re: money ruins fandom

[toujours_nigel]

In my experience*, the acceptability of fandom in the Global North has involved a disavowal and pushing-under-the-bus of non-transformative and for-profit piracy which characterises fannish experience in the Global South.

So it is fascinating to watch how the intersection of transformative and for-profit piracy works upon people.









* as both a fan from the Global South for the last decade and half, and a piracy researcher in the last three years.

Comments

[el_staplador]

I'd be very interested to hear more about this if you ever felt like writing about it.

[toujours_nigel]

Well, I'm in the process of writing this rn, because it's my thesis, but I just find the journey from "not mine, I make no profit, please don't sue" style disclaimers to "if you like my work here's paypal, kofi, patreon" very interesting, especially as it is becoming clear that not all fans actually made that journey.

I also wonder whether fandom really is a gift-culture, not in the diluted way that gets talked about, but where the... conspicuous sacrifice of uncompensated time and effort gains status.

[cesperanza]

Oooh I would love to see your research when you're done if you'd be willing to share! Because this is such an important issue--and one that matters in areas of copyright advocacy. The US in general is so hypocritical about piracy considering how much piracy (arts piracy, at least, which is what I know about; I assume other piracies too) the US engaged in particularly before the 2nd world war!

[toujours_nigel]

Absolutely! I'm probably going to workshop chunks if my ethics chapter on DW. *g*
Re: 19th century American piracy, the Dickensian debacle is... spectacular to say the least.

[greerwatson]

"I also wonder whether fandom really is a gift-culture [...] where the... conspicuous sacrifice of uncompensated time and effort gains status."

The status of people like moderators of mailing lists and LJ/DW communities? And perhaps also those who run gift exchanges—if they run successfully, that is, and for several years. Certainly, all of these can fail spectacularly. The effort put in by good mods can be enormous; and I think they're highly respected by those who take the time to think about it.

I personally admire those who work so hard on Fanlore (and feel rather guilty that I'm doing so much less wiki work nowadays).

[toujours_nigel]

The status of people like moderators of mailing lists and LJ/DW communities? And perhaps also those who run gift exchanges—if they run successfully, that is, and for several years.

Yes, exactly! But I would also include prolific creators of fanworks, whether writers, artists, podficcers, meta-writers, reccers, etc. Anyone who contributes substantial labour to fandom, and therefore has "become a name".