Irrelevance to the new fen

[dalekboy]

This post is taken from a bunch of replies on a friend's journal, that it was decided we should stop hijacking and move the discussion somewhere else.

The problem is that a lot of fans want to get along, and many longer term fans don't like change, so the old fans don't change and the new fans try to fit in. The newer folks aren't encouraged to exptress their ideas, and fans have always been good at shouting down those they see as wrong.

I tend to think that when one is well-known and respected in the scene, they have a responsibilty to the newer folks to keep an open mind and to give them the chance to express themselves.

For instance, I have the newer people in Melbourne saying they don't see the point of having fan guests. I disagree with their opinion, but respect and understand that if they feel that way, then many more new folks will as well. So I either need to justify why we do it well enough that they can see my point-of-view, or rethink having fan guests in order to be relevant to the newer folks.

Though that said, I think the fan guest issue is a tiny one compared to how magnificently irrelevant our style of cons currently are to the new crop of fans.

New fans aren't coming to cons. They see them as over-priced, they don't see that they will get any value for money, and when they do come along, they have a hard time making friends because they're shy and because many of us are shy, we're more comfy talking to people we already know.

And then they hear us slagging off 'mundanes' and similarly showing fandom's intolerance for those not like themselves. So to new folks we come across as more exclusive than inclusive.

So discuss... and especially if you're one of the newer fans, please, please, please speak up and tell us what you'd like to see at cons, and what you think needs to be changed.

Comments

[girliejones.livejournal.com]

I think for me I noticed a very noticeable difference in my interaction and interfacing with Swancon this year compared to last year. This year I was really able to truly appreciate and understand who fans are and what they do and to also understand what exactly the Mumfan is awarded for doing. The trouble though is that the entrance into that requires some kind of qualification. I have heard about Swancon for years and never came because I didn't know how to do it and last year I still didn't know. Personally, I am going to try to remember how I felt last year and try to be welcoming to people who might feel the way I do. But I wanted a forum to say that whilst I can say this year that the community is very welcoming, there are still many many aspects of Swancon that feel like you have to get the secret handshake to be allowed to play. (So, thanks for the forum!)

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

The trouble though is that the entrance into that requires some kind of qualification.

Mm. I really agree with this - fandom is not inclusive of outsiders, it's inclusive of people who can demonstrate - actively - that they fit in.

Fandom is ... not welcoming to "outsiders". It can be, some individuals are, but my overall impression is of people sitting in a circle saying how wonderfully tolerant they are, while ignoring or actively scorning the people at the next table.

It's not a trait exclusive to fandom, and I think the solution is less in being more tolerant and more in being more honest about where the intolerances are.

(I should point out that my single Perth Con experience stands in glorious contrast to this - nearly everyone I met at Fandomedia was open-arms friendly. I felt more at home there than I did at my last local con. :) )

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

I realise that I sound pretty grumpy there. I don't think that the social dynamics in fandom are bad, just different from what's advertised.

[roberthoge.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree. The barriers to entry of fandom are quite low. Pick a project and go for it and people will pay attentions. Rinse and repeat and in 10 years you're a SMOF.

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

The barriers to entry of fandom are quite low.

I think I'd phrase it as "the barriers appear quite low if you have a project that people will pay attention to."

[dalekboy.livejournal.com]

And/or if you're the sort of personality people notice.