March Meta Matters Challenge, Check-in 5

[yourlibrarian]

Hello everyone! It's check-in time again to see how we're all getting along with our meta importing.

Comment below with any of the following:

1) What fandom would you like to find more meta for (through this challenge or otherwise) and why?

2) Number of works you've managed to either identify for future transfers, or which you've now moved to AO3.

3) Any problems you've been having as you copy/import your meta.

Remember, this account accepts anonymous comments, so if you don't have a Dreamwidth account we still want to hear from you and have you take part.

As always, if you've got tips you've developed during this process, do share them with the group. And if you can help someone out with a problem they're having, share a solution.

Comments

[impala_chick]

1 - Merlin! I'm late to the fandom, so it's interesting to dig up old meta posts from when people were first watching the series. I also would really like more people to chat about music - especially Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers, and other people who have made big comebacks.

2 - I feel like the meta I've written isn't worthy of being archived? But this challenge is inspiring me to explore more meta topics.

3 - I haven't tried yet, but I'm excited to read through the meta tags now that this is happening!

[yourlibrarian]

I would love to see more Merlin meta as well. I came across a few pieces, but this is when I first started noticing how little I would see. In my previous fandom, SPN, there were multiple meta communities focusing on different things, there was so much being written. And there were always a bunch of episode reviews every week.

Of course, I was late to Merlin fandom but even so watched the last season in time with the American fandom. I think I've posted all my episode reviews as well as meta of it to AO3. But I found very little else of it on AO3 and very rarely saw anyone post something in that vein on Tumblr.

And yes, do try it out and see if you get a response! I'm pretty sure one of the reasons we're missing all the Merlin (and many other fandoms') meta is because so many people feel the same about their writing.

[impala_chick]

Yes, SPN had so much meta! There were great discussion posts back in the early seasons. I haven't seen much discussion related to any new fandoms, but I wonder if that's more to do with the fact that shows come out all at once instead of week by week. That format gave me more time to reflect and also read meta posts.

I just got into Merlin last year, so I tried googling and browsing LJ tags and I've been able to find only a few meta posts. Is your AO3 name the same as your DW name? Feel free to link me and I'll check out your posts! I'm currently rewatching Season three so that may inspire me to write and reflect more this month.

[yourlibrarian]

I haven't seen much discussion related to any new fandoms, but I wonder if that's more to do with the fact that shows come out all at once instead of week by week. That format gave me more time to reflect and also read meta posts.

I think that changes in TV production has made a big difference. It's not just the episode release schedule but the shorter seasons and the bigger (and more unpredictable) gaps between seasons and the greater volume of shows. All of these encourage people to move on rather than stop and reflect. And it makes it harder for a fandom to gather and grow all at one time. I mean some fandoms explode regardless (look at Good Omens last year), but I think it means a lot more small fandoms.

Merlin, of course, came early enough to avoid a lot of that and it has certainly proved to be a large active fandom. So yes, I find the lack of meta mystifying, though I think it also reflects the difficulty of finding it on sites like Tumblr and the breakdown in community functions when many social media platforms don't enable it.

And yes it is. Here you go :)

[impala_chick]

That's true, the volume is crazy! I don't even know what most of my friend's list is watching these days.

Tumblr tagging is such a mess! Sometimes I stumble across some good meta but then I can never find it again.

Thanks for the link!