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Another (apparently unusual) fact about me.
14 years ago
About once every year a fur will chat with me online. I have a tendency to not respond to people who just say "hi," and then expect me to initiate conversation. But I got a chance to actually chat with someone and it was pretty cool. And the subject stuck with me so I decided to make this post.
One of the things we talked about was how a lot of furs have strange prerequisites for becoming friends, or even acquaintances. This isn't in the least bit restricted to furry fandom, but I was taken aback that they would actually feel the need to say how cool it was that I was willing to talk to him even though he wasn't an artist. The very thought of that was alien to me.
So I feel this strong urge to let anyone know who reads my journals this simple fact about me. Being an artist, good, bad, or otherwise has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not I'll talk to you, or befriend you. It's about as unimportant to me as your job, or how much money you make a year. I could really care less. A lot of furs think of being an artist as some kind of status thing. It's not to me. We either have something in common or we don't.
Back to my opening paragraph — I know that it's common for folks to say Hi as way of asking if someone really is online or not, and I'm perfectly cool with that. I don't expect anyone to have the perfect opening line for conversation, but at least respond if I say hello back. That would be nice.
One of the things we talked about was how a lot of furs have strange prerequisites for becoming friends, or even acquaintances. This isn't in the least bit restricted to furry fandom, but I was taken aback that they would actually feel the need to say how cool it was that I was willing to talk to him even though he wasn't an artist. The very thought of that was alien to me.
So I feel this strong urge to let anyone know who reads my journals this simple fact about me. Being an artist, good, bad, or otherwise has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not I'll talk to you, or befriend you. It's about as unimportant to me as your job, or how much money you make a year. I could really care less. A lot of furs think of being an artist as some kind of status thing. It's not to me. We either have something in common or we don't.
Back to my opening paragraph — I know that it's common for folks to say Hi as way of asking if someone really is online or not, and I'm perfectly cool with that. I don't expect anyone to have the perfect opening line for conversation, but at least respond if I say hello back. That would be nice.
I've encountered that as well, and it still surprises me, too. It's never occurred to me I should be caring about the social status of people I encounter in a circle, my only 'prerequisite' is that said person is not a dick, and if I'm going to end up meeting them in person, not an axe-murderer.
On the other hand, I've encountered artist, in all walks, that felt their talent put them a step above, and non-artist with staggering vitriol&contempt (+incessant name-dropping) to blanket-label any artist with, so I do understand where the artist-only-talk-to-artist presumption stems. It is that thing in common, and can be safer&easier to cope with.
You know, that's very true. I can see how that safety net would be so easy to fall into.