I wanted an opportunity to yap but I also didn't want to totally hijack @anneapocalypse's post on meta posting here (which, really, is a response to a bsky thread here), but I'm not really talking about the 'meta' aspect as opposed to the feeling welcomed in fandom, so I've made my own post. Does this make sense? I'm sure it makes sense.
Anyway, I do think there is merit in validating people's experiences in feeling unwelcome in any fandom space, not just a specific fandom culture. For me, I've always found more kinship on Tumblr as opposed to bsky/twitter because I tend to wax lyrical at any given opportunity (hi, what is this post, duh) but also that I find the focus on a numbers game daunting on other platforms. I think it's easy to dismiss and invalidate people's experiences on bsky for that alone—a kind of 'Aw, you're crying about numbers on the numbers platform?' as if we don't all want validation on our work/head canons/meta analysis to some effect. I also think it's easier to laude people's perceived reputation when follower counts are more readily accessed; people get it in their head about who's 'popular' or not, rather than who creates the work you want to see.
I've been in the xiv fandom a long time now, and I do find there are aspects of it that are extremely hard to get into. There are cliques in spaces, there are events/art parties/etc. that advertise as being open to everyone and they're really not, and there are people who pride themselves on a particular kind of persona and being 'not like them', only to be some brand of it. I'm also not immune to this critique—it's the reason I bring it up! The Western, especially Americanised way of thinking, is very individualistic; it's quick to ask what did you do wrong, who did you upset, etc. rather than looking jointly at ourselves and the community and seeing what we can do better.
For me, I have always tried to be the change I want to see in fandom, and I feel like I've achieved a lot of that in my corners with my people. I try to write nice things on people's gposes/work, I reblog frequently and I signal boost as much as I can. I try to engage critically and reflectively in my work and seek out differing, respectful perspectives—always with the belief that intent can be felt, even in mistakes. I've certainly had heated debates on this website! But I think it's why I feel welcomed here; both because I've taken the time to reach out and worked on it for years, but that this effort has had some measure of a ripple effect to other people.
So, when someone says they don't feel welcomed, I think it's always a good opportunity to ask them why. Some measure will be on the person, sure; fandom has to be equal parts give and take, I don't think you can solely put out work without interaction and expect success; but also it might be as simple as a person wanting to interact with Gridanian ocs and they're only finding Solution Nine, and no one is telling them where they can go to find them. Well, no wonder you feel unwelcomed! Let's see what we can do about that!
We have to shed the mentality that fandom is a numbers game because, while it's an aspect, it shouldn't be the sole aspect of why we're here. We should be able to chat authentically, post willy nilly and have fun with work that is unpolished, messy, etc. without feeling as if we're going to lose followers or be locked out. If we mess up, we should hope that people treat us with grace and assume we mean well and we should return it with grace and reflection, even if it doesn't feel good and requires us to combat aspects of ourselves.
There will always be bad actors, sure, but treating the whole on the actions of a few is what kills spaces and seeds discourse. You as an individual have to reach out to people, even if it's just tags in a reblog. We as a community need to accept that hand and work with a person to make them feel included, heard and respected. That's how it's always worked. That's the only way it's going to work!!
Anyway, I'm not sure this make a lick of sense but I hope I got some thoughts across sdfkgjhsdf. Be GOOD to each other, team. Let's not dismiss peoples' experiences because they are different to our own, because we're not infallable here either.
yousharknotpass
discoholicmusic
kianamaiart
pixelskylines
turnnoffyourmind
