Thomas would want the Sanders Sides fandom to be a place of celebration of art, writing, and each other. I loved this fandom when that’s all it was. Let’s all join forces to restore the fandom to an era of peace once more. Here are some effective ways to combat hate anons and hate blogs:
1) Turn off anons.
This is crucial. This way, anyone who wants to say something bad must say it to your face or through a specific blog, identity revealed and all. I would highly encourage you guys to do this when the fandom is having a bad spell, even if it’s only temporary. This is a preventative measure that will discourage hate anons everywhere.
2) Block negativity.
If you see hate, don’t respond. The best way to combat the issue is not to make a lesson of it to the fandom, or try to get it to go viral. Blocking the ask or blog quietly and moving on, and getting the support you need from behind the scenes, is the best way to silently subdue the hate and keep it contained while protecting your amazing and adorable followers. Bonus points if you take the extra 2 minutes to report hate blogs to Tumblr staff.
3) Spread positivity.
You don’t need an occasion to do this! If we’re a fandom that encourages diversity and love for each other, let’s have that love flow abundantly from the wellsprings of our hearts. Send loving asks and feedback to artists and writers! Compliment blogs you love, compliment Thomas and Co. Say something positive about a theory or idea instead of bringing it down or focusing on its faults. This tactic is all about placing more weight and emphasis on the glass being half-full.
4) It’s not a contest.
Something important to remember is that writers and artists coexist, and are not in constant competition. Being a blogger in this fandom is not a race or a contest to see who can be the most popular. Follower count does not equal your worth on Tumblr. “Big blog” and “fandom overlord” are fake titles that mean absolutely nothing. The sooner we recognize this, the better. Many fandom tensions are based around jealousy and the toxic exaltation of bigger bloggers, which creates a negative vacuum of dissatisfaction for bloggers that are not as well-known.
5) Stop talking about the hate.
This only inspires and provokes more hate because the haters know that they can get a reaction, and that is exactly what they want. Attention. The sooner we stop giving haters the attention they crave, the sooner the hate anons will back off. Even if haters are persistent, if we come together in ignoring them collectively, lifting each other up, and drowning out the negativity with positivity, they will quickly lose their motivation. This is crucial. I know we all feel a responsibility to warn other people of hate blogs so they can block as well, but sometimes those posts only stir up more drama. Let’s keep those to a minimum as well if we can. Warn, but not in excess.
I hope this post will be of assistance to many of you during this time, as fandom hate and tensions are at an all-time high. If you liked this post, please feel free to signal boost it so others can see these tips and put them to use!
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Here are some effective ways to combat the hate!
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