I've been following the latest anon meme that sprung out of the ViVidCon debates (is there some kind of Fight Club thing where you're not supposed to link to it? or actually name it? I'm going to err on the side of caution here, but let me know if there are standard anon meme rules or norms I should be observing), and it's been pretty fascinating to see the different dynamics of how discussions play out there vs. on LJ/DW. I've checked out a few other anon memes in the past, but this is the longest I've ever followed one. Yet I haven't left any comments on the meme, so I can't claim to be a participant-observer -- there's something about posting anon that just weirds me out (personally, not when other people do it). I'm not sure what it is, but I definitely got weirded out the couple of times in the past that I posted on anon love memes where you tell people on the flist how awesome they are. Which, hey, people on my flist are awesome, and deserve to hear that! So I don't know what my mental block here is.
So I'd love to hear from any of you about the pleasures (and perils!) of posting anon, or participating in anon memes. I'm also thinking of saying something about kink memes, which are the other major place that I'm aware of that carve out a pro-anon space in fandom, and seem to be on the rise over the last couple of years. But I know even less about kink meme culture than anon memes! So any observations, insights, experiences you'd like to share about kink memes & anonymity would be welcome.
And I think I need a third thing, right? I figured I'd at least reference the WoW/Blizzard Real ID controversy, but it would be nice to have a third instance of anon culture in LJ/DW-based media fandom, if anyone has suggestions.
Anon posting for comments is on, naturally (ETA: and IP logging is off). Thanks in advance!
ETA 2: I've fallen way behind on responding to comments, but I'm reading them all & appreciate all the perspectives & experiences & context that everyone's offering.
ETA 3: The first part of my Symposium blog post on anon memes is now up.
- Crossposts:http://cryptoxin.livejournal.com/101796.html
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chasethestars
chasethestars
Comments
If it's so shameful to you GTFO of anon mode and dis people under your own name.
Hate memes aren't used to "call people out." They're used to air grudges and spread rumors and outright lies in a forum where it's impossible for the person being attacked to defend themselves, because the worst thing anyone attacked on a hate meme can do is pay any attention to the attacks or try to defend themselves. That just guarantees that they will continue to be attacked, bullied, and have more shit spread about them, sometimes for years. That even happens when anyone else, even anonymously, tries to defend the person being attacked. The whole point of hate memes is to attack and hurt people as much as possible in a way in which they have no recourse. That NEVER "needs to be said."
If you "don't have the energy" to deal with people defending themselves when you attack them, you shouldn't attack them. Doing so anonymously is always cowardly, and that's not going to change no matter how often people swear that gleefully throwing shit at people you don't like is righteous and important.
And you don't like hate memes? Shock and awe. Was the OP talking about hate memes? No. Your rant != relevant.
More bluntly, using anonymity to speak out against huge, well-organized attack machines that severely punish anyone who criticizes the real and deliberate harm they do to many people is not the same as using anonymity to fling shit at anyone you have a grudge against without them being able to defend themselves.
In most cases the only difference between hate memes and "anon" memes is the name. People just got smart enough to stop calling them hate memes when LJ started TOSing anything with that name and now they hide behind the new name to justify their shit-slinging. spnpermanon, which this thread is about, is a hate meme. The person who created it is on record as creating it to allow her to attack people she hated without any consquences, and that's exactly how alot of the people who go there use it.
Patti
Where is the record of the moderator of the community saying that?
As far as I'm concerned the spnanon meme is there to keep grudges alive and attack people and spread hate.