Shrines and The Outside World

[dubiousdisc]

All of my friends and my sister and my girlfriend are into fandom, so they know. My parents know too, but I prefer not to have them snooping around my stuff just because...well. As for other people, sometimes if the topic goes in that direction I will tell them, but I will always note that I do it as a leisure activity and I will always put on a huge disclaimer that I'm not serious at all in this, lest they think I'm involved in the scary part of fandom. Sometimes I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I wrote 15000 words about a non-canon gay pairing in Pokémon, but hey, everyone does silly things, right?

[Mikari]

I agree with Emma and have some similar situations.

I only share my sites with those who have an interest. I tend to keep to what/who interests me so generally I only make friends with people who share my interests. I will still talk to coworkers and joke with them and laugh and all that but that's only for as long as they are a part of my schedule. Friends I still talk to even if I don't run into them in person. I've shown my sites to coworkers before, not expecting them to understand much. They didn't really "get it" but thought the pages were cute.

I have no patience for explaining things and rather have actual conversations (as opposed to monologues accompanied with confused stares) with people who already know the basics. It's just much more interesting and worthwhile than trying to explain things to someone who just doesn't get it.

[Aa-chan]

It... Well... >_>;

My parents, siblings, and various members of my family are floored that I know how to do coding in Notepad, as opposed to using a site builder (though if you ask my dad and stepmother, they'll tell you I'm just wasting my time when I could be reading up on religion, or something). The only person I share fandom with is my brother, and my two-year-old niece, though. XD (I got a nephew on the way next month, and I plan to make him into a fandom aficionado as well when he's old enough. :3 Always good to start 'em young, I say).

But, when it comes to people like my coworkers... Yeah, kind of embarrassed. ^^; They know I love video games, and are always asking about what's good to get for their kids, or whatever, but, as to go out on a limb and say, "I made a shrine to a video game character! =D" I'm afraid they'll look at me crazy... >>; Lol.

[Sarah]

The only person I know in real life who is aware of my shrine-making hobby is my friend, the one who got me into making websites in the first place. So naturally, she is cool with it. Other than that, I don't tell anyone about it. I don't think they would get it. And like Josephine mentioned, I do like to keep my real life separate from my online life.

I guess it's okay, though. The only downside I can think of is when people ask me what my hobbies are, I can't tell them about this. Heh.

[Vii]

The only people who know are the only ones worth talking to, really. I don't keep "friends" around who would think I'm weird for having a hobby like this. I have no patience for casual, hang out only friends. My two best friends know, one who could care less - I'll shrine, he can run his Minecraft server :) The other makes fun of me for it and then in the same breath tells me how her boyfriend had the greatest idea - he should cosplay as Naoto from Persona 4 with a beard, and she should be a totally not gay in any way Kanji. Another friend knows and sometimes wants to make shrines with me xD My sister knows as well, and she could care less - she'll obsess over the Sims, and I'll make shrines.

Everyone else thinks I just have "recreational webdesign" as a hobby. I'd probably be embarrassed if I had to explain it to anyone I'm not close with xD Then again, I'm pretty good at talking and making something seem like it's not that big of a deal. And I prefer to refer to them as "fansites" or "tributes" rather than "shrines," because fansite sounds more casual to me. A shrine sounds like I have a collection of pictures and locks of hair that I sniff on occasion hidden inside my closet and I light candles and offer small animals as sacrifices for my voodoo ways xD Everyone here knows and I know that's not the case, but still... xD

[Juhi]

Only a few know about my domain. Otherwise, it's pretty much an enigma to everyone else. I keep a solid boundary between my personal life and online one. Part of it is embarrassment, but I really prefer staying low key and avoiding drama/complications.

[Eden]

And I prefer to refer to them as "fansites" or "tributes" rather than "shrines," because fansite sounds more casual to me. A shrine sounds like I have a collection of pictures and locks of hair that I sniff on occasion hidden inside my closet and I light candles and offer small animals as sacrifices for my voodoo ways xD Everyone here knows and I know that's not the case, but still... xD

I prefer tribute or fansite over "shrine" for this reason. "Shrine" always rubbed me the wrong way. I don't judge anyone who calls their sites a shrine, but for me personally, I say tribute or fansite. I always felt that "shrine" conveyed the wrong message of a site and made me seem something of an obsessive person, when in reality, I'm just a fan that builds these things for fun.

[Kula]

I think most of the people I know RL know about how much I like anime/manga/games and how I make websites since I study to work on it BUT just some of them know which one is actually my domain and such... specially since I list on my domain my online alias and I even have some boys love content on it.

[Vii]

And I prefer to refer to them as "fansites" or "tributes" rather than "shrines," because fansite sounds more casual to me. A shrine sounds like I have a collection of pictures and locks of hair that I sniff on occasion hidden inside my closet and I light candles and offer small animals as sacrifices for my voodoo ways xD Everyone here knows and I know that's not the case, but still... xD

I prefer tribute or fansite over "shrine" for this reason. "Shrine" always rubbed me the wrong way. I don't judge anyone who calls their sites a shrine, but for me personally, I say tribute or fansite. I always felt that "shrine" conveyed the wrong message of a site and made me seem something of an obsessive person, when in reality, I'm just a fan that builds these things for fun.

Exactly! That was a much nicer way of putting it than what I said xD I totally agree with you :) Though like you said, it doesn't bother me if someone calls their site a shrine. It's just a personal thing for me too.

I think most of the people I know RL know about how much I like anime/manga/games and how I make websites since I study to work on it BUT just some of them know which one is actually my domain and such... specially since I list on my domain my online alias and I even have some boys love content on it.

That's about the same for me :) Though my two closest friends know I'm into BL and they don't judge me for it xD

[Mikari]

I actually got into saying "shrine" because of Amassment. Before I would always say fan site. I might switch to it again later when the mood strikes

The only people who know are the only ones worth talking to, really. I don't keep "friends" around who would think I'm weird for having a hobby like this. I have no patience for casual, hang out only friends.

I totally agree, although I keep good aquaintances at work, those are the talk to them when you're in the same place people.