October Question Meme: Day Ten

[rogueslayer452]

Asked by dhampyresa:

How did you get into fandom?

Interestingly enough, through LiveJournal. I had lurked around other forums and websites previously, but I hadn't really participated in anything until I had joined LJ in early 2003 (through invite code, btw). Aside from the occasional website visit, I actually wasn't even that into being online all that much until like 2001-2002. So basically, LJ was my first gateway to anything fandom. My main fandoms at the time were, of course, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harry Potter, and things just grew from there.

Comments

[nemophilist.livejournal.com]

I joined LJ in like 2007 I think. I was so delighted by the whole thing. I miss the heydays, haha. Hopefully it picks up again around here.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

It's kind of bizarre having been through so much with this site over the years, all the highs and lows, the trials and tribulations, seeing all the drama happening within communities and ljfriends and the like. I, too, miss the heydays when this place was thriving with fandom activity. I mean, not to say that I don't like that there's other venues for fandom to go to, but still. This site is where fandom kind of began for me, and I still use it very frequently alongside other places as well. And it's sad witnessing the slow decline, watching this place become more quiet and abandoned with each passing year.

I keep seeing people on Tumblr who migrated there from LJ wanting to return, but never really making the attempt to. I think due to all the changes this site has undergone has kind of turned people off, which isn't surprising tbh.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

Buffy was my first fandom too :)

And I posted on a few message boards (Sparklies, Cross And Stake, Fan Forum), but LJ was probably when I first started getting super into fandom

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, Fan Forum. I never joined, but I remember going on there from time to time looking for pictures of actors/characters, and seeing the interesting threads people started. Hee. And that site is still going on! I'm rather impressed.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

LJ had invite codes? Wow, I never knew. /was a massive lurker for years

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. They discontinued that at the end of 2003, I believe. But yes, it was an interesting process to go through when I wanted my own. :3

[silverusagi]

I got onto LJ through Buffy. I think I first got an account because I was looking for a fic that I read once, and you had to have an account to search at the comm seeking_spike. After that, I slowly got some friends, but it still took me forrrrrever to figure out how to actually use it.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

It took me quite a while to figure out the mechanics of this site at first, as well. I honestly wasn't familiar with anything re: journaling or communicating with others on the Internet. I can't even recall how I started getting friends. Probably from communities and such.

[hamarakissa.livejournal.com]

I don't think I ever truly got into fandom until I joined LJ. I of course followed fandom-y stuff and squeed here and there on my own time - BtVS was definitely the first :)

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I think for most people here, LJ was their first journey into a fandom space, where you can be part of a community while having your own personal journal too. I think that's what drew people in, having that privacy while gaining friendships based on similar fandom interests.