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Fan I am #5: Why Identify As A Fan

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Book Shelf And More

So having thought about the kinds of fan, and why meltdowns occur, I keep wondering “why do people identify as fans so passionately?”

I mean in some ways it looks ridiculous to base part of your life on your love of Neon Genesis Evangelion*. Then you look at fanworks and giant conventions and fans turned pro and realize there’s something here. Fandom is a curious thing, and right when you wonder why the hell anyone would identify that way, you see something wonderful that makes you say “oh, I understand.”

However, as I noted, I think for many Fandom is more of a secondary identity than a primary. But why do people get so passionate? Why does it get so primary?

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Fan I am #4: Fandom Identity And Pathology

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Planetary Collision

We’ve all been there. Some of us may be there right now and wish we weren’t.

The fandom meltdown. The flame wars, the slander, the arguing, and perhaps even the outright confrontations and questionable activity. We’ve all got a story of arguments, of failed endeavors, of con overspending, and so for.

Now when you back up and say “but aren’t we here to like the same things” it makes one think. Why the people dedicated to “liking” something are so busy hating each other and creating problems.  It sort of botches the whole goal.

In fact, it may seem fans hate each other more. As a friend once, when discussing a specific (and yes, unnamed) fandom noted that he saw more infighting among fans than he did in people who didn’t like said fans. Familiarity is seriously a petri dish for contempt.

So as I noted I think there’s five kinds of fans: Recreational, General, Social, Active, and Applied. People may just relax, or their fandom is part of their overall active and probably professional life.

I think conflicts can actually be understood as meltdowns in specific spheres. Usually this leaves the Recreational and General fans going “WTF?”*

But for others, it makes perfect sense. Or at least imperfect sense.

Here’s where I think it happens.

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Geek Catalog Update 11/2/2014

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Here’s our latest Geek Catalog updates! This one leans heavy towards coding, Canada, and female geeks!

If you want to check out the full catalog, go to the lists sorted by Geekery and by Focus!

Comics

  • Charity

Computing

  • Female Geeks
    • Girls Learning Code – A Canadian non-profit that focuses on helping young women learn technical skills in a supportive atmosphere.
    • Ladies Learning Code – A Canadian non-profit that focuses on helping people learn beginner technical skills in a comfortable, social way.
    • Rails Girls – A worldwide group that works to empower women with technology.
  • Youth Education
    • Kids Learning Code – A Canadian non-profit that focuses on helping young people learn technical skills in a supportive atmosphere.

Video Games

  • Academics
    • Digital Games Research Association – An association for academics and professionals who research digital games and things related to them. Includes events, a journal, a conference, and more.
  • Charitable Work
    • Get Well Gamers – A foundation to bring video games to children’s hospitals in the US.
    • Get Well Gamers UK – A foundation to bring video games to children’s hospitals in the UK

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.