There's probably more discussion about actual aspects of fandom in this topic in 2 days than on fandom_wank over the last year.

Have you ever actually read f_w?

I've written Mansquito filk, but I don't consider myself part of the Mansquito fandom community.

I've written Mansquito filk, but I don't consider myself part of the Mansquito fandom community.

So you're not going to the Mansquito con, then?

Dana - yes.

So you're not going to the Mansquito con, then?

No.

But it'd be funny to creat a faux-Mansquito fandom site, just to confuse people....

Allyson is a part of the Colin Ferguson fandom, though she has yet to put up the fansite.

It's a very complex beast, this fannishness.

You could argue people should seperate out the community aspect from fandom itself, defining the hardcore fans as the fandom base, and the community as the incidental people who join in more for the community. I'm not sure that analogy hangs together, though.

I feel like the way you're objecting now is the way I was objecting then.

I was persuaded by your point of view, actually. It happens. I rarely admit it.

Aha! I'll make a note on my calendar.

I love reading about people's experiences with fandom. I met a new acquaintance the other day. We got to talking about what we liked to read, and quickly discovered that we were both involved in online fandom. She asked, "What are your fandoms?" and I really wasn't sure what to say. I ended up saying Buffy/Angel/Firefly, largely because of my participation on this board. I found this group of people through Buffy, and even though that's not the main reason I've stayed, it still informs how I think of this group. It's a common ground for us--although that becomes less true the longer Buffy has been off the air.

But I'm not just a fan of Joss Whedon's shows. I'm a fan of LOTR, and Sports Night, and HP, and Queer as Folk, and Lost. I watch those shows, read those books, read some fanfic, talk about them with my friends here and on LJ, along with dozens of other fannish topics that come and go (ah, Smallville, how fondly I remember you). But I don't necessarily self-identify as belonging to HP fandom or QaF fandom, and I don't know exactly where the line is in my head. I've never been to a con for anything, or spent a ridiculous amount of money on anything fandom-related, nor do I read or write much fic anymore, so that wouldn't make the difference.

Probably what it comes down to is community. I'm a part of the Buffy fandom because it's why I'm here. I know the people (in my little corner of the fandom, anyway), I remember the kerfuffles. I travelled through Australia staying with local Buffistas, and Min introduced me to Firefly when it was shiny and new. (Oh, and I identify as belonging to Firefly fandom, but not as a Browncoat. *shrug*) Generally speaking, Buffy people are my people.