Then, and now?

[Kobuk]

Sometimes when a person gets into a fandom, hobby, or other interest, they might have some pre-conceived notion based on what they've heard and/or seen, that the particular interest might be good, they'll like it, and they want to join/be a part of it. But sometimes after joining and being a part of a particular hobby for awhile, they may or may not have found that it's not all it's cracked up to be so to speak. Some people stay, and some people leave, for various reasons.

For those in the furry fandom after being in it for months and years, how was it for you? Was it all you had hoped for when you first learned about it and joined/started? Or were you let down after seeing and hearing various things and decided that maybe the furry fandom isn't what you thought it would be?

What were your thoughts then from months and years ago?
What are your thoughts now?

[Robert_Silvermyst]

I first got into the fandom way back in 1996.Back then, my only real exposure to the fandom itself were Furcadia for roleplay and mapbuilding, VCL for art, and when I turned 18, yiffy.net which has since ceased to exist. Even back then, the sexual element was pretty minor and I really didn't see it as a community, but more like a roleplaying outlet. I hadn't even known anything at all about things like furmeets and furcons. In fact, only last year did I really start to involve myself in the real life aspect of the fandom. I will admit, I'm usually pretty nervous about meeting new folks, as I have grown quite disconnected from the outside world, due to all of the hostilities and insanity ravaging not only our nation but our world. Becoming a more active part of the community has certainly helped me become more confident  around others. I now own a partial, currently incomplete since I'm still working on the arm gloves. I have art for my fursona now, and what went from a simple medieval themed character has evolved to have a massive story surrounding him and a world I have hand-crafted with a rich, deep amount of lore.

[Subzerus]

It was way better than I thought I'd be! Let's just say were I first heard about the fandom was in TV and they said it was people in fursuits doing not family friendly stuff   

[Loc]

My opinion hasn't changed. Some people in the fandom are decent, nice people. Some are not. Furries are just like any other large collection of people. Got to sort out the wheat from the chaff. It's what I thought when I joined the fandom years ago, and it's what I think now.

Although I had hoped the fandom would be a little more accepting than it is, on the whole.

[GrayWolf448]

when i first heard of the fandom it was from 1000 ways to die so of course i though the fandom was weird and made fun of it. but after i found out about what the fandom really was, i decided to join.

i have yet to really experience much of the fandom. have pretty much only been on furtopia, and only follow about 3-5 other furries on twitter/facebook/furaffinity. i have watched videos of conventions, but have never been to one (they seem like something i might enjoy, but not completely sure now)

i have had some bad experiences with other people in the fandom, but hopefully things in the future are better.

though even with the things i dislike in the fandom it doesnt make me dislike the anthro art/fursona stuff, and iv got nothing against the community here on furtopia, or a few furries i know on youtube. so even with the bad parts of the furry fandom  there is still some good people

[Subzerus]

when i first heard of the fandom it was from 1000 ways to die so of course i though the fandom was weird and made fun of it. but after i found out about what the fandom really was, i decided to join.

Sounds just like me.

[Old Rabbit]

Living in a rual area I didn't have easy access to the internet till late 1996. So it was 1997
before I learned of the fandom online. I had seen references to it on TV years before that, but
it wasn't till 1997 that I found Yerf and furrymuck, and after posting drawings on Yerf at
that time and doing RP on mucks I have enjoyed the fandom ever since.

I found furtopia in 2004, but didn't join till spring of 2005. I have been on the forum about
every day since. I have been on several art sites, but I have found furtopia to be a friendly
place, and has been a nice place to get feedback on my art.

Other than being a little more out spoken I haven't changed much over the years. It's
probably due to my age. When younger, people often change over time, but when you
reach your 50's and later you pretty much know what you like and want to do. I think
that's why young people often think older people are grumpy. Elders don't like change so
we complain about everything. 

I try to be open to new ways of thinking, but ideas from the past often get in my way.

Old Rabbit

[GrayWolf448]

*facepalm
>goes on furaffinity
>checks journals of one of my favorite artists
>random stuff like posts about her pets, or moving, and just general stuff going on in her life
>barely any comments (0-30) a week or more old journals
>posts new journal asking what exotic species she should draw next in adult content.
>105 comments within 2 days

i have nothing against people liking that stuff but really.... kinda disappointing me how people give her far more attention when she says she is going to draw 18+ artwork, yet dont seem to have much of a reaction to other stuff.

well those people kinda bother me, but at least the whole fandom isn't like that...

[phinox]

My first interaction with the fandom was here, I joined here feb 2015, so coming up on 2 years here, I've been through a lot and have matured loads. I honestly loathe my old self, it's almost like I was trying to prove myself as a member, rather than how I'd do it now, which is subtle XD.

[Rocket T. Coyote]

At first, I thought it was all about fursuiting, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. Once I attended my first con, I became more involved and hosted a panel.

[Chipper Blu-wolf]

What really drove me into the whole furry fandom thing was reading the first Redwall book where you clearly had anthropomorphic mice, squirrels, otters, foxes, rats, stoats, etc. interacting as if they were humans set in a medieval time period.  I want to say I read the first book probably 1999 or so.  The only internet we had in the house was dial up and it cost too much money if you spent too much time online so each person in the family had set time limits. :p  When we switched to cable internet, that's when I browsed around and found the ezboard Furry Forum in 2002 or so.  At the time I thought furry was basically people who liked animals, and made animals like humans, kind of like Brian Jacques did for Redwall.  I stayed on that forum for about three years, then the whole board system was hacked and the forum disbanded.  I could've joined furtopia then, as I did know about it, but I never went that deep into the fandom.  If you saw my art thread, you saw some of my old art stuff.  Fursuiting, cons, fursonas, it just wasn't for me at that stage in my life and at that time.  Focusing on my degree and career was far more important.   Having rejoined the fandom again this year, I'm looking more into what the fandom really is and trying to be a bigger part of it this time around.  I do have a fursona, I am drawing more art that certainly can be classified as furry, I've had people say I should draw furry art.  So far, I can't say I'm disappointed.  I enjoy watching other fursuiters go out and interact with people and kids and make them smile.  I'm still not certain that's really for me; I'd rather teach them something, and be happy they learned something from me.

[Fleeyock]

I steered away from the fandom for over fifteen years. I'd say Im still not really involved, not quite yet anyway. I was first estranged by much of the anthro art with characters with head hair and very hominid bodies, since my "furry universe" was preconceived of more animalized looking characters. In retrospect Id say I was pretty closed minded to what others thought. Further digging years later made me think that the fandom was just a repository for overhormoned teenage males and social deviants, so I dismissed it, even though I'd say I easily would have fallen under both categories at the time. But something made me take a second look in it. I honestly feel significantly more mature then I was then, and I suppose I wanted to find the more mature side of the fandom, so I waited until I felt like I was ready.

[Matias C.]

I don't have so much to say but... I was very shy about interacting with other furs since then, so I didn't know very much what types of people you could find in your way. Since beginning of this year, I had been reading a lot about furry fandom history and learned things that probably I'm not supposed to know.   Eventually, I started to learn more about social engagements within the fandom (from actual and historic times as well). I've always thought that the whole point of the fandom is meeting each other.

Now, I'm just worried about meeting new people one more time.

[Acton]

This  December will mark  my 10th year  in the fandom and leaving American evangelicalism for Reformed and Anglicanism (I have conferees it open the door  when I left fundamentalism  noting there not real problem with a Christian  becoming a furry) .  I know about the fandom since 1999 is it changed me making me more open and to come out of  my shell.  Before furry I was more  of a loner  as a lifestyle choice and  can  see me moving to a rural area and become   Hikikomori by choice.  Furry  has open me up to relate with others in the fandom also  involvement  with  people  in other fandoms  including  anime and  eventually steampunk. 

[Feuerfuchs]

I like to think I'm less naiive and more careful now. Not everyone is a good person just because they're a furry. ;P

[wereaibo1]

I spent my early days spending time in both the therian and furry communities though now I'm exclusively furry. I prefer the more laid back atmosphere of the Furry fandom. These days I prefer to consider myself a Furry lifestyle over a therian.