Reputation

[beetiger]

Recent events of various sorts have started me thinking about reputation. Lots of people are "known quantities" in certain groups and subcultures. There's some generally accepted knowledge about them (which may or may not be true), whether it's that they are crazy, or that they flirt a lot but don't really mean it, or that they are ridiculously generous, or flaky, or that they give good hugs, or some sort of old story that means that even someone new to the community gets some sense of something to expect from them, even before they meet them.

I probably have some sort of a reputation, in some of the communities I'm in. I've been hanging around long enough, and even though I'm not a super high profile person, I'm not the lowest profile one either. The poly, pagan, and furry communities are all very well known for this sort of thing, and the "mommy circuit" around here does a ton of it as well. The odd thing is, though, that I'm really utterly unaware of my own reputation. I have *no idea* what proceeds me in any of the groups I spend time with. *No idea* what people might joke about when they talk about me. *No idea* what someone might get warned about if they are planning to meet me. And somehow today, I'm thinking that that's a little odd.

Anonymous commenting enabled.

Comments

:: no idea ::

[eloiseaparis.livejournal.com]

me neither.

[beowabbit]

Well, I don’t have useful information for you, since I’m not sufficiently integrated in your communities to know, but I sometimes wonder about that myself (about my reputation, I mean).

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Other than you being the only furry I know (because you mentioned it), I can't think of anything good or bad.

In my mind furries are the pretty much the same as other role players around - costumers, war reinactors, ren fair folk.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Most furries think of you as the non-gay nice lady with the kid.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Which is to say "non-gay" in the sense of "not a college age gay male."

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

*laughs* You mean the old lady?

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Since anyone over 30 is a "grey muzzle" in this fandom, I suppose so. :)

[collie13.livejournal.com]

I think I just turned white then. ;)

BeeT, I don't know your circles well enough to say what your reputation is, but I do know I once went searching to see what mine was. It was astonishing how differently others viewed me from how I viewed myself. Initially I made quite some effort to "correct" their views, but at some point I realized what they thought I was still wasn't truly me. Also, sometimes I would have rather liked to be the person they saw! So eventually I quit worrying about it. The only constants I found were: those who disliked me wouldn't give me any information, and those who did like me were going to see me from a very interestingly different perspective.

Dunno if that helps -- just my two cents' worth. :)

[allessindra.livejournal.com]

I wonder teh same things, too. I can't help, tho, as the only thing I knew of you before we met was World Tree through my husband.

[rowyn]

The first time I remember hearing about you as Beetiger* was when ,lj user="queenofstripes"> raved about your bee-headed tiger costume, and posted some pictures. My thought was along the lines of "Oo! Sexy girl!"

I dunno if that helps any or not, but there ya go. :)

* Theoretically, the first time I heard about you would be when I was talking to Bard on FM and it was telling me it was getting married. But that didn't give me any particular feel for you as a person, whereas "shapely furry costumer" fit into more of a niche in my mind. Which is not to say it's the right niche, but it's still a reputation sort of thing. OK, the footnote is longer than the note now, I'm stopping.

Intelligence gathering? I can't even find MINE.

[forgotten-years.livejournal.com]

I dunno, did Joel Furr or Wired ever write about you? Is there extant art of your character's (or player's) likeness that you've not seen?

All I know is you're a sweet soul. No wonder so many love you.

-squeek.

[chipuni.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I don't run in your circles, either.

But you can get a good idea of what your reputation is:

Reread some of your journal entries from three years ago, and think what you'd think about that person.