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How to know if certain fandom conflicts just involve a VocalMinority or include the SilentMajority

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AppleGates Since: Feb, 2018
#1: Jun 5th 2018 at 7:28:56 PM

It seems very hard to find if certain fandom conflicts (Fandom Rivalry, Ruined FOREVER, Broken Base, Ship-to-Ship Combat, Fan Dumb, Unpleasable Fanbase, Die for Our Ship) just involve a Vocal Minority (they may sometimes use multiple alternate accounts in tandem to "boost" their numbers), or if it involves the rest of the fandom as well, including the Silent Majority? The Silent Majority are the ones who don't care much on the work or don't voice their opinions, so having them actively engaging in these conflicts is contradictory.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#2: Jun 5th 2018 at 11:11:51 PM

There isn't. That's why telling whether a trope applies is difficult and why we default for inclusion when in doubt (i.e people are not allowed to remove such entries without strong proof)

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AnotherDuck No, the other one. from Stockholm Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Mu
No, the other one.
#3: Jun 6th 2018 at 1:47:17 AM

Most people who look for evidence of these tropes look for discussions that prove their points, which is Confirmation Bias.

What you can do is see what kind of discussions you find in different types of forums (generic ones that happen to have a topic about the work, reviews and their comments, videos and their comments, work-specific forums, etc.). Do they also involve those heated topics? Do they have the same opinions? Do they mention them without a strong opinion? Things like that can indicate what the Silent Majority thinks. Polls are also usually anonymous, so they tend to include more people who don't normally express themselves in posts.

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dragonfire5000 from Where gods fear to tread Since: Jan, 2001
#4: Jun 6th 2018 at 10:30:09 AM

I definitely feel like with audience reactions such as Broken Base and The Scrappy (basically the audience reactions most likely to attract complaining), it's always better to err on the side of caution.

AppleGates Since: Feb, 2018
#5: Jun 9th 2018 at 10:09:32 PM

The problem is with some cases, that the "civil, non-vocal" part of Silent Majority in actual cases of Fandom Rivalry, Broken Base or Hatedom. And even though the page Hate Dumb specifies that the Vocal Minority of Hatedoms is the "toxic, uncivil without any trace of Constructive Criticism ", whenever I see some cases of a Hatedom, regardless if they're vocal or not, they still show some instances of the Vocal Minority and/or Hate Dumb, which itself is an Aversion to this.

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#6: Jun 10th 2018 at 12:06:55 AM

Honestly, when in doubt I find it's best to assume you're dealing with a vocal minority.

4tell0life4 Since: Mar, 2018 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
#7: Jun 19th 2018 at 7:46:00 PM

Silent Majority would be by definition silent. The instant someone says anything they cease to be part of that group.

The extent of silent majority's "appreciation" is through purchasing the work.

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