I don't get super mad about well-behaved socks but I will say that as a participant even well-behaved socks can be frustrating.
-if you match on one it can be frustrating to have nothing at all but a letter and maybe a few other gifts. I'm not even someone who stalks recips, but I'm going to read certain things in you letter differently if you're an experienced active fan vs. a newb who just stopped lurking. If I can tell.
-also if you match with a probably-sock anonymity is harder? I sometimes post writing updates to a small locked group, but I know some of them sock up for yt, so I feel like I can't even freely, like, ask for a canon beta unless I know whose sock it is.
-if i get a gift fic and it's the best thing I've ever read, I want to go find the rest of your stuff too :(
-if I get a gift fic and it's coal, I'm going to slant my comment differently if it's a newb doing their best vs. someone's lazy sock. If I can tell
Like most of those would go away if people could just sign up twice, and they don't apply to long-standing, well-worn socks, but it's still always a letdown to check in on a participant and see ... blank space.
Re: Hot take time: are socks bad?
-if you match on one it can be frustrating to have nothing at all but a letter and maybe a few other gifts. I'm not even someone who stalks recips, but I'm going to read certain things in you letter differently if you're an experienced active fan vs. a newb who just stopped lurking. If I can tell.
-also if you match with a probably-sock anonymity is harder? I sometimes post writing updates to a small locked group, but I know some of them sock up for yt, so I feel like I can't even freely, like, ask for a canon beta unless I know whose sock it is.
-if i get a gift fic and it's the best thing I've ever read, I want to go find the rest of your stuff too :(
-if I get a gift fic and it's coal, I'm going to slant my comment differently if it's a newb doing their best vs. someone's lazy sock. If I can tell
Like most of those would go away if people could just sign up twice, and they don't apply to long-standing, well-worn socks, but it's still always a letdown to check in on a participant and see ... blank space.