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
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 05:51 am (UTC)also yay new friend! =)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 06:07 am (UTC)Hooray!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 06:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 06:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 07:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 09:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 09:39 am (UTC)SO LET US DO IT.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 09:39 am (UTC)I'm good with a temporarily quiet journal, so yes friends. *nods*
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 10:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 10:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 12:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 01:27 pm (UTC)My reading list on DW however is currently already a bit much for me to keep up with, so I'm not currently adding any new journals to it. I'm trying to slowly work my way through all the people who've added me as the result of the meme, and that's going to take me a while, lol.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 02:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 02:58 pm (UTC)And sure! Subscribing now.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 04:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 04:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 04:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 04:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 05:23 pm (UTC)What you are passionate about: My cats don't make much of an appearance in my journal, but they do kinda rule my life. I have been heavily involved in fandom (er, was, until work exploded) and have finally found an idea tempting enough to branch out into original fiction. I've been knitting since I was in single digits and am an avid yarn collector. One day I will have time to do stuff with that yarn. I have drop spindles and finally met someone who's promised to teach me how to use them (as opposed to trying to learn from a book - it wasn't working). I read avidly when I have time, anything from fiction (sf/f, mystery, humor, drama) to non-fiction (I have a geek!reading list, it is long). Science and agriculture as passions of mine, though they don't make much of an appearance in my journal either. I'm not ashamed to admit that the Facebook game Castle Age is one of the things that's helped keep me sane the past month or two, same with Avernum. Shoes.
How you use Dreamwidth: Other than stare longingly wishing I had time to update? I've been very quiet lately because of an abundance of work and a shortage of time. Fannish stuff is unlocked, anything involving my personal life is locked. Lately it's been a lot of RL/work updates (if there's been anything at all). There will soon be additional panicking about moving again (but just to the downstairs apartment).
A link to a journal on Dreamwidth:
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 06:21 pm (UTC)Heh. Fair enough, and thanks for the heads-up!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 06:29 pm (UTC)I'm not from CA originally...I was born and raised in NY state. I moved to the Bay Area in 2005, after I graduated from college in MA. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 06:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 06:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 07:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-21 07:18 pm (UTC)What you are passionate about: Writing and music. Feminism. Photography. Cooking. Media of all types.
How you use Dreamwidth: I'm using it to write about music, both current and past. And stories both true and fictional. Mostly ABOUT music from the 80's. I was totally an 80's metal chick, and I identified with the music in a very strong, personal way. Which creates somewhat of a strange dichotomy now inside of me, considering how incredibly sexist metal was. It's something I like to write about and frame stories around.
I quite like reading blogs about other people's lives. Even if you think it's boring, I might find it quite fascinating.
I also post pics, sometimes photos I've taken and some not. I might talk about writing.
Occasional fannish tidbits might sneak in from time to time, mostly because I'm in lust with Chris Meloni and thus fall prey to my own fangirly whims.
A link to a recent post of yours that is characteristic of your journal or writing style: You know, my entire journal so far is pretty much contained on the first page, so if you check it out you'll get a fair sample. I'm just starting out. I do have a little post about The Runaways and a collection of small vignettes that I wrote about a friend of mine and our shared love of metal.
A link to a journal on Dreamwidth: Hmm. I'm still exploring and building my reading list.