Fannish Mentoring

Related terms:
See also:	Neofan, Feral Fans
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Lots of fans teach each other things. The term fannish mentoring is usually used for a more intensive type of training typical of older fandoms, particularly those not regarded as feral fandoms and particularly prior to widespread fandom activity on the internet.

Fannish mentoring is often cited as one of the big differences between print fandom and net fandom. It has been especially important for VCR vidding and other fannish practices that require a lot of knowledge or equipment to get started.

Fan Comments

1994

I always cringe when people talk about the "mentoring" of new fans. No one mentored me. No one mentored the first generation of fandom. If someone had suggested that I needed mentoring when I first started in fandom, I never would have continued. That's something I left behind in high school sororities along with secret handshakes. I got into fandom because of the shows, not because of the fans. And I didn't join fandom to gain a social life, I already had one.

1996

I have one fledgling. She's ambivalent about fandom, though her first con experience was Virgule and she had a great time. I was nervous that she wouldn't and so I must confess I have had more fun at cons than this one, but I had some insight into how [M] must have felt at my first con.