"A.S. Zanoni" <chica at dreamcafe.com> writes: > Fandom. > > I don't know why many sf/f readers feel they are not "part of > fandom". There isn't a rule that says a Real Fan has to attend > conventions... or run a fanzine/ezine... or wear costumes that match a > particular motif... or write fanfic... or be on sf/f newsgroups... or > participate in running conventions... or write letters to F&SF or > Asimov's [or even read either of 'em]... or be part of a local sf/f > group that may or may not do any number of those things. > > I could go on and on. I'll spare you. Huh; for me, "fan" means somebody involved in fandom. The term "reader" was the traditional term for, well, readers, who weren't involved in fandom. The appearance of significant tv and film sf has caused that to not really be the right term, and so people are trying to fall back on "fan" and this is causing all sorts of confusion and bad feelings on both sides. Which is unfortuntate. Our fannish use of "fan" is contrary to the common usage, but there really needs to be *some* term for people who choose to associate themselves with the cultural stream of fandom and I, and others apparently, are loathe to give up the term we've used for 70 years to identify ourselves. -- David Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd-b at dd-b.net>, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/> RKBA: <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/> Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/> Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/>