[info]amenosakura in [info]07refugees

Seems like fandom is starting to turn on itself.

A friend of mine recently posted an entry in their LJ that I think everyone needs to be told about.

http://dejana.livejournal.com/152580.html

Posted on Jul. 21st, 2008 at 09:33 pm | | Leave a comment | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Comments


[info]branchandroot

I don't know her legal name either.

*considers* I don't really think I can agree that it's more complicated. Or, let me correct that, I think that the desire to have a specific site respect a direct request to not publicize the identity connection is always valid and justified, whether or not the identities are scrupulously separated elsewhere. If there are claims being made beyond that, I haven't run across them yet, and they may indeed be exaggerated; such is fandom after all.

But, frex, while I started out using my legal name in fandom, I quickly realized what a bad idea that was (round about job interviews time) and went to all the archives my fic was on to ask the maintainers to please change my name to my new handle. My legal name is still out there, anyone sufficiently interested or determined can still find it. I don't mind that, actually. But I wanted to not have my FMA porn come up on the first page of google hits. If any of the archives had refused my request, I'd have been royally effing pissed and probably have contacted that site's ISP and charged them with violation of the user agreement (supposing it was such, which it usually is). And I'd have considered that entirely justified.
Posted on Jul. 22nd, 2008 02:17 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]spare_change

I think that the desire to have a specific site respect a direct request to not publicize the identity connection is always valid and justified, whether or not the identities are scrupulously separated elsewhere.

Yes, absolutely. And I completely agree with everything you're saying. The only thing I would add is that unfortunately there is always a chance that a malicious fan with a grudge against you already knows your RL name and at some point may try to link it to your fannish identity. And that's a terrible thing for them to do and it's not something you should take the blame for ... but on the other hand, if you had never revealed your RL identity, it would never have been a risk in the first place.

Do you see what I'm saying? I do want to make clear that by no means do I think a person who has been "outed" is to blame for the crappy behavior of others. I mean, that person is ALWAYS going to be in the wrong, but unfortunately you're the one who is going to have to suffer. And unfortunately I do see in fandom that a lot of folks depend on the goodwill of strangers, which troubles me because as we've seen, there is always the chance of some wacko out there who wants to cause you harm. :/
Posted on Jul. 22nd, 2008 04:38 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]branchandroot

*nods* I think I do see. *rueful* I find myself of two minds about it. On the one hand is the practical side that says "this is the internet and humans are humans, and it's best to take sensible precautions". On the other hand is the side that thinks "it shouldn't have to be that way!". *wry* The side that wails it, rather, because the practical side then gives it this Look.

Posted on Jul. 22nd, 2008 04:51 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Reply

[info]lady_ganesh

But we depend on the goodwill of strangers every single day. When I cross the street, there's a chance someone might flout the traffic laws, speed and hit me. THIS IS NOT MY FAULT. We have community norms here, and I don't think it's unreasonable to want and expect them to be enforced. I personally protect my privacy pretty stringently for a variety of reasons, but I don't think people who didn't take the steps I did should be penalized.
Posted on Jul. 26th, 2008 08:08 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]spare_change

Thanks for your comment, but I'm afraid I don't agree. ;D Community norms are fine and good, but the fact is that the info about the author in question was publicly and easily Googleable on the internet before Fanhistory got it involved.

So a better way to express your analogy might be: If you consider the street your playground, even if there are cars going 60 mph in both directions, there is a significant chance that you're going to get hit. As I already said above, it's not your fault if you get hit, insofar as it is the responsibility of the driver not to run over pedestrians, but I still don't think setting up a lawn chair in the middle of the highway was the brightest idea.

(And now, if you don't mind, I'd like to retire that analogy, as I find it highly distasteful. I have in fact lost people in car accidents, and I would never compare an INTERNET DRAMA to the death of a loved one.)

Anyway, none of this is a defense of Laura. What she did was wrong, and as I said earlier in this thread, I confronted her about this and tried to get her to remove such information months before it became the wank du jour. So, you know, I've got old school cred when it comes to complaining about her and issues of fandom privacy. lol

Nonetheless, I still think it's dumb for fans to think that every single random person on the internet, in fandom or not, is going to respect our community norms about privacy. If folks want to protect their RL information, the best way to do this is not to publish it on the internet in the first place. It amazes me that my position would even be controversial, but such is fandom! :D
Posted on Jul. 26th, 2008 11:20 pm (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]lady_ganesh

Tangent: My great-uncle died when he was hit by a car. Sorry you found it distasteful, but I'm having trouble finding a RL analogy that someone isn't taking offense to.

Hah, no, I don't think linking me to the Google will be helpful at this point. And I suspect you had to hunt a bit, considering the Google search pages I went through that did not connect their names.

Nonetheless, I still think it's dumb for fans to think that every single random person on the internet, in fandom or not, is going to respect our community norms about privacy. If folks want to protect their RL information, the best way to do this is not to publish it on the internet in the first place. It amazes me that my position would even be controversial, but such is fandom! :D

Well, for me it's like 'you should lock your doors/use a deadbolt/have a security system.' Different people use different systems-- I lock my doors, not all of my neighbors do. But no one deserves to have their front door opened and their TV removed because their feeling about security doesn't match with others'.
Posted on Jul. 27th, 2008 08:19 am (UTC) | | Parent | Thread | Reply

[info]spare_change

I suspect you had to hunt a bit

Um, no. :/ And, actually, any LJ fan of Astolat's series of novels who goes looking for a journal or community under that name can find that information, so I consider it HIGHLY visible.

But no one deserves to have their front door opened and their TV removed because their feeling about security doesn't match with others'.

Where did I say that they deserved it? Haven't I been meticulous in saying that other people are not at fault for the crappy behavior of others? It's frustrating when people ascribe arguments to me that I didn't make.
Posted on Jul. 27th, 2008 09:10 am (UTC) | | Parent | Reply