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<blockquote data-quote="MGibster" data-source="post: 8517344" data-attributes="member: 4534">My theory is that when people become part of a fandom, or as you put it nerd-community, it's part of their core identity.&nbsp; And anything associated with that fandom will have a much deeper significance to those people than simply being something they enjoy.&nbsp; When Firefly was still on the air, I had several friends who really, really got into it and I couldn't have a conversation with any of these people for very long before the conversation steered towards Firefly and it was bloody annoying.&nbsp; It was a big part of their lives and they networked with other &quot;Browncoats,&quot; as the fans referred to themselves, and actually built a lot of social connections they still have to this day.&nbsp; And this is different from people who simply like a show, book, game, or whatever.&nbsp; When something is tied up in our identities, we tend to defend it when aspects are criticized.&nbsp; I thought myself immune to such things, but as a graduate student I remember getting into a discussion with an Englishman where he asserted that colonist had no justification for their little rebellion, which, as an American, kind of struck a nerve.&nbsp; Pictured below:&nbsp; Two graduate students discussing the finer points of the Stamp Act and the legitimacy of the British Parliament to govern the American colonies.&nbsp; [ATTACH=full]150183[/ATTACH]</blockquote>

[QUOTE="MGibster, post: 8517344, member: 4534"] My theory is that when people become part of a fandom, or as you put it nerd-[B]community[/B], it's part of their core identity. And anything associated with that fandom will have a much deeper significance to those people than simply being something they enjoy. When [I]Firefly [/I]was still on the air, I had several friends who really, really got into it and I couldn't have a conversation with any of these people for very long before the conversation steered towards [I]Firefly [/I]and it was bloody annoying. It was a big part of their lives and they networked with other "Browncoats," as the fans referred to themselves, and actually built a lot of social connections they still have to this day. And this is different from people who simply like a show, book, game, or whatever. When something is tied up in our identities, we tend to defend it when aspects are criticized. I thought myself immune to such things, but as a graduate student I remember getting into a discussion with an Englishman where he asserted that colonist had no justification for their little rebellion, which, as an American, kind of struck a nerve. Pictured below: Two graduate students discussing the finer points of the Stamp Act and the legitimacy of the British Parliament to govern the American colonies. [ATTACH type="full" width="172px"]150183[/ATTACH] [/QUOTE]

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