Here are some suggestions on how to make the fandom a little safer/more welcoming for everyone:
Keep in mind that this fandom appears to be a lot smaller than it actually is. Sadly we have a rampant problem with segregation. A lot of the major issues within the community coincide with an entitled desire to force others into conformity. It pushes people into choosing which cliques/factions that they need to fit into. Which in turn isolates them from making any other potentially meaningful connections with other fans. This behavior is part of what is encouraging the extremists. When you tell people that things have to be a certain way, they are obviously going to want to rebel. Instead we should try to be open to new takes/ideas. You can be friends with people who don't always agree with you. You don't have to like the exact same things in order to appreciate or encourage one another. Try to be supportive of your fellow fans. Example: Just because someone likes/doesn't like a ship that you do/don't, doesn't make them a terrible person. Allow others to make their own decisions on who they want to interact with. It’s not all that difficult to figure out who is a bad egg. If an opinion or HC differs from your own: Respect the other person’s individuality Consider having a polite debate Agree to disagree Ignore and move on Be open to constructive criticism. Sometimes you don't notice things until you are exposed to another person's perspective. Try not to blindly trust word of mouth information, or out of context screenshots. Ask for sources! Get the facts. Tumblr polls are an unreliable sources of information. I wouldn't recommend trying to use them as a way to win an argument. Please use the appropriate tags/warnings. It's important to allow others to be able to curate their fandom experience. By tagging or informing others to tag triggering topics, AU character names, or references. You are doing a service to the community as a whole and not just the corner in which you choose to reside in. Example: Reading fanfiction is a huge time investment. Therefor it's disheartening and sometimes downright infuriating to be exposed to unwanted content without your consent. This includes epilogues that state "And things continue from here into ___ fandom AU."
If an ask/request is not to your liking: Politely decline Ignore the message Block the individual if you really don't want to hear from them again If you’re getting harassed: Do not engage Report Block Consider turning off anon asks
