MetaMetaMeta on the TableTableTable

So I've been MIA for most of 4 weeks of travel and learning and too much school (goes without saying, heh), a bit of being sick (bleh), a lot of work (with not enuf $).

Including 3 conferences: 2 academic ones + the fabulous Escapade. Which should be a model for academic cons, IMNSHO.

I've got so darn much to catch up on! *squees happily, hugs fandom* Like: The spanking new (heh, yes, I can haz kinks) METAMETAMETA. Woot!

By a happy collision of events, svartalfurs and skuf and elfwreck and I brainstormed a bunch of last-minute kewl ideas that turned metametameta into a meta party last Friday! It was such a positive thing for IJ and fandom ... and as an alternative to the LJ day-without-posts. Fandom is action, a practice, a positive doing-something, so this was a totally cool idea from Anders & Skuf, to not just *not* do something - but rather to *do*, to *be* the busy hive we are.

( happy Do-Be-Dooby-Doo on the why and how of metametameta is so cool! Also, how the Escapade con and the Awesome Oulangi inspired it. X-posted to metametameta. )

And the metas people posted! Makes me think Oulangi is totally right, and however meta3 turns out, fannish metastructure is clearly a hot demand. Especially at IJ. Where we are like a little Habitat for Humanity team, only building our whole IJ town! \O/

Me-Ta! Par-Ty! Or, why I love my flist

I am still all CAPSLOCK OF GLEE over the many different metas that got posted, and svartalfur master list and everything! Even though I couldn't post or even read, being at this conference that *didn't even have* wireless. (B/c it was the San Francisco Marriott who are all like Welcome Guests, For Your Convenience An Extra Charge for Breathing! California money fetishism in its highest form - we are Beautiful Rich Ultra-Cool! Even while wrecking the planet and screwing over you peons who earn less than US $2M/year.)

So I have to read, comment, catch up with 297462t651!!1 things in fandom. Urk. But joy! B/c fandom is teh fun. I'm so glad to be back!

I am indebted to the maintainers of metafandom and the insightful writing of imadra_blue and rabidfangurl, who brought to my awareness the concept that slash is a conservative genre written by women who conform to patriarchal ways of thinking.

Wow. I'm promoting patriarchy. Take note, folks; I'm not a radical freaktype; I'm a supporter of the status quo.

( Shall I shave under my arms & move to Ohio? )

So, it's Easter. And this last week has had a number of holidays from nonChristian religions--Purim and Ostara that I know of; I hear mumblings that the equinox might tie to other holidays as well.

Easter doesn't trigger as many fic fests as some other holidays. ( Pondering other holidays and the fic fests they sometimes inspire )

At Escapade, slashpine and I were talking about different kinds of meta. We came up with at least three:

( Cut to be polite, even thought I don't really think this is long enough to need one, but since it's possible this'll be backdated and remain at the top of the page and get awfully boring for people who've seen it before: Canon, Fandom & Meta Meta described inside. )

So, umm... hi. Welcome. We have no idea what we're doing here. Maybe we'll come up with meta challenges like weekly fic challenges. Maybe we'll come up with community rules at some point. So far, this is pretty much an anarchy, with the obligatory journaling protocol: put big stuff behind a cut tag, don't link to or quote locked stuff without permission, try to stick within the general topic ("fandom metadiscussion" of some sort), and by the way, this isn't fandom_wank; heated debate is fine; hostile wankage should occur elsewhere.

The following was originally posted in August 2004. Some present thoughts, qualifications, and addenda follow the original text, after the footnotes. The entire thing is rather long, about 5800 words.

( I am a slash writer. )

As many know, there's a content blackout on at LJ today and tomorrow (given global time zones). I support the idea because I support any effort by a user group to make their voices heard, and clearly LJ seems to pay attention only when people are screaming about something. There's been pro and con positions regarding whether this effort makes any sense, whether the motivation was justified, whether the latest LJ post (avec apology) continues to justify it, etc. However it is the other half of the event that interests me, the one where fans are encouraged to post and comment at IJ.

Obviously since I have a journal at IJ, I would be glad to see more posts here. But to me there is a larger issue, which is not to have all of fandom's eggs in one basket. Now technically this is already true. Fandom has existed in many places before LJ and continues to do so, and many fans in many fandoms have barely even heard of LJ. And many who have still don't want to get a journal and quite a few of those who do have an account only log in so they can access otherwise locked content.

And this is where I think the problem with LJ lies.