoF’s Omniscient Council of Weirdness. These are the individuals on whom I most directly rely for support in one way or another; in particular, they look after our social media accounts in my absence. These are @thequeenbeegeek (my real-life goddaughter and heiress apparent); @missriza (my self-appointed lady-in-waiting); and @auroraborealia (my squire, mini-me, and fanfiction co-author). There’s also @tk31085, my best friend and self-appointed bodyguard, but rather than helping to look after the social media, she devotes most of her energy to keeping me from doing dumb things like walking into traffic.

Not that I do that...

Moving on, we have an update regarding our appearance at @zenkaikon next month! The preliminary schedule has been released to the presenters, and barring any major changes, we will be giving our annual presentation about “Bullying in Fandom” on Friday, May 4th, at 5:00 p.m. in the room called Live 6. I have to consult the map when it’s released, but I’m fairly certain that it’s the same room where we’ve presented for the last two years, for those who have been there. AuroraBorealia and I will be doing the actual talking, and TK will once again attempt to record it. One of these years it’s going to work.

Finally, we’ve started issuing “daily challenges” on Twitter and I enjoy the idea so much that I will share them on this blog as well. If you’re using Twitter, you can track the hashtag #DailyKOFChallenge to see what the current challenge is. I’ll use the same tag on Tumblr posts. Participate as much or as little as you want, it is of course totally optional; these are just suggestions for ways “to make the world a better, kinder, and/or sillier place.”

This year has been pretty crazy for me personally, and it’s only April, but you continue to give me a reason to be brave. Thank you for that.

~ Your Knight-Commander

#omniscient council of weirdness #zenkaikon 2018 #DailyKOFChallenge

Masterpost

Okay, things are a wee bit disparate, so I want to create this masterpost so you can find all of our links in one place. I will update this in the future should there become a need, but in the meantime, please feel free to share this with your own followers if you think they’d be interested in our cause!

The Knights of Fandom (est. 2012) is an online group championing the causes of peace, good will, and a good laugh. We seek to obliterate the pervasive and ongoing blight which is online bullying, especially through anonymous contact, and to generally make the world a better place. We accomplish this through humor and the power of our own creativity, harnessing our love for fannish things and using it to make friends and bring the world closer. Our membership is open to people of all colors, religions, ethnic backgrounds, genders, and orientations.

We have one simple rule, much like doctors: First do no harm. You needn’t actively participate in the effort to make the world a better place, just don’t make it worse. By becoming a Knight of Fandom, you pledge to never send anonymous hate to another internet user. Where you take it from there is up to you; we hope you’ll fight at our side, but if not, at least stand at our backs.

To join, simply like and follow any or all of our social media accounts.

Tumblr ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

(We’re also on TV Tropes, enter at your own risk.)

#masterpost

Twitter news!

It’s taken me a little while to get things into place, but I’m pleased to report that we now have an official presence on Twitter!

If you’re interested in reading and sharing positive tweets and good news, be sure to follow our account at (no surprises here) KnightsOfFandom!

Twitter (or at least my personal feed on it) has been something of a land mine in recent weeks owing to certain news releases. By making a Twitter for us, I’m hoping this is one more way we can make a positive difference on the internet. As always, thank you for being here, my dear Knights. You are my reason to be brave.

~ Your Knight-Commander

#twitter #news

Hello, if I were to join this here awesome movement, how could I do that? And thanks for your time.

Welcome! We’ve had a lot of these kinds of questions lately.

In shortest form, all you have to do to participate is follow the blog. You can follow here on Tumblr, and/or find our page on Facebook and follow that. I’ve been debating creating a Twitter account or a Discord server, but there hasn’t been a lot of demonstrable interest so I’ve held off. (If you want these things, let me know!)

At the bare minimum, all you have to do is... nothing, really. The whole point is that by joining us, you promise that you will never send anonymous hate to another social media user. You are certainly more than welcome to do more than that; in fact, I have a minor project planned that I’m going to be putting out for the group sometime next week. But you’re not required to do more than refrain from the anon hate. There’s enough awfulness in the world - all we ask is that our Knights not make more of it. That’s the first step in bringing light to the darkness.

I’ve worked out some stuff on my computer that will allow me to remain logged in on this account all the time, now, so it will be more accessible to those who have questions or want to make suggestions. Remember to drag your friends in here. ;)

~Your Knight-Commander

#rd785

the-undelicate-butterfly-deacti

REBLOG IF YOU ARE A SAFEHOUSE BLOG AND NEVER SENT ANON HATE OR ANY HATE FOR THAT MATTER

knightsoffandom

That is, in fact, the point of this blog. :)

We live! We really do live!

Hello my Knights, and happy 2018 - or at least, as happy as it can be. I know we’ve had a lot with which to contend in recent months. I’m amazed at the news.

I most humbly beg your pardon for my extensive absence. As the followers of my personal blog know, the last few months have been very difficult for me owing to a lot of things happening all at once, including the death of a beloved family member. But I’m here. And you’re all still here too. I’m so glad.

I’m pleased to report that for the third year in a row, we will again be presenting an anti-bullying panel at @zenkaikon in Lancaster, Pennsylvania! My loyal squire @auroraborealia will be joining me again, as will my self-appointed bodyguard @tk31085, and we’re hoping to have an even bigger turnout than the last two times. We may also present again at SaikouCon this summer, depending on the timing and other details.

As ever, I’m counting on you to be the eyes and ears of our organization on Tumblr and beyond. We have to keep fighting the good fight to bring bullying - in all of its forms - to an end. Keep taking a stand. You are still my reason to be brave.

~Your Knight-Commander

So we don’t get political around here...

...in part because we’re international. But I feel like I would be remiss if I didn't say something about what happened yesterday. President Trump has declared that transgender people will not be allowed in the military.

Now, I'm not going to say anything about the fact that Trump himself has never served in the military. I'm certainly not going to voice my opinion of the man or his policies. But I'm going to say this: he's wrong. For one thing, there are already thousands of transgender individuals serving in the United States military. For quite another, anyone who wants to serve their country should be allowed to do so, full stop.

I'll be honest when I say that I don't necessarily understand the transgender experience or the problems that trans and queer people face. I have no frame of reference. I can't relate. But that's not what's important, either. I don't have to understand your problems in order to want to help you. Bigotry of any kind is not right. And some of the reactions I've seen here on Tumblr have reminded me that our work in the knighthood is far from finished.

As I tried to explain to someone once, being a Knight of Fandom is subscribing to the radical idea that people ought to be nice to one another. We practice guerilla kindness. I'm very upset by a lot of what's on the news lately. I'm sure a lot of you are as well. I hope that being able to call yourself a Knight of Fandom - regardless of your race, creed, color, sexual orientation, gender, or religious persuasion - gives you strength in the face of what lies before us. That, more than anything, is what we're here to provide. You are welcome here.

Most of us can't do much. We are, each of us, just one person. So my challenge to you, in the aftershock of that announcement, is to go out and practice a little of our guerilla kindness. It doesn't have to be related to this issue; just find a way to put a little love into a world where pain seems to be running rampant. Find someone in your personal circle who has a need you can meet. Donate to a fundraiser. Pull a weed and plant a flower. A hug, an encouraging word, an umbrella in the rain. Form the shield wall.

It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.

Have courage and be kind.

I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.

~Your Knight-Commander

Keep fighting.

I'm dreadfully remiss with regards to sharing the details of the Zenkaikon panel last month. Suffice it to say we made some new friends, and we are employing a new and powerful weapon in our arsenal - CHOCOLATE BOMBS. (Buy a bag of Hershey's Kisses and throw them at people. One at a time, please! Shouting "Chocolate bomb!" in a playful voice makes it less weird. Or more weird, maybe. I'm not sure. But everyone seemed happy about them.)

Today I wake up to the news that there's been a bombing in Manchester, England, and that ISIS has seized Marawi City in the Philippines. I hope and pray that all of you are safe and that your loved ones are as well. There are posts going around with information and I hope that if you see them, you'll reblog them.

It's disillusioning, I won't lie.

As I explained it to someone recently, to be a Knight of Fandom is to subscribe to the radical idea that people ought to be nice to one another. That's why you're here - that's why we're all here. It probably feels like that's hardly enough, and I understand that, because I feel like that sometimes too. But most of us aren't in a position to take on the large problems facing the world. What we can do is take on the smaller ones, by helping each other. Protecting each other. Standing up for one another.

You can do a lot of things with your own hands. You can create, or you can destroy. You can open, or you can close. You can push someone down, or you can help them up. And it may feel like nothing you do is making any kind of a difference, but believe me when I say it's making a difference for someone, somewhere. I recently had a reminder of something - our every action is like dropping a small stone in a pond, and we may never know how far the ripples will extend.

Be brave, my friends. You give me a reason to be brave every day; let's continue to do the same for others.

~ Your Knight-Commander

We're in the news!

So I'm up at ridiculous o'clock to get ready for the drive to Lancaster with @tk31085 in order to once again bring our panel to the good folks at @zenkaikon. While doing my last-minute prep and laundry, I wanted to have a look at Lancaster Online's annual article about the convention. Imagine my surprise when, at the end of the article, I find a list of seven panels being presented this weekend which they evidently considered worth mentioning... INCLUDING OURS. What a wonderful omen! I'm on my phone and can't link quite properly, but I'll put the url of the article at the end of my post. I look forward to seeing at least a few of you this weekend! ~Your Knight-Commander http://lancasteronline.com/features/entertainment/zenkaikon-brings-costumed-sci-fi-anime-gaming-and-comic-fans/article_e55b704a-2b2c-11e7-bb13-2b242644c718.html

Panel info!

Hi my Knights! I hope all is well with you.

We are of course gearing up for @zenkaikon, which takes place in three weeks. I'm bringing this update because the Zenkai team has released the schedule of panels.

The Knights of Fandom will present "Bullying in Fandom, or: Why Can't We Just Play Nice?" on Saturday, April 29th, from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. in Live 6. Those of you who attended the panel last year may remember that we were in Live 5, so we'll be right next door to where we were then. I'm making some tweaks to our Power Point and taking some suggestions from the two previous presentations. There will be a little bit of audience participation and I'm planning to bring some surprises!

If you can't make it, I'll see if I can put the panel online for viewing afterward. I was going to do that last year, but it was recorded in pieces and I never did quite figure out how to put them all together. This year we're going to try using my actual video camera instead of my iPad.

I hope I'll get the chance to meet some of you there!

~ Your Knight-Commander

#zenkaikon #zenkaikon 2017

Zenkaikon 2017

Hello my Knights!

I know a lot of people are struggling lately with the political climate. I was hoping that some good news might help a little. I've just been informed that our "Bullying in Fandom" panel has once again been accepted for presentation at my personal favorite convention, @zenkaikon, being held the final weekend of April in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I don't yet know the time or location, but I'll provide that information when I have it. I’ll be making some modifications to the panel based on feedback I received at SaikouCon, and hopefully it will be even better.

I don't know how feasible it is for many of you to attend, but I sincerely hope that I can count on seeing at least a few of my dear Knights in the audience, helping me to spread our message of hope and compassion. In these trying times, every little bit helps. It's your combined courage and strength which continue to give me a reason to be brave - and that's something I have struggled with recently in my personal life - so thank you for helping me to bring that courage and strength to others.

~Your Knight-Commander

#zenkaikon 2017

Here it is, Knights! The Light A Candle collage has arrived!

With all that is going on in the world today, it is easy to feel hopeless or like there is nothing but darkness. But hopefully this representation of your light will remind you all that you have the power to combat the darkness. Please never forget the light you shine and never stop lighting candles. You all have done so much already just by acknowledging the world needs more kindness and realizing it can begin with you.

May 2017 be the year of lit candles and of light! Thank you for being here!

- The Knights of Fandom

Fellow Knights,

The Knight-Commander has been taken ill with a stomach bug, so the collage for Light A Candle is still pending. But keep your eyes peeled - both here on Tumblr and on our Facebook page - for it to be finished soon. Until then, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, I'm here and checking both pages.

Be well, Knights!

- Aurora Borealia, Squire to the Knight-Commander

Light A Candle update

Hello, fellow knights!

Our Knight-Commander ran into some unexpected delays today and therefore asked me, her squire, to let you know that the Light A Candle collage is going to be pushed off a few days. Keep your eyes peeled for the finished collage coming soon. Until then, we hope you have a lovely New Year's Day!

- Aurora Borealia, Squire to the Knight-Commander

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