Giant non-fandom friending meme

[liv]

Here'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 26^th 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

Comments

[marina]

Your identity: Like it says in my bio, non-fannishly I am a USSR born Israeli Jewish girl post IDF service and currently triple majoring in Film, East Asian Studies and Sociology & Anthropology in Tel Aviv.
How you use Dreamwidth: My DW is sort of a reflection of my brain. So it contains a bit of everything - meta on being an immigrant/Israeli/Jewish, school related shenanigans, links to things I find interesting, movie reviews and picspams and various fandom content. I post pretty often - sometimes more than once a day.
What you are passionate about: Languages, visual art, poetry, writing. Knowledge, mainly. I am interested in people, in how they work and how they interact. The more I learn the more fascinated I am - with myself and with the world.
A link to a recent post of yours that is characteristic of your journal or writing style. Real Life meta: Cultural Differences Don't Work Like That, example of a pretty standard links-and-things post: Mega post is mega, movie reviews + meta about the IDF If you believe they put a man on the moon. I also have a masterlist of all my entries that have to do with stories/meta on my time in the IDF (I was a team commander in the Intelligence Corps).
A link to a journal on Dreamwidth you think people might enjoy reading, even if they don't know the writer personally. zvi! Everyone I know basically subscribes to her already.

[kate]

I'm torn between saying everyone should friend you and trying to keep you to myself. Ha. <333

[marina]

AHAHAHA <3

[lunarwolfik]

You know someone is awesome when you check their DW and their current post is about Batman and Superman's tag-team shenanigans.

*adds*

[glinda]

I read and enjoyed (is that the right word? Maybe found really interesting/engaging is better.) your post on Hotel Rwanda and being in the IDF the other day, so I'm going to take the opportunity to add you just now, as your other posts seem interesting too.

[kriski]

for your icon alone i'm adding you! i only post locked, but gave you access.

[viklikesfic]

I love languages, sociology, anthropology *adds*

[dar]

I've seen you around, I know you through Sabrina. She's mentioned you a few times, and linked some of your posts every now and then, and they're always so interesting =)
Mind if I add?

[liv]

You're obviously good at writing intro posts, cos you seem to have picked up a number of subscribers already. But I'm happy to join the throng of budding Marina-fans.

[marina]

Oh my god, I think twenty people added me since yesterday O_O I don't even know what to do with that! Clearly you've created the most adding-happy adding meme ever! LOL

Also, hi. :)

[flourish]

I have been ordered to sub to you by Joni! So I will! :D

[marina]

AHAHA JONI! You are actually not the first person to tell me that! You tell a girl you approve of her new beau and suddenly she's reccing you all over, it seems.

[gool_duck]

Hello. I have added you to my subscriprion list because I enjoy reading your posts.

[marina]

Thank you for letting me know! :)

[invisionary]

You sound interesting. Hope you don't mind if I subscribe to you :).

[marina]

Not at all :)

[velvetpage]

May I add you?

[marina]

Of course!

[ce_jour_la]

You sound extremely interesting--if you don't mind a temporarily quiet journal and/or someone potentially picking your brain about IDF service, friends?

[marina]

I don't at all mind people adding me! (Hence leaving a comment at a meme like this.)

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.

[ce_jour_la]

Never hurts to double-check. ;)

Heh. Fair enough, and thanks for the heads-up!

[madelienegrey]

May I subscribe? You seem interesting. :)

[surpassingly]

I read your post on cultural differences and was saying "YES, THIS" throughout the whole thing. I'm subscribing, and I hope you don't mind! And in line with what you said about adding a couple comments up, please don't feel obligated to subscribe back.

[tatjana]

I added you :D

[ajnabi]

I'm adding you! I like the way you write and the things you write about (been skimming your journal just now).