Fandom vs. The Real World
This is a little bit different from my normal posts, but I want to talk about social networking. As in, TwitterFacebook LiveJournalYoutube and now GoogleBuzz. Social networking, and fandom.
I'm interested in social marketing--people who are trying to make social networking into a career (though I promise this gets back to fandom!). Some people think it's silly to try to make money or promote companies somewhere like Facebook--it took Amazon years before it made a profit, for example, and they're actually selling things. Facebook is free, and it's not selling much. On the other hand, if nothing else the internet has taught us that information is free. So in the least you can use the internet to teach people things--whether it's about a new company or to let people know there might be an American spin off of Torchwood. (<--feel free to discuss this in the comments, I have mixed thoughts)
Why is this important? Well, if I want to make a career out of this stuff, I probably want to prove to employers I can promote stuff on social media.
And while I'd love to tote the 203 lj users looking at my icons (!!) , I'm not sure how employers would take to the fact that I spend lots of time making all those icons. Same to my Merlin/Arthur, Merlin + Doctor Who youtube video.
Why is it that fandom gets so little respect? Maybe it's because we're not creating "original" work--but how is fanart for a book any different from a hired illustrator? In many ways fandom is the ultimate achievement of the internet--it's a hugely successful, collaborative art. Since the content already comes from someone else, almost no one gets mad if you want to play with it.
If I want to show my employers a blog, I'll probably have to write a new one--even if I want to analyze TV, I should probably do separate from my fanfic pursuits--people get paid to watch TV. Who gets paid for fanfic? Fanfic isn't professional. But creating a new blog is time-consuming, and I feel like people don't read (or at least don't comment) on Wordpress blogs. LiveJournals are harder to find, but you get a whole lot more feedback, and you really get to know who reads your stuff.
Have you shown RL friends your LiveJournals? How about employers? Is it the worst idea ever or just the weirdest idea?
Also, is anyone on GoogleBuzz? I'm considering an account to unite all my visualthinker11/internet creation links-- my graphics, my fanvids, my fanfics and meta, and my knitting. Would anyone follow that? : )
In other news, the last section of my wonderfalls/doctor who fic is actually almost done. I have one more scene to finish and then I can send it to my AMAZING betas. I'm really excited.
I'm interested in social marketing--people who are trying to make social networking into a career (though I promise this gets back to fandom!). Some people think it's silly to try to make money or promote companies somewhere like Facebook--it took Amazon years before it made a profit, for example, and they're actually selling things. Facebook is free, and it's not selling much. On the other hand, if nothing else the internet has taught us that information is free. So in the least you can use the internet to teach people things--whether it's about a new company or to let people know there might be an American spin off of Torchwood. (<--feel free to discuss this in the comments, I have mixed thoughts)
Why is this important? Well, if I want to make a career out of this stuff, I probably want to prove to employers I can promote stuff on social media.
And while I'd love to tote the 203 lj users looking at my icons (!!) , I'm not sure how employers would take to the fact that I spend lots of time making all those icons. Same to my Merlin/Arthur, Merlin + Doctor Who youtube video.
Why is it that fandom gets so little respect? Maybe it's because we're not creating "original" work--but how is fanart for a book any different from a hired illustrator? In many ways fandom is the ultimate achievement of the internet--it's a hugely successful, collaborative art. Since the content already comes from someone else, almost no one gets mad if you want to play with it.
If I want to show my employers a blog, I'll probably have to write a new one--even if I want to analyze TV, I should probably do separate from my fanfic pursuits--people get paid to watch TV. Who gets paid for fanfic? Fanfic isn't professional. But creating a new blog is time-consuming, and I feel like people don't read (or at least don't comment) on Wordpress blogs. LiveJournals are harder to find, but you get a whole lot more feedback, and you really get to know who reads your stuff.
Have you shown RL friends your LiveJournals? How about employers? Is it the worst idea ever or just the weirdest idea?
Also, is anyone on GoogleBuzz? I'm considering an account to unite all my visualthinker11/internet creation links-- my graphics, my fanvids, my fanfics and meta, and my knitting. Would anyone follow that? : )
In other news, the last section of my wonderfalls/doctor who fic is actually almost done. I have one more scene to finish and then I can send it to my AMAZING betas. I'm really excited.