Relocation? Or gafiation?

[kathleen_dailey]

I was idly looking up a fan writer whom I used to follow a number of years ago on LJ. I was happy when I found that they had a DW account, but when I clicked on the profile I saw that their last update was 350 weeks ago, which somehow sounds even longer than "almost seven years." The writer's DW and AO3 accounts haven't been deleted, so I have to hope and assume that they're still alive and thriving.

I don't know why, but I feel a real sense of loss when I find that someone I remember from years ago has disappeared from this corner of fandom. Maybe the person hasn't really gafiated--maybe they're active on other platforms, and maybe their personal website has just moved elsewhere, without a redirect. (Or, most likely, given the quality of their writing, they've gone pro under another name.) But when a Google search turns up nothing useful, they may as well be in another universe.

Comments

[senmut]

Oh I feel this. So much. When I prune the inactive accounts from my circle, I sometimes wince, seeing long-term fannish friends gone for years on end.

[sixbeforelunch]

Oof, yeah I know this feeling. I prune my circle usually about once a year and it always leaves me melancholy to see people I used to interact with regularly be gone and have no idea where they are or how they're doing.

[jenab]

I feel this so much, especially when I deleted my Livejournal account and was looking at the friends list. So many people and no idea what happened to them.

[bleodswean]

Right. I had so many other journals I wrote under...I wonder if anyone is looking for those old names. But yes, I've had this experience. Remember when we used to rejoice when one of us went pro?! Now, how would we ever know....

[labingi]

Thanks for sharing this. I feel that way a lot. I really miss the community of LJ.