by Karl Jorgensen

The main problem was he was trying to take back the fandom from people who had a legitimate interest in anthropomorphic animals and every right to be here. Burned Fur showed up a few years later and basically did the same thing. I mentioned it to Hangdog and he just responded with a bunch of questionmarks.

I've already gone on exhaustively about what works in the past, but I've never really written down what doesn't. Here are a few hints:

• Rants Don't Make Good Policy. Showing everyone how angry and loud and mean you can be may get you other angry and loud and mean supporters (i.e., legendary UseNet troll StukaFox), but it makes you an embarassment and a liability to the middle-of-the-road folks who make up the overwhelming majority of the fandom.
• Pay Attention To Your Critics. Listen to what people are saying about you. When Burned Fur first hit the newsgroups, Everyone And Their Dog Flippy said they were too extreme. You don't learn from your mistakes by dismissing everyone who disagrees with you as "The Opposition."
• Stop Infighting and Scapegoating. If you don't like getting tarred with a broad brush, what makes you think others will like it? Don't blame people for things they didn't do. You'll just end up fighting with people who would've been supporters and alienating them as a result.
• Be Excellent To Each Other. Set a good example. Be civil to your fellow furry fans. Recognize that in furry fandom, like the real world, not everyone is the same as you. Treat people with respect. If you think you can accomplish your goals by giving people a kick in the ass, don't act surprised when they turn around and kick you right back.

I'll also add this little caveat: Expect an uphill battle. Someone mentioned on AFF years ago that after Burned Fur, any future attempt at a reform movement would have to deal with having the albatross of Burned Fur around it's neck. Whether that's still true or not, I don't know. If you had to work extra hard to convince folks you're legit at this point, though, it wouldn't surprise me at all.