Giant non-fandom friending meme
Mar. 15th, 2010 12:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livHere's the thing: a lot of people are about ready to leave LJ over the latest shenanigans. But they don't want to make the leap to Dreamwidth because, frankly, there isn't enough going on here. The site is smaller, so there are fewer posts, and fewer cool people to meet. And all their friends are on LJ, which is of course a self-perpetuating situation: if "everybody" is still on LJ, then there's a huge disincentive against moving, which means that everybody continues to be on LJ.
Lots of people have realized that the best way to address this issue is, well, creating content. Some people are organizing collective efforts to create more content. This is a great idea, except for one small problem: the people who are really good at organizing and creating content are mainly fandom. I have nothing at all against fandom, but I'm not really part of it, and I think that a lot of other people who feel similarly are being put off because they see DW as yet another clubhouse for the cool fandom kids.
But I am going to take a leaf from fandom's book: I'm going to cease sitting around complaining about how DW is too quiet. Instead I'm going to participate in creating content and drawing attention to the cool stuff that already exists. So, I propose a giant non-fandom friending meme (thanks,delight). If you would like find some new, interesting people to read, or make new friends, or just help highlight how much cool stuff there is on DW, please comment to this post.
You're welcome to say whatever you like, but here's a suggested template:
Your identity: doesn't have to be A/S/L, but anything that you think people should know about you to be able to decide whether they're likely to be interested in getting to know you.
What you are passionate about
How you use Dreamwidth
A link to a recent post of yours that is characteristic of your journal or writing style.
A link to a journal on Dreamwidth you think people might enjoy reading, even if they don't know the writer personally.
Footnote 1: Some people have moral or technical objections to Dreamwidth, or actively prefer LJ. That's totally cool with me – this post isn't addressed to you. I'm looking to involve people who would like to make the move, but are put off because there isn't enough to read or enough people to meet here. I am not at all proselytizing, in other words, just doing my bit to fix what I see as the biggest glaring problem with DW. Other people may see other problems, and I am not trying to fix those.
Footnote 2: If you are involved in fandom, you're extremely welcome to participate. Perhaps you'd like to meet someone who shares some of your less fannish interests. Or you are welcome to go and join in some of the more explicitly fandom-related activities going on instead.
I am going to post this now, rather than waiting until the official three-week fest, because I think now is while the iron is hot and people are motivated to move to a new site. But I'll link it again when the fest starts up on 26th April, around the one-year anniversary of Dreamwidth entering Open Beta. I don't have any strong opinions about the DW-only content thing, and you don't have to be participating in that to participate in this meme.
So, go forth and friend!
ETA: And if you like the idea, please link this post all over the place. Or make your own version, or whatever, but mainly spread the word as much as possible
Lots of people have realized that the best way to address this issue is, well, creating content. Some people are organizing collective efforts to create more content. This is a great idea, except for one small problem: the people who are really good at organizing and creating content are mainly fandom. I have nothing at all against fandom, but I'm not really part of it, and I think that a lot of other people who feel similarly are being put off because they see DW as yet another clubhouse for the cool fandom kids.
But I am going to take a leaf from fandom's book: I'm going to cease sitting around complaining about how DW is too quiet. Instead I'm going to participate in creating content and drawing attention to the cool stuff that already exists. So, I propose a giant non-fandom friending meme (thanks,
delight). If you would like find some new, interesting people to read, or make new friends, or just help highlight how much cool stuff there is on DW, please comment to this post.You're welcome to say whatever you like, but here's a suggested template:
Your identity: doesn't have to be A/S/L, but anything that you think people should know about you to be able to decide whether they're likely to be interested in getting to know you.
What you are passionate about
How you use Dreamwidth
A link to a recent post of yours that is characteristic of your journal or writing style.
A link to a journal on Dreamwidth you think people might enjoy reading, even if they don't know the writer personally.
Footnote 1: Some people have moral or technical objections to Dreamwidth, or actively prefer LJ. That's totally cool with me – this post isn't addressed to you. I'm looking to involve people who would like to make the move, but are put off because there isn't enough to read or enough people to meet here. I am not at all proselytizing, in other words, just doing my bit to fix what I see as the biggest glaring problem with DW. Other people may see other problems, and I am not trying to fix those.
Footnote 2: If you are involved in fandom, you're extremely welcome to participate. Perhaps you'd like to meet someone who shares some of your less fannish interests. Or you are welcome to go and join in some of the more explicitly fandom-related activities going on instead.
I am going to post this now, rather than waiting until the official three-week fest, because I think now is while the iron is hot and people are motivated to move to a new site. But I'll link it again when the fest starts up on 26th April, around the one-year anniversary of Dreamwidth entering Open Beta. I don't have any strong opinions about the DW-only content thing, and you don't have to be participating in that to participate in this meme.
So, go forth and friend!
ETA: And if you like the idea, please link this post all over the place. Or make your own version, or whatever, but mainly spread the word as much as possible
Re: oh look, a teal deer in the wild!
Date: 2010-03-19 02:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 02:35 pm (UTC)(No obligation to add back, btw)
Basically I fail at usernames /o\
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 02:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 02:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 02:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 02:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 02:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 03:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 03:13 pm (UTC)Passions: Music (listening only, not creating), modeling, hairstyling, reading, sci-fi, vidding, writing, animals (especially cats).
Dreamwidth Use: I go through periods where I post every day, and then periods where I post like every two weeks. (Well, I did on my old journal anyway. So far on this one it's been almost every day since I started >_>). Most of my journal is public, except the really personal stuff. I make a lot of fandom-related posts, but also a lot of general or rl posts. I am shallow, be warned. I never make long in-depth posts about social issues or anything.
Example post: Um, I only have like 10 posts so far, and a lot of them are related to the same rl-issue, but here's one that briefly discusses homophobia: http://3darkmaterials.dreamwidth.org/1077.html
Hopefully I'll be making some more posts soon that are for a more general audience that just my friends.
Hmm, for a journal that people might enjoy,
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 03:30 pm (UTC)I'm going to subscribe and hope you won't mind too terribly.
My phone, as it happens, is also a phone. I have a camera if I feel the need to take pictures.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 04:13 pm (UTC)What you are passionate about: WORDS. =D also, music! also, studying religion! and books. and graphic design and glittery things.
How you use Dreamwidth: er. it's actually just a mirror of my livejournal in the event that i do leave. there'll occasionally be dw-only posts, and i have a separate metaphysical wtfery dreamwidth, and i'm Plotting going ahead and using dw to Explain being crippled. by which i likely mean yell a lot. HOWEVER. the mirror is a combination of writing workshop and personal journal.
A link to a recent post of yours that is characteristic of your journal or writing style: wellll, here's an example of my writing babble, which is almost always some kind of cracked. occasionally i get srs bzness and post about depression and autism.
A link to a journal on Dreamwidth you think people might enjoy reading, even if they don't know the writer personally:
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 04:29 pm (UTC)Oh! I've subscribed to your journal. *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 05:43 pm (UTC)Re: *waves*
Date: 2010-03-19 05:52 pm (UTC)Also, you own a Godzilla costume.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 05:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 05:54 pm (UTC)Re: *waves*
Date: 2010-03-19 07:07 pm (UTC)And I very much do ...
*waves*
Date: 2010-03-19 07:18 pm (UTC)Passions: Sustainability, natural personal products, gardening, herbs, aromatherapy, whole foods vs processed foods, health, equal rights, writing, reading, just being. The majority of my fandom writings are NC-17.
In fandom, I am a slasher.
I am a total goofball.
Dreamwidth: I came over here because my little corner of writing fandom came over. Dreamwidth has really, really grown on me so this is where I post from, and I cross post to LJ. The majority of my posts is writing in fandom, because to be honest I don't watch a whole lot of television to be a squeeing fangirl about anything. Yet, fandom is where I found a lovely community. Trying to branch out a bit, out of my shell that I concocted for myself. Am leery about writing about personal stuff because I feel I am too boring to keep anyone's interest for long.
Recent Non-Fannish Entry: is here.
Other Interesting Folks:
Hi to all! *blushes*
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 07:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 07:37 pm (UTC)I dabble in lots of different arts and crafts, but have a hard time following through. I write but I never write. I take pictures but I never take pictures. I cook but I never cook. I write music but I never write music. I knit and sometimes I actually do knit.
I am fannish, though not involved in fandom, per se. I follow a lot of TV shows, and love movies and music and books and art. Based on other people's reactions, I think I might have strange taste.
I find myself amassing a collection of vintage cookbooks. I don't know what else to say here. You could look at my DW profile, if you're interested.
About my Dreamwidth: I'm a very bad blogger. I go for long stretches without saying anything, then I spam my friends with little non sequiturs and terrifying YouTube videos. Once in a while I'll talk about my life a bit. And occasionally, very rarely, I'll actually write a thoughtful and maybe entertaining blog entry.
I talk a lot about the things I do with my friends. I talk about the shows I'm watching. I start daily journaling projects and quit after three days.
My journal is, typically, totally friends-locked, but I'll unlock the last 20 entries so you can get a feel for what's going on recently. And then I'll go back and unlock some other stuff, if I remember to.
If you're interested and want me to give you access to the locked stuff, just let me know, and I'll be happy to do so.
Three selected journal entries:
A very typical entry about random stuff from 10 March 2010.
A piece of fiction from 18 April 2009.
A journal entry I'm fond of from 25 October 2007.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 07:57 pm (UTC)What you are passionate about: Languages, books, science fiction from hard sci-fi to the debate of whether Star Wars counts, creating stuff myself (except babies, so far), feminism, unpacking my invisible privilege knapsack, playing the piano.
How you use Dreamwidth: I started a Dreamwidth account when the place was advertised as an artistic meeting of the minds. At the same time I started getting more into drawing, so I figured I'd start an art journal over here and keep it open for anyone to read and comment on. Mostly to motivate myself to not give up drawing. So, that's how I use it: I post what I have drawn or painted, and try to analyze my progress and hope that someone else also gets something out of my mistakes and conquests.
A link to a recent post of yours that is characteristic of your journal or writing style. I'm back!.
A link to a journal on Dreamwidth you think people might enjoy reading, even if they don't know the writer personally. I have to admit to being guilty of not using Dreamwidth much for reading others' journals - I'm hoping this meme will help me with that :)
Re: *succumbs to temptation*
Date: 2010-03-19 08:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 08:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-19 09:02 pm (UTC)I was wondering if I'd find any other pool players on journaling sites. I'm glad to have; it will give me an excuse to post about pool!
Another Late Entry
Date: 2010-03-19 09:17 pm (UTC)What you are passionate about - Well, passionate? I don't know about that. But things I'm into at different levels are archery, gardening, photography, critters, the environment, reading. I like my tv but am not fannish about it. I enjoy a variety of music, love to cook & bake and occassionally do crafts (although this has fallen a bit by the wayside since I've been busy with my online shop).
How you use Dreamwidth - For just about everything??? I'm a sporadic poster and have a few accounts. I have
A link to a recent post of yours that is characteristic of your journal or writing style Ummm...I cross-post sometimes between journals so it's hard to say. I do also exclusively-post to one and then post a link to it on one of the others so people are aware its there. This how to about terrariums is something I posted at
A link to a journal on Dreamwidth you think people might enjoy reading, even if they don't know the writer personally - Umm, there's a few & I hope they don't mind me putting their names here. I like
For comms I'd suggest
PS--in case you hadn't noticed, I'm a tad verbose. Just a tad mind you. And it drives my coworkers crazy when they want me to explain something or tell them how to do something. :)