We got past it.

Can I ask how, or is that too personal? What was it that made him get past his initial worry about where you were meeting new friends, and what caused the initial worry?

Maria! It's been forever since I posted with you!

It's Cause for Concern.

Could it be part of a general looking-down-upon attitude towards television? I mean, at least here, it's definitely not considered an "art form" the way movies or theater are, definitely not like books and music. So liking a tv show to the point of wanting to talk about it and share thoughts seems like a lot worse than, say, a book club, in the lack of a better comparison. Silly, IMHO.

Oh, you're a Buffy person, right?

So, what. you're meeting "Buffy" people in the USA? And what will you do, just sit and watch "Buffy" all the time? No? What, actually get to do other stuff? That has nothing to do with "Buffy"? But isn't that the one single thing that intersts them? And what makes you friends with such people anyway?

Two people responded like that, upon hearing about my trip, and that was really annoying. I could definitely understand what stood behind the concerns of the "are you sure you know the people behind the nicknames?" people, the "you will be careful" people, mind you, but the condenscending approach was annoying.

But looking for spoilers or the schedule for your favorite television show online, finding that the show was on hiatus, and seeing a bunch of people saying funny shit about your fave television show, and responding to that, and then gradually becoming the best of friends is kraxy. It's Cause for Concern.

I think the key word there is "online." Meeting someone in the supermarket is still meeting someone, and that's why it's somehow acceptable. Most people can't fathom the idea that communication online is a valid form of building relationships. Like Maria said, all the bad stuff is so publicized that no one realizes that you know what, people online are still, you know, people.

For me, people online are just people I haven't met yet.

The idea that there are ways to make friends, and some are right and some are wrong -- and that the way is more important than the friend. It's still a person, right?

And, all over again today, ita nails what I was trying to say and walking around it and failing. ita, want to write my grant-report for me, as well? I'm really doing miserably at that.

want to write my grant-report for me, as well?

Sure, if you're willing to learn this software module I'm in training for.

At this point, everything seems better. OK, where is that distort-space-and-time machine?

When I was on set for Angel, someone asked me how I knew Tim. I went blanker than blank. There's outing people, and there's outing people. However, he's probably way high profile net-fiend. It just didn't feel like something *I* should be saying.

I always get embarassed when Tim introduces me to someone as "the person who put that Variety ad together for Firefly," or, "she's a fan."

I always feel like it puts me on a kraxy level right off. I mean, I am a fan, and I did help put the ad together. And he's grateful and thinks that's a special amazing thing, so he means nothing but respect there. But I also think it puts me in a weird place. I think I once said, "and I also have a life" as I shook someone's hand.

Steph, you...you...you...nah. I don't really disagree with any of that. It's actually much nicer than how I would have put it myself. But we totally need to find a level for the ficcers. Because there has been far far too much drama in the fic world for them not to get a rung of their very own.

ETA:

I always get embarassed when Tim introduces me to someone as "the person who put that Variety ad together for Firefly," or, "she's a fan."

When did this shift happen by the way? Because I distinctly remember a time when he wouldn't mention the fan thing at all. At the time, I got the sense that Tim might have been a wee bit embarassed by it.

she's a fan

Allyson, remember how come I didn't remember to take my camera out of my bag and use it to take pictures on the dinenr with you and Kristen and Tim? At first, I explained this to myself with the over-40-hours-of-no-sleep thing, which, while still true, seems lacking to me later. When I thought aboutit a bit, I realized that what I was lucky enough to attend was a dinner among friends (the three of you), who were kind enough to share their time together with, well, me. It wasn't a fan event (as far as I could tell - I've never participated in one), it was about the people that were there having a good time together, enjoying their connection, discussing and laughing and snarking and just being together, and me getting to take a peek. And usually a person isn't hung on taking lots of pictures from a "dinner with friends", and since that the atmosphere I got from you three, well, I just went along with it. Friends.

I feel the same way about getting autographs from my writer friends. It feels like turning a deep relationship into a surface one.