Do you ever think about the issues of privacy in fandom? Have you or a friend ever been “outed” as a fan? How do you feel about academic research on fandom? Do you just have a lot of feelings about ethics in fandom? Most importantly, do you want to talk about these critical topics?
My name is Brianna Dym, longtime fan community member, and also researcher in the Department of Information Science at University of Colorado Boulder. I’m looking for people interested in talking about privacy and ethics in fandom! If you’ve been involved in fandom for a while, I would love to have you participate!
We can conduct the interview in the medium of your choice – either text-based chat or voice. You also don’t have to answer questions you don’t want to, and can stop at any time. We will ask for some basic demographics (any of which you can decline to answer), but won’t require any identifying information.
To volunteer to participate (or if you have any questions), please email brianna.dym@colorado.edu!
Hey guys! You know that survey that went out recently and the subsequent cool results? That’s work that I’m doing with Brianna, a PhD student here! She’s recruiting for interview participants to talk about ethics, privacy, and fandom. Please consider reaching out to her, and sharing this!
When I was 15, I watched the first X-Men movie while babysitting. I had a very tenuous grasp of the plot (I was tired and decided that Rogue had acid touch – when she stole Wolverine’s powers to heal I was very, very lost) but found the concept fascinating. I spent my 30 minutes a day of dial-up internet trying to learn about these characters. Found fansites (the best way to learn about things) and then fanfiction. Fell in love with Jubilee, and I’ve spent the last decade and a half obsessed.
By request, this week we cover a kitschy tune from a 70’s children’s record – and then try to out-do it. “10,000 Santa Clauses (But Not One Gift For Me)” by The Caroleers is a strange delight, but it’s in “Roly Poly the Polar Bear” by the Peppermint Kandy Kids that we discover a cool new friend.
Thanks to Thom and our anonymous listener for requesting The Caroleers!
He expected it from Robin, from the youngest of them.
He didn’t expect it from all four boys.
“Please stop petting the test subjects.” Jim groaned, running a hand over his mustache and mouth. Robin immediately glared, and surprisingly, Red Hood did too. The intimidation was a little lost, though, with the snow-white rabbit in his arms. “You might tamper with some of the evidence.”
“It’s already been collected, Jim. Don’t worry.” Batman growled. Jim found that his glare wasn’t working on his birdboys either, with Nightwing literally sticking his tongue out at the Dark Knight, shielding the puppy in his arms. “I’ve taken care of it.”
Jim sighed. “This is why I like working with your girls better, Batman.”
“Yeah.” Batman matched the exhale, as he heard Robin bouncing name ideas for the kitten in his arms off Red Robin, as he heard Red Robin agreeing to them. “Me too.”
tv shows with time travel organizations/bureaus/police/agencies/whatever should have a department with instead of a tech genius eating candy, it’s a harried seamstress or fashion designer who is like
“1450 italy? does it look like I have the time to dye you wool? nO. YOU’RE GOING TO THE 1980s”
and throws shoulder pads at the hapless time agent
“I literally made three- THREE- 18th century corsets last week. You can wait until one of them gets back, or you can go sometime post-1920s, because if I have to sew one more god damn channel I will literally lose my mind.”
“Upper middle class?!?!? You told me upper class! FUCK YEAH THERE’S A DIFFERENCE!!!”
“How about kimoNO.”
“Look me in the eyes. I do not care what you want. This is the 1500s. You absolutely cannot wear trousers.”
“Another court gown?? Here’s a novel idea: go as a peasant for once in your life. Why do you do this to me? You’re fucking sadists that’s why.”
“Don’t mind me, I’ll just be up all night hand painting silk.”
“THE POLICY IS ONE MONTH’S ADVANCE NOTICE ON PRE-1900s WOMEN’S FASHION FOR A REASON, DEBRA.”
@star-anise this is what the fashion history show costume people actually do. The TV show is just a cover.
OH MY GOD I WANT IT. I WANT IT!!!!!!
“I don’t care if he’s in hospital. He bled on 200 hours of handstitching. He owes me.”
Some time periods are just … banned.
NO, you are not allowed in 9th C Japan, send one of the men. You don’t even know what season it is! You don’t know how closely related to the Emperor you need to be! I am not making you 8 dress layers in subtly different shades of green, with hand sown embroidery, that you can only wear for the one day, just to have you sent out of court in shame because its EARLY winter, not mid, and you’re hopelessly unfashionable!
And you DEFINITELY aren’t going to Elizabethan England as a courtier! That’s at least 6 different dresses a day, I don’t CARE if you have access to tampons!
QUILLWORK! You want me to do QUILLWORK! I need my deer bone needle and a whole lot of porcupine quills, right away. Also, a week to refresh myself on that group’s designs – you do know the exact year, family, and history of the Cree community you’re visiting, right? How much influence from neighbouring tribes? Also, what time next year do you want this done?
Sorry, the fur I need is from an extinct animal, go somewhen else instead.
IKAT! Hahahaha! – Get out of my workshop … {muttering} stupid kids thinking I can do magic. Yeah, I WISH I could spend a lifetime sitting at the feet of a master, dyeing each thread in specific spots, weaving a pattern from nothing. I should abandon these idiots and go do that! Ikat!
This information is from the LLF study on fanfiction feedback between two platforms, fanfiction.net and archiveofourown.org.
Our goal
Anecdotal evidence suggested that the same story often gets more feedback on FFN than AO3. We wanted to determine whether or not this was true, and if so, why that might be the case.
Our data
For each fic posted to both sites, participants reported the number of hits on FFN and AO3, the number of FFN reviews, and the number of AO3 comment threads.
Only one-chapter fics were analyzed.
Our sample consists of 521 stories that were posted on FFN and AO3.
Stories received more hits on AO3 than FFN. (source)
71% of stories with at least one comment/review on both sites had a higher feedback rate (measured in comments divided by hits) on FFN. 29% had a higher rate on AO3. (source)
The median number of comment threads or reviews on all fics was the same on both sites, at three comments or reviews per fic. (source)
Fics on FFN had a higher feedback rate overall. The average difference was 0.002 comments per hit, or 2 comments per thousand hits. This result was statistically significant. (source)
Stories with more hits have a lower feedback rate on both FFN and AO3, and feedback rate decreases as hits increase. (source)
Therefore, at least some of the difference in feedback rates between FFN and AO3 is likely due to the higher number of hits on AO3. This will be the next thing we look at, and we hope to publish the results soon.
Read more about our analysis and results on tumblr or AO3.
Warmth tickled the back of his neck and eased Dick into wakefulness. The realization that there was pressure on his chest, and small arms wrapped tightly around him jerked him awake. He looked down to see a mess of dark curls, long eyelashes brushed against his Gotham Knights shirt, and a tiny form pressed close to him that was all Damian.
Damian who’s face seemed scrunched closed. Who’s grip was one of a child desperate for something. Though what that was Dick wasn’t sure.
Dick shifted, legs slipping down the sheets from where he’d apparently curled against Damian, and pulled the child just a little closer savoring his warmth and the smell of Dick’s own shampoo on him.
Had he come in after patrol? Why had he come at all? Dick was only recently in Bludhaven and he’d seen Damian last week. His hand tangled in his brother’s hair, smoothing back sleep tousled curls, letting the soft, just barely damp, hair bring back memories.
“Go back to sleep.” A tired voice mumbled, “You are supposed to sleep in today.” A yawn.
“And why is that?” Dick whispered, a smile touching the corners of his lips. Damian’s desperate hold seemed not for him at all, but for Dick. He wondered what he’d missed.
“ss my job.” The sleepy voice murmured, “That’s what they thought I’d be best at. Keeping you in bed and sleeping.”
They? Dick frowned. What had he missed? Or forgotten? Had he somehow gotten hurt last night? But he felt fine. No illness wearing down his bones. No ache spreading through him like fire. He didn’t even feel lingering effects of a toxin or days spent recovering.
Which begged the question of who set Damian to keep him asleep? Who had directed his little brother to snuggle close and act as a human restraint against Dick getting up too early? Obviously it would work. Dick need only think about how little sleep Damian himself got and he was willing to keep the kid close just to make sure he was the one getting proper rest.
“You are not sleeping.” A green eye opened to give a sleepy glare.
The sun that was still streaming against Dick’s neck was playing across Damian’s face. Warming the dark skin with soft light and making his opened eye glitter like a jewel.
“Have I ever told you that I love your eyes?” He said, his own voice slow and sweet with sleep.
Damian’s nose wrinkled as he frowned, “Stop it, Richard. Go to sleep.”
“But how can I when I’ve got you to talk to?” Dick asked.
And now here, as surprising as it always was, Dick felt a spike of pain in his heart. A memory of the days when he’d been sure he would never get to talk to Damian again. The words ‘we were the best Richard’ dancing through his mind. Phantom memories of a made up scream of anguish. Green eyes widening falsely in front of Dick’s face because he had not seen it. Had not heard it. Had not been able to stop it.
Like he had sensed Dick’s fall into failure, Damian pressed his face into his chest, fingers at his back gripping Dick’s shirt.
“I am here.” He whispered. “I am fine.”
He had a scar that covered his chest. A white jagged thing that screamed wrong against the sun kissed skin everywhere else. He had nightmares and freezing terror at a blade turned the wrong angle.
“That is not what this is about.” Damian said, voice muffled by Dick’s shirt. “I was not supposed to upset you. Today should be a day of happiness only.”
“Oh, kiddo.” Dick sighed, and pressed his face into his hair, “I am happy. I’m happy to hear your voice and see your face and love your eyes.”
He did not say ‘I’m happy to have you alive again. To be allowed to mourn the fact that you had such pain and still deal with its consequences.’ Because that would only hurt Damian and ruin whatever sweet plans he had come up with.
“Will you tell me why it’s your job to keep me tucked away in bed?”
Damian hummed and curled a bit closer, “Will you go back to sleep if I do?”
“That depends on the answer.”
He could almost feel the frown against his torso.
“Mr. Kent asked me to.”
Well that answered nothing, and only gave Dick more questions. He pulled his face reluctantly away from his brother’s hair so he could look at Damian, who was still curled against him. Like being there would erase any hurt Dick had.
And honestly? It did. Even if it was a temporary fix that lasted about as long as the warmth of Damian lingered in Dick’s arms.
“And why did Clark ask you to?”
“Because.”
That seemed all Dick was going to tease out of him at the moment. Damian closed his eyes and pretended to fall back asleep. Maybe in an attempt to lure Dick that way. The sun was warm and so was Damian. Warmth pressing in on Dick from two sides when he got so little sleep anyway was a sure promise that he could fall back asleep. Especially now that he knew Damian wasn’t here because he was hurting.
Dick let his eyes start to drift closed again. Heavy with sunlight and the comfort of a family member in his arms. He really was tired. And mystery or not. Seeing him last week or not. Dick loved being able to snuggle Damian close.
“I was dead for your birthday last year.” A tiny, almost inaudible, voice said. “Everyone else thought you were too.”
Dick’s eyes snapped open.
“I’m sorry.” Damian whispered again. “If anyone should only have happiness on their birthdays it is you, Richard.”
He didn’t seem to have realized that Dick was still awake. And Dick didn’t want him to know quite yet in case he said anything else. He made sure his breathing was even and deep.
The pieces clicked together. It was the right time of year. Spring just peeking its way into existence, days warm enough to linger in, nights chilly enough to keep him cool on patrol. Damian wishing him happiness. A chance to sleep as late as he’d like. Clark coordinating something mysterious.
“Today will be the best. Even if I have already messed it up a bit.” He was serious, like he was laying out a plan of attack for a mission. “Everyone has come. Even Father and your infuriating friend Wallace. You will have to thank Mrs. Kent and Pennyworth, but I suspect you will guess they organized it.”
Little hands balled his shirt tighter in them, “I hope it erases whatever sadness you had last year. I’m sorry I was dead. I would not have stood for you being alone. I–” his quiet voice cracked and then went silent. His knees curled closer to himself balling tightly against Dick. “I love you, Richard.”
And now Dick couldn’t stop himself from pressing a kiss into Damian’s hair, “I love you too, Damian.”
He had to hold tight as Damian tried to jerk away, embarrassment flushing his cheeks, “Richard! It is not polite to eavesdrop.”
“Is it eavesdropping if you were telling it to me?” Dick smiled against his hair.
“You were supposed to be sleeping.”
“And now I am very much awake and excited for this surprise party. Do you think we’ll surprise them if we go out now?” Dick asked, and before Damian could answer or react he scooped him closer and stood on the bed, tucking Damian under his arm.
He had to hold tight as Damian started kicking and squirming, “Put me down, Richard. You can’t go out yet.”
Dick hopped down off the bed and heard Damian oof, “How about we make a deal?” He asked, “I’m not putting you down because it is my birthday and if I want to carry my brother I will, but I’ll give you a piggyback ride and we can enter into the unfinished preparations triumphantly.”
His brother huffed and crossed his arms, glaring up at Dick from his overturned position. “I thought you liked surprises.”
“I do.” Dick grinned, “But I like surprising better.”
He didn’t wait for Damian to agree, only hoisted his brother up and over his shoulders to settle on his back. “Ready to go?”
“Kent will not be surprised.”
“But the others will.”
“Tt.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Damian wrapped his arms around Dick’s neck and leaned himself over Dick’s shoulder just far enough to look him in the face, “Fine. But allow me to wish you a happy birthday now.”
Dick smiled at him, “Sure thing, Dames.”
He was expecting a solid happy birthday, so when Damian leaned a little bit further and kissed his cheek he couldn’t do anything but freeze until his brother had leaned back and resettled himself against Dick’s back, pressing his face there, “Happy birthday, Richard.”
kiragecko 