2020 Friending Meme

[st_aurafina]

This helped me a lot in early 2017 when Trump had just been elected, and I am hoping we can get the same feeling going again, after the UK election was such a shock.

Connections are important when it feels like the world is getting darker. Fandom is a huge and strong network of people. We don't always get along, but we're stronger together.

Make new friends, reconnect with those who have drifted, enlarge your circle, and know you are not alone.

To play, cut and paste this text into a comment, fill out the details and tell us about yourself. Then go find new people to add.

<strong>DW username</strong>: <strong>Preferred pronouns:</strong> <strong>Other platforms (tumblr, twitter, etc)</strong>: <strong>Active/primary interests or fandoms</strong>: (keep this fairly short, so people will read it!) <strong>If you've seen me around, it's probably because</strong>: (how might people have seen you online / in fandom?) <strong>I post about</strong>: (fandom, real life, or a combination) <strong>I post/check my feed</strong>: (daily, weekly, twice a year, etc) <strong>I want to find people that post about</strong>: (specific fandoms, fandom in general, books, RL, SJ, etc) <strong>I am most interested in interacting with people on:</strong> (DW, Twitter, Tumblr, etc) <strong>My blog is</strong>: (public, selectively public, friends-only) <strong>Anything else you need to know about me:</strong> (A good place to talk about your fandom shipping preferences, characters, type of fic/art/etc you like. Or link to your intro post. Or put a cute photo of your cat.)

If you don't have a Dreamwidth account, you can sign up for one here.
If you're new to Dreamwidth and you've left OpenID comments on DW before, you can link your IDs here: How can I claim my OpenID account with my Dreamwidth account?

Play nice.

And feel free to promote wherever you like with this handy box of linkage:

<a href="https://st-aurafina.dreamwidth.org/287751.html"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/ooqK0gK.png" alt="Let's Stick Together: a friending meme for a new year. Image is two giraffes, one leaning almost at right angles to put their head on their friend's neck."></a>

ETA on Sat morning AEST: This text box was functionally busted a few hours ago, so if you grabbed the code then, you might have an image with no link. It's fixed now, with all new alt text for screen readers. If your promo link is just an image, please replace the code with what's in the box now. Thanks for all the posts, btw! Giraffes popping up everywhere.

Comments

[walgesang]

Hooray! I haven't found many TAZ and CR fannish friends, so welcome! :D

[ng_moonmoth]

I'm a survivor of a roughly thirty-year tech career in Silicon Valley. Likely to cash in on the insane housing market sometime soon and go someplace less hectic.

As for Japan, it's a significant player in the world economy, supposedly wary of outsiders, and has a stereotypical and no doubt exaggerated reputation of inscrutability. I toured there for nearly a month in 2007, which gave me a more accurate impression of the people and some idea of the culture. I would like to know more.

Because you are an outsider who is nevertheless embedded to some degree in their culture, I believe I can learn much from your experience. This also might relate to my own experience as a gender outsider in a culture that places far too much emphasis on gender.

I appreciate your willingness to honor neopronouns and interest in trans and nonbinary issues. I like your dragonfly icon; our yardscape is dragonfly-friendly, and we enjoy seeing them.

[sagemessalina]

How interesting!

Haha, the reason I asked is because I don't often see anyone writing 'gaijin' in italics besides very earnest white people who read James Clavell. It's used as a punchline more often than not by English speakers living here (ie 'gaijin card' or 'gaijin smash,' or anything on the site https://www.therisingwasabi.com/).

Any insights I may have are probably more based on being a highly privileged immigrant than otherness or Japan, but I'm very happy to share!

Apologies if this is irrelevant or eye roll-inducing, but have you been following the Contrapoints drama?

[snickfic]

DW username: snickfic
Preferred pronouns: She/her
Other platforms (tumblr, twitter, etc): snickfic
Active/primary interests or fandoms: Oasis (see below), MCU especially Thor and Captain Marvel, The Magnus Archives, horror movies/books.
If you've seen me around, it's probably because: I run mcu_cosmic and an MCU discord, have run the Sid/Geno Exchange in hockey fandom, do a lot of fic recs. I was in Buffy and SPN fandoms back in the day.
I post about: Fandom, books/movies/etc, horror, have started blogging about music. My regular posting schedule has gotten out of whack over the holidays, but usually I post weekly fic recs and do “media consumed” posts on Saturdays.
I post/check my feed: daily
I want to find people that post about: I have just fallen down an Oasis/Gallaghers rabbit hole and would love people to chat about them with. I ship it but am perfectly happy talking about them in a non-shippy context also! Also looking for people who post about horror, books, music in general.
I am most interested in interacting with people on: DW or discord
My blog is: mostly public
Anything else you need to know about me: I'm a big fan of YKINMKATO and ship-and-let-ship.

[snickfic]

Hey, I think I read some of your GotG fic a while back, and I'm always looking for new people to talk books with. Friends?

[ng_moonmoth]

>> I don't often see anyone writing 'gaijin' in italics <<

I decided to use romaji instead of digging up the kanji for the sake of general readability. And used italics because that is what I understand as one standard typographical convention for foreign words. I don't think it's become a loan word like "sushi" or "kimono" yet.

>> very earnest white people who read James Clavell <<

White people, yes. Also guilty as charged for Shogun, just like a whole lotta folks around then. And watched the miniseries. And recognized that it was all a bunch of white-guy fiction that really didn't line up too well with how things were then, let alone now. As for "very earnest", I read that as your wondering whether I was pretending to be more knowledgeable about Japanese culture than I actually am. Instead, I was trying to acknowledge my standing with respect to that culture, and the difficulty it will pose in improving my understanding.

>> anything on the site https://www.therisingwasabi.com/ <<

I went over and took a look. It reads like the local equivalent of The Onion.

>> Any insights I may have are probably more based on being a highly privileged immigrant than otherness or Japan, but I'm very happy to share! <<

Interesting status. I may find out more about that as I find out more about you.

>> Apologies if this is irrelevant or eye roll-inducing, but have you been following the Contrapoints drama? <<

I heard some things about it, but hadn't taken much of a look. Found the article posted by Jesse Singal on Medium to refresh my memory. It is indeed relevant, and any eye-rolling is because of the idiocy of progressives using purity tests to tear their movement apart.

There were a bunch of interesting and valid points in the article. Plus further confirmation that Twitter is indeed a Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy. I could go on at further length, but this doesn't strike me as the right spot. Please let me know if you'd like me to PM you my opinions.

[st_aurafina]

You're very welcome!

[eglantiere]

oooh, i remember your kind rec! absolutely come on over (although i'm not really into GOTG those days...)

[notreallystars]

Nice to meet(?) you! I'm never sure whether meet is the right word online or not.

[snickfic]

Ha ha, that's okay. I'm still interested in talking books!

[flikkeren]

I dislike presumptive gendering :[ and often wonder how my life would be without it. I so wish that the norm in our language/society was default gender neutral/genderless pronouns. And then that we could then build from there.

Anyway hi :)

[ng_moonmoth]

>> I dislike presumptive gendering :[ and often wonder how my life would be without it. <<

I'd say about as much as you have felt genderboxed by other people's assumptions about your presumed gender. I have realized that I didn't get a chance to find out who I really was because I was genderboxed into constructing a cishet identity. I;m working out from the rubble of that identity now.

>> I so wish that the norm in our language/society was default gender neutral/genderless pronouns. <<

I decided a couple years ago to start trying to push things in that direction by using singular they in any case where either I or the person I am talking with does not have explicit knowledge of that person's gender -- and not to make assumptions based on appearance. If someone I'm talking with tries that, I'm pushing back by saying that I haven't engaged with that person, so have no way of knowing their gender. Further attempts can get me to ask, "Are you going to do anything with that gender besides stereotype?" Maybe it won't have an effect, but it might get people thinking.

The next step I'm working on comes from that place. If gender is irrelevant to what is being discussed, it would be nice if singular they could be used. This is not by way of denying someone's declared gender, but by way of detaching their gender from an interaction that should be, but often is not, gender-free.

What are your thoughts on this?

[alias_sqbr]

Hello!

[redrikki]

DW username: redrikki
Preferred pronouns: she/her
Other platforms (tumblr, twitter, etc): I'm on tumblr and AO3 under this same name
Active/primary interests or fandoms: I'm currently between hyperfixations at the moment, but some of my most recent ones include Miraculous Ladybug, Star Wars, Batman comics, Agent Carter, and Avatar: the Last Airbender
If you've seen me around, it's probably because: I have a bunch of Star Wars prequels fic and meta around and am the mod of the Star Wars meta comm on Dreamwidth.
I post about: mostly fandom and thoughts on books/tv, but I'm edging more into real life lately.
I post/check my feed: I'm aiming for at least twice a week at this point.
I want to find people that post about: fandom in general especially meta, writing, and things which they are willing to discuss
I am most interested in interacting with people on: DW and Tumblr
My blog is: public
Anything else you need to know about me: I like to over thing the media I consume and am looking for people to share think-y thoughts with. I'm a professional historian and librarian who likes cats, knitting, consuming stories, and foraging.

[lirazel]

Late to the party, but I want to give it a try since I'm back on DW in a real way these days.

DW username: lirazel
Preferred pronouns: she/her
Other platforms (tumblr, twitter, etc): tumblr here
Active/primary interests or fandoms: I have been in fandom for almost two decades now. In the past I've been super active in Buffy and kpop fandoms (and long ago, some fandoms I don't admit to), but I've written a lot of fic in a lot of different fandoms. Writing-wise, I focus on my original fiction with the major exception of Yuletide which is my forever love. These days, my main interests are books (especially speculative fiction, historical fiction, nonfiction, and the classics), classic Hollywood films, genre TV (see below), kpop girl groups, podcasts, feminism, cats, and hope.
If you've seen me around, it's probably because: My Buffy fic back on lj where I posted under penny_lane_42 or my fanfiction on AO3 where I post as lirazel.
I post about: At the moment, mostly real life, but I've got a big fandom back catalogue and I hope to start writing more about the books I read and possibly the TV I watch soon. I'm always on the lookout for a new all-consuming fandom though I've been without one for the past few years.
I post/check my feed: check daily or every other day, post several times a week
I want to find people that post about: RL, books, history, any of the TV shows I've mentioned or any of my favorite things.
I am most interested in interacting with people on: DW but feel free to add me on tumblr if you want.
My blog is: My old fandom-y stuff is public but these days I'm mostly posting about my private life, so all that's locked. I hope to start writing more about books and perhaps TV soon, which will be publicly posted.
Anything else you need to know about me: Some shows that I'm keeping up with and would love to read other peoples' posts on:
Black Sails
The Expanse
Star Trek: Discovery and probably Picard when it airs
The Hour (okay, so this one has been off the air for years, but I'm still hungry for all the content)
Endeavour
Killing Eve
More interests here

[lirazel]

Hi! I'm scrolling through this thing very late, but I'd like to add you if that's cool with you. My post is here.

[lirazel]

Hi! I'm late to the party, but I'm always looking for more book people to follow, and the Ben January books have been the best discovery of the past few years for me. My info is here. Friend?

[lirazel]

Oooh! I'd love to follow you. I'm from the US but I'm currently studying in (and loving) Wales and I'm always interested in hearing about other people talking about their faith. I will dream of the day I can one day read your Welsh posts!

[angelofthenorth]

You're very welcome to join in on either blog. There's a few Welsh learners around :)

[lirazel]

I'm excited to follow another book blog! Just wanted to let you know I'm adding you!

[lirazel]

Hi! I'm going to subscribe to your journal. Feel free to follow back or not--my post is here.

[lirazel]

Thanks! :D

[summerstorm]

Added you back! I liked your line about meeting up with people when you travel, I do the same thing. And I agree about the pronouns, I almost did the same thing myself. (I misgender myself all the time but I keep trying. I only realized I was agender in June. Can you share that nonbinary discord? I'm not on discord much but that seems like a nice place to hang out. You can message me privately.)

[wendelah1]

absolutely. I've subscribed and granted you access.

[evelyn_b]

Welcome!