Ok, I am posting about drag queens again but this time it's more because I need help from my f-list

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

I get that LJ isn't really considered where it's at or that popular anymore. But where the heck does one go when they get into a fandom and actually want to communicate with other fans??

I've tried several things...

Got a Twitter account since RuPaul made a #sharonandalaska4ever hashtag. It's cool seeing what others post there and I had a nice exchange with another fan, but it's all so brief there. (I know. That's the point of Twitter!)

On FB, I read and comment on posts, I 'like' other people's comments, and I even messaged two of the others who seem to be the most die-hard fans. But I've had no real interactions there.

There are several Tumblr pages (some geared towards Sharon, some towards Alaska, some to both), but Tumblr has always been a mystery to me. My skill has always been words, not images. I can't even make a basic icon for LJ, so posting and interacting on Tumblr has totally escaped me.

I like all of these forums, and I know I'll sound like an old fart when I say that I miss how it used to be in fandoms. I remember getting into the Misfits (in 2004!), finding denisia on here, and loving talking about our fandom via email. Or getting into Firefly and finding some active LJ comms - and getting that interaction with other fans (including some people I'm still friends with) via posting and commenting.

Where do you go if you want to have a dialog with other fans?? Am I missing something? Should I just do what I did for Azazel/Riptide in 2011 and create an LJ fan page? Back then I'd feared that only like 10 people would join but we got to over 130. Should I just try it and see how it goes, even if LJ isn't cool anymore?

I think I really need to pay some 18 year old to sit down with me and teach me Tumblr and how to make visual stuff, maybe give me some Twitter pointers too....

Comments

[maddiec24.livejournal.com]

I wonder if all the cool kids have gone to Dreamwidth... I have an account there, but I've never done anything with it. For a while it was Insane Journal. But I'm old and set in my ways and don't want to get into another journaling site. But I would say do a com here or try Dreamwidth. I go on Tumblr occasionally to look at, say Azazel or Bane or King Schultz, but I don't interact there, either.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Do you think people miss something by not being able to interact on Tumblr?

I will check out Dreamwidth. Worth a look.

Thank you.

[denisia.livejournal.com]

Fandom really is big at Dreamwidth. And we all know I am more partial to that than LJ. Another thought: does the show have any sort of official fan community on their website? Are there any Drag Race message boards?

If not...well...it might be possible that this otp doesn't have enough of a fan base to sustain it. Why not start a Drag Race comm and see if anyone bites?

As a side note, meeting you here on LJ was one of the best things about this site for me! We had some fun Misfits chats here. And it is no small laugh for me that my favorite LA club has ended up being the Roxy, totally by accident).

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I am so happy we met on LJ all those years ago! We became friends, we had good solid dialogs about our fandom and the characters. All that sort of fan interaction seems to be gone now.

I will check out Dreamwidth. And what the heck, maybe I'll start a comm here....what is the worst that could happen? I was fearful before starting the AzazelRiptide comm and it was very active for some time.

P.S. - I'm glad the Roxy is as fun as we knew it would be!

[denisia.livejournal.com]

I can give you an invite code for dreamwidth, if you want. I have a bunch so you could always start a comm there too and see what happens. There is a promo community where you can advertise new comms and a lot of them are fandon related.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the offer! I realized that I am angsting about starting any comm for Sharon/Alaska on either website because they are real people. When I did the Azazel/Riptide one, I knew that they were fictional characters so I didn't worry if only 10 people signed up. Maybe it's weird, but because my queens actually exist (and seem to be online a lot), I am hesitating to do this.

But thank you for the offer. :)

[denisia.livejournal.com]

Sure - that makes sense. Know the invite to Dreamwidth is always extended (I still hold futile hopes that my f-list will all decamp to Dreamwidth so I won't have to keep cross posting to LJ and can finally delete it, LOL).

What about a general Drag Race community? I'm sure talking about the show would be less awkward than zeroing in on two participants, and there are certainly lots of comms and message boards for that.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

There is a fairly active Drag Race comm on LJ, so that's cool. I just want to interact more with those fans who are specifically into my OTP. I'll keep searching for ways....maybe i just need to get used to Twitter!

[denisia.livejournal.com]

*shudder* Twitter is all short attention spans but I've seen people have back and forth conversations on it - so maybe.

Oh, just thought of something!! Is there any message board/list/Facebook page of the people going on the cruise? Or even those who are affiliating with Alaska on the cruise? There you go, obviously, lots of fans of that OTP are there, I am sure!

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

I make you shudder? --- accck!!

Yes, FB is good. People post there on Alaska's page. I comment and Like and stuff. But there's no dialog like you and I had back in our Misfits days.

[denisia.livejournal.com]

LOL, no, not you - Twitter makes me shudder. It's just so inane, trying to read someone's Twitter feed is like seeing half of an old IM conversation or something. IMHO Twitter's really awful unless it's updating breaking news and it makes good conversation even harder, because people get so used to communicating in tiny snips.

It does seem as though there's been a change in the way fandom works online in a lot of places, and that message boards and fan communities are dying breeds in some places. It's too bad, really, because there's good conversation to be had.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Yes - amen on everything!!

[denisia.livejournal.com]

And tumblr isn't really interaction sadly...just mostly.people posting fun photos and gifs.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

There are some lovely images there. I can't complain. Sure would be nice if you could comment and talk more on there but oh well.

[denisia.livejournal.com]

See, that is why I *like* Tumblr - I disable comments whenever I post anything these days!

One thing I was thinking of re: talking on Facebook - some might be reluctant to answer or connect there because of the whole real-life/fandom collision. I've had a few people I don't know send me requests on Facebook and it turned out they're also fans of Duran Duran/B-52s/whatever and must have seen my posts on those pages. I always turned those requests down because as nice as they might be, adding them would give them a whole lot of information about my off-line life, and I don't want to do that. So that might partially account for the lack of interaction and friend-finding on Facebook.

[stormer1-1.livejournal.com]

Tumblr is a lot more interactive than one would think, and you don't need photo skills to reblog things. I've really fallen for it, personally. It's even helped me with a lot of traumas.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Do you know where I can go to learn how to use Tumblr? Sorry if that is the dumbest question ever. I probably need someone to just sit with me for 20 minutes and explain it.

[stormer1-1.livejournal.com]

I found it to be a learn-as-ye-go experience but there's probably a big fat FAQ somewhere in the sign up pages.