Real names and fandom: Some really unfunny bruhahaha

[misscam]

Er, yeah. Where to start? There is so much backstory to this I don't have the full idea of and probably never will. But I became aware of it when a friend linked me to ithiliana, who says:

The purpose of this post is to call out somebody who actively seeks to harm other fans. She lies. She outs fans by connecting their real life identities with their fannish identities. She is trying to make money from a site which is billed as "history" and which contains lies, damn lies, and misinformation as well as the public outing of fans which, despite her claims, she will not remove if asked, not if the person asking fits her definition of an "influential" fan although many influential fans are *not* outed in the journal.

Fairly strong language - and the target of it someone who was on my flist up until this. I've never had any negative dealings with her, but I have defriended her now because I am extremely uncomfortable with what she did in the now deleted entry on fanthropology. (To put it mildly.) Clearly, there's a whole lot of other stuff going on too - backstory, agendas, grudges, bias, the debate over OTW (which I remain uncomfortable about, but stay on the fence) and I'm getting a headache.

The post I linked to have a lot of links and information if you want to read up. There are also some defenders showing up in the comments. metafandom is also involved - the rule change here is specifically come from this situation and they've linked to several opinions on it here.

If you missed the fanthropology post, this post explains what went on. To summarize from that:

apparently the owner got her hands on [lj name]'s real name. And added said name, and several details of her offline and professional life, to the FanHistory page about her. And if someone tries to remove [lj name]'s real-life details, saying "she doesn't want these things linked, please stop," the owner reverses the edits and restores the revealing page. And when challenged, said owner made a giant post to fanthropology proclaiming your real-life details fair game if you've ever posted on an archive, made an online journal, or joined a message board.

Again, there are some defenders in the comments - I haven't found a post that actively defends what was done, or I would link it in the interest of balance. If there is such a thing in all this.

ETA: Oh, here's one defending FanHistory and the posting of RL name.

I spent far too much time yesterday trying to get a sense of this all, and I pretty much only got a headache and an urge to cheer self up by ordering stuff on Amazon. I think it's time for the wankshelter bar again. Anyone want a drink?

Someone make me write Adama/Roslin fic fast before my brain gets devoured by really unfunny stuff, PLEASE?

Comments

[adoraheatherly.livejournal.com]

My god, this is ridiculous. I would like to say that I'm shocked by this type of behavior, but I'm not. It seems like invasion into people's personal lives over fandom disputes is becoming more and more common these days and it's just sad.

Not even considering the people themselves, folks have families, children, innocent people who should not be subjected to the possible consequences of having personal information leaked online. How can anyone take fandom so seriously that they refuse to even show basic common courtesy for another person's privacy?

About a week ago, a certain snark site within the Idol fandom posted a picture of a good friend of mine and another fan out at one of the concerts, making fun of their weight and age.
Bad enough, but the other person pictured with my friend is a woman who passed away a couple of weeks ago. When this was pointed out to the snark site, they said they were not going to remove a perfectly good post just because the woman "kicked the bucket."

I'd like to say something to make you feel better, but I'm pretty jaded myself at this point. The only advice I have is to distract yourself with pretty pictures, good fan fiction and yes, a splurge on Amazon here and there is definitely good for the soul.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Ouch :( Idol fandom really has some nastier stuff, doesn't it? I'm remembering that last thing you told me about.

I'm not a Cult of Nice person. I mean, I hang about f_w and I mock stupid shit now and then and I've certainly had my fandom grudges, but there are some things I am just not okay with, you know? Regardless of all the other things that seems to be going on.

Sigh. Fandom sure gets very involved, doesn't it? But knowing four shiny DVDs are heading my way does indeed help. I must be shallow like that.

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

*makes you write fic fast* :P

Well, we had an arson attack at school today. What fun! (Someone set a fire in the boys changerooms in the gym, just as the entirety of lower school was seated in said gym having an assembly.)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Arson WTF? Was it caught early and is the brat who did it caught? There's a way to have an interesting day at work, sheesh.

Just for you, I'll write something on the weekend. Give me a few prompts and what you want the one or two Kara/Lee scenes I'll stick in there JUST FOR YOU to be. You can include options. (You know most of the fic itself will be A/R, but still.)

[trialia]

Heh. Yeah, she has issues... Me, I'm so profoundly unconcerned about being 'outed' that I actually have plans to change my legal first name to my fandom pseudonym. I wonder what that says about me...

Yay for fic. PWP? :D

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I'm not concerened about it for me that much, but then again, I live in Norway and it's a different culture to the US, you know? Issues around sex can get a bit hysterical in the US and getting out as a writer of sex there can have consequences. With all the homophobia too, as a writer of slash might even be worse.

And fundamentally, I think it's people's own choice.

We shall see... Got my fic for the Christmas in July read and betaed, so I will post that after or on Friday some time.

[rakshi.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this! I heard a bit about it yesterday, but am glad to know the whole story.

Amazing that anyone could be that brazen and unethical!!

*hugs*

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was quite confused to begin with too. Still not sure I got the whole story, but at least got a clearer picture after all that reading.

I wouldn't be surprised if this story travels a bit on LJ, quite frankly.

[scarlettgirl.livejournal.com]

The only rebuttal I've seen is this:

http://lennoxmacbeth.livejournal.com/90728.html

Which is a lot of bile wrapped up in the "if you're too much of a pussy to use your real name you have no business playing in the sandbox".

This whole thing makes me a bit twitchy. When I became involved in fandom I was fairly generous in what I shared however, my situation has changed in the past five years ( as well as realising LJ isn't always the cozy nook we like to think it is). While I will defend my online involvement to anyone in RL, the truth is there are aspects of my life that could be made very uncomfortable or where my credibility could possibly be called into question by my online involvement. It's stupid, but it's reality. I'm not a fanatic about privacy because there *are* some fandom things I do using my real name, but I am cautious. Why is that so hard to respect?

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw and I've linked it. Kinda thinking that will just make it worse, but maybe that's me.

*nods* I feel you on the twitchy. That's a good word for my reaction too. I don't feel ashamed of my fandom stuff, but it is my life and if I want to keep parts of it seperate, I think I should be given the courtesy.

[mistress-mab.livejournal.com]

Same here.

It's not about being ashamed of our fandom activities - as her defenders are saying - it's about not wanting everyone in RL knowing what we get off on.

[longtimegone]

Oh man. I don't know the details of this newest wank beyond a few facts, but I will say, that Michaela/Laura Hale/partly_bouncy has been a total fucking nutjob for a really long time.

Or at least that's been my impression. ;)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

*shrugs* All my interactions with her have been fine. Obviously others have different experiences, judging by all this.

I don't know, a lot of this seems tied into HP fandom, which is a minefield for outsiders. I don't want to unfairly judge someone, but on the other hand this incident made me way uncomfortable.

[falena]

When fandom does this sort of nasty things (how could someone deliberately choose not to respect someone else's legitimate desire to keep their online persona and RL separate) I just remind myself that there are awesome people out there that I would have never met, if it hadn't been for fandom or LJ.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

We certainly wouldn't have met if not for fandom, so excellent point :)

(Hope the exam went/goes well, BTW. I saw it mentioned, I've just been distracted. And hey, just a month and a few days now until you come visit.)

[anamin.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link!

[zinke.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the links. And I can completely understand how trying to get a handle on all this gave you a headache. I personally would see this sort of behavior as an invasion of privacy, and I think in a system as open as the internet currently is, people wanting a little RL identity protection isn't too much to ask.

I know of a couple situations where people's RL identities became known in various fandoms and bad things happened in their RL's as a result (read: wank spill-over into RL). There are legitimate reasons to protect one's identity, but more than that it should be each individuals choice as to how open they want to be. That should not be a decision taken away from them by someone trying to turn a profit.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Agreed on the last part. I also think it's fair to allow people a choice where they want to be more - or less! - open. I know it's the Internet and you can link everything everywhere and spread stuff around, but that doesn't always mean you should.

I think the headache was in large because of the flist connection. It suddenly made it not just some drama I could read about from a distance. Even if it doesn't directly involve me, it still gave that headache factor.

[peridot-lines.livejournal.com]

Thank you for all of the clarification. This showed up on my wank radar yesterday but work blocks journalfen and I was totally out of the loop as to how all of this started.

I can't say that I haven't been waiting for that wiki and the person behind it to pop back up in some other version of wank. Do I hold grudges? Maybe just a little.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a lot of people were being really vague about it at first which probably made for a lot of confusion. I think the now-deleted fanthropology post had a lot going 'huh?'

Honestly, I still don't feel in the loop at all.

Ah. Past fandom incidents, I gather? Seems a lot have that in this case. Which also tells me something, I suppose.

[dune-drd.livejournal.com]

As someone who had something similar happen to herself all I can say is: Kill it, kill it with fire or lawyers

[ashestothestars.livejournal.com]

We can only hope.

As my mother was fond of saying - be careful of the toes that you step on today - they may be connected to the ass you might have to kiss tomorrow.

[childofares.livejournal.com]

There is never an excuse to drop someones docs. Period. The only people that do that are trolls. I had mine dropped on YouTube by my fiances Ex. NOT fun. Phone calls at 3am from strange people, threats. I regretted ever giving up my online name and start using my real one.

I've never spent time on the pages and they were so inaccurate it's much easier for me to just google or ask someone on my flist.

[kazaera.livejournal.com]

I've never quite understood why people seem unable to grasp that someone doing something stupid (or that you perceive as stupid, at any rate) doesn't give you leave to take shameless advantage of it. So her personal info was findable. So what? If she accidentally left a trail somewhere in the deepest depths of the internet, that doesn't give you leave to plaster it on a billboard. Sort of like how someone forgetting their wallet in the restaurant doesn't mean you're perfectly allowed to take it.

*sighs* unfunny indeed. :/ A pity we no longer share fandoms, or I'd write you something.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I quite agree. Not all things you have an opportunity to do are things you *should* do. And if you do an initial bad, it doesn't kill you either to consider what people are telling you and correct it. Amazingly, sometimes the majority is actually right.

[ashestothestars.livejournal.com]

Cam, all I'm going to say here is this - I'll gladly fly to Norway to take you out for a lot of drinks in regards to this. If you want to know my personal experience, I'll have a post on my LJ about it as soon as I stop shaking - both my head and my hands.

[phdelicious.livejournal.com]

Is it sad that I knew exactly who this was about before I clicked on any of the links? And I hadn't heard about any recent kerfuffles anywhere else.

I haven't ever had much interaction with her which was completely intentional given some of the things I'd heard she'd stirred up before. The few times that we did interact she seemed decently rational which makes the rest of it all seem crazier.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I've gotten a scary amount of stories about her after I made this post. Yowza.

But yeah, all my interactions with her have been perfectly rational, so I'm all boggled over this.

Not surprised.

[jocelyncs.livejournal.com]

Recall about two years ago when I made the mistake of ranting about the Heidi-obsession that was going on in the HP fandom and ended up getting email threats? Guess who was in the thick of that. The person being called out now was a chief reason why I bailed from FW for over a year--I had no interest in being the target of one of her "exposes", and I suspected then and still suspect that if she wasn't one of the emailers herself, she was involved with them.

Thoroughly nasty little character.

Re: Not surprised.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Vaguely, I seem to recall something about this. I think I disagreed with something in your post and decided to stay out, though I could be remembering wrong. The e-mail threats I don't remember.

Erm, yeah, given what I've heard these last 24 hours, your story seems to fit a certain pattern. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I'd offer you a drink, but continents apart and all. The offer stands should you ever poke by Norway.

[seariderfalcon]

Ah. Thanks for explaining what's going on with that. Someone on my flist mentioned it yesterday but didn't really go into enough details for me to really understand what had happened. This helps a lot.

There's a lot I could say on this, but for now I'll just go with: What a creep!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there seemed to be a bit of confusion about - took me a while to piece it all together too. I tried to make this post a bit informative and not just me having a rant for that reason.

[kunenk.livejournal.com]

Shit. *reads some more links* This is… bad. Bad, bad, horrifically bad. This wiki didn't sound like a great idea when I first heard of it- in the way it's been behaving, at least, because I think an account of what's been going on in fandom (from zines to great wanks) would be fascinating reading (depending on who wrote it- because botting info off FF.net pages and not letting the person know? Bad form. And now this… *waves hand vaguely* This is messed up.

I don't know BSG, but this is pretty good. Song called Sort of. Dunno. Nothing.

*brings buckets of icecream to the wankshelter bar and curls up with chocobo plushie under the bench*

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the idea in itself I have no issues with - might even be cool. When I wandered into BSG fandom, a place to check a bit what trends in the fandom were and what sort of meta had been produced and what-not would have been cool. But er yeah, this one seesm to have issues.

Oh, thanks for the link!

[lady-rilwen.livejournal.com]

*growl*These people need to be slapped. Repeatedly. Until they either start thinking like decent human beings, or lose the capability to type online. If someone has clearly indicated they do not want their identity outed, you do not do it.
The lennox one makes me really angry. Ooh, you're a druid, you're so edgy, and you're insulting all the fanfiction writers, good for you! She just does not get why people might not want their fannish identity and their real one connected on a page that will show up in a google search for either.