#i wanted to reblog some gifsets and gush in the tags but nobody's making anything for her

[hydrachea]

There are many characters I expected to love and did end up loving in Natlan, but woah, Iansan wasn't on that list and she broke her way in anyway. Finally, a tomboy! With the voice for it, to the point where compared to the other young girls it sounds like a boy's voice, and the personality to go with it! I've waited so damn long for a proper tomboy, but damn if it wasn't worth it. I love her.

[perkynurples]

Some questions about the "likes and reblogs," would you say it's wrong to have a creator blog, where you just post your own art/stories, rather than lots of reblogs and random thoughts? Should an owner of such a blog feel obligated to create another blog for reblogging stuff, if they don't want to "dilute" their creator blog? If someone isn't going to reblog, would you rather they didn't "like" either? How do you feel about note comments?

‘Wrong’ is not the word I’d use at all. ‘Cumbersome’, maybe. I’ve been a creator on Tumblr a good long while, and there was a time when I believed a side blog for all my creations would make sense, but in the end... It might have worked four, six, eight years ago, when blogs dedicated to certain fannish creations, like ask blogs and stuff, were all the rage, but not so much anymore.

Right now, Tumblr is a chill environment mostly because a lot, and I mean A LOT of the creative talent disappeared off to Twitter a while ago. People like to joke about it and said all the weird ones went there, which is TRUE, but also there’s just so many artists there that wouldn’t even think of posting here anymore, which makes me incredibly sad, but that’s how it is. Tumblr used to be THE site for fandom artists, but not anymore, which is wild, since it’s just much more functional than Twitter when it comes to something as simple as, oh I don’t know, tagging your work and finding it later.

All of this is to say, anything goes. These days, I feel like who’s been here for a while understands that nobody else has the energy to run multiple blogs. Sure, I still see people having main blogs and side fandom blogs and whatnot, but ultimately??? If you’re creating for, say, a fandom you’re actively interested in??? You’re still going to have a much easier time garnering attention if it’s all on the same blog, reblogs AND your own creations alike. Speaking from experience here. I can understand not wanting to “dilute” the experience, but the time of fandom connoisseurs is long gone, I feel like.

And when it comes to likes... God, of course I prefer people interact with the content AT ALL, but I am reiterating here, likes count for jack shit on Tumblr. They really really do. They are at best a two-second burst of serotonin for the creator, but they don’t help their work spread, and ultimately, they don’t even convey that much, really. Twitter is a whole nother animal, because likes actually help the post be more visible over there, but Tumblr doesn’t work that way, at all. 

By note comments I imagine you mean replies to posts? Those are fantastic, as is gushing in the tags, bc I don’t know about any of my fellow creators, but these are on par with comments on the fic itself in my head. I LIVE for reading people’s replies and tags, and some of my favorite comments are still these long-ass tag threads that I have copy-pasted somewhere.

All of this is a really roundabout way to say, please reblog. We’re all just curating our own little experiences here, and I promise it’s not going to fuck up your blog’s aesthetic if you reblog a piece of art, a gifset, a chapter update, anything that someone created that really resonates with you. What is going to happen, is other people getting a glimpse of something they might not have seen otherwise, and thinking huh, and maybe reblogging it themselves and spreading the word. That’s what Tumblr’s always been about, in my opinion.

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

what are your best tips for avoiding the worst parts of fandom

Short answer: Don’t talk to anyone.

Long answer:

1. If you’re a content creator, like a gifmaker or fanfiction writer, let people come to you. Just make your stuff that makes you happy, tag it appropriately, and let people find you. You can politely respond to comments or messages without getting too involved and by visiting their blogs over time you can see what kind of person they are and if they’re someone you want to be involved with.

2. If you have friends on here, trust them. I get into most fandoms through my friends. @extasiswings rudely tricked me into watching The Witcher, and she and @lettersdeeplyworn lured me into 911. @captainofthefallen has gotten me into more fandoms than I can count (literally, I lost track). And so on. If you get into a new fandom with a friend, then you can safely gush about it together without having to get involved with the fandom at large.

3. Search the tags for a show, pairing, etc that you like, and find the content you like there, be it gifsets, fanfiction, meta, etc. Lurk on the blogs of the people who make that content, see what kind of person they are, and then if you like them, if they seem sensible and fun and drama-free, you can follow them and slowly begin the introduction process. People tend to be more open about who they are on the internet. There’s none of the usual veneers of politeness, there’s no real ‘consequences’ for being an asshole like there would be if you’re rude to a coworker or classmate you then have to see every day, and so on, so people will reveal to you pretty quickly who they really are.

4. Stand up for yourself. If people message you trying to stir up shit, politely tell them that you’re not here for drama and you just want to reblog content. If people try to drag you into taking sides, say you respect them too much to be a part of this and make it an even bigger mess.

5. The block button is your friend. This includes if you haven’t seen anything yourself but have a trusted friend in a particular fandom who can let you know who to avoid - block ‘em so you don’t even have to see their nonsense and there’s no risk of them getting involved with you.

6. As tempting as it is, don’t engage. There have been a few occasions where I’ve had to stand up for myself or a friend and so I’ve gotten my hands dirty. But nasty anons get ignored and deleted. People vagueblogging get ignored. Rude Ao3 comments are deleted. People are blocked. Etc. Nine times out of ten, I simply do not engage. Who said I owed them my time and energy? Who said they deserved my attention? Nobody. That’s your choice to make, who gets your time. Make sure to give it to the right people.

7. Don’t join discord servers, group chats, or anything of that nature. While some can be fun, most of the time they become an echo chamber of wrong opinions and a breeding ground for drama. Every single time I hear about fandom gossip lately, 80% of the time it started in a damn group chat or discord server.

8. Be sparing about who you follow and who you talk to. Take your time sussing out if they’re the kind of person you want to associate with. If you do follow someone for good content, take your time replying to their personal posts, privately messaging them, sending asks, etc. It’s a lot easier to strike up an acquaintance than it is to end one, so be cautious.

9. Do your research. Is so-and-so really a pedophile? That was a super popular accusation here on le tumblrs a couple years back and still might be, in certain areas. It was hardly ever true and only made it more difficult for people to realize when an actual pedophile was in their midst. Did that person really spread gossip about that other person? Unless you have screenshots, IP addresses, proof, do not accept such accusations lightly. Receipts or it didn’t happen.

10. Act as though everything you say in private will someday be made public.

11. Always remember you can walk away. If someone turns out to be not who you thought they were, if someone is stirring up drama, if someone is being hurtful, if a group is becoming toxic, walk away. You do not owe them your continued friendship. Do not flounce off in a huff, do not vaguepost, do not send them a manifesto. Unfollow. Block. Stop reaching out. Stop reblogging. Whatever it is. You are always allowed to walk away.

12. Stay off Twitter, for the love of God.

That’s really all there is to it, my dear nonny. Take your time getting to know people before you reach out to them. Let people come to you. Be mindful of your own involvement in spreading drama.

The only person in charge of who you gets your time and attention is you, nonny. ❤️