"That doesn't change the fact that other fans WHO WERE ALSO AMONG HIS INFORMANTS over the years *did* have problems with it."

And if some of his *informants* were unhappy over the way he'd treated them, that must mean that Jenkins did/failed to do something that an ethical researcher wouldn't/should do.

The thing is, I believe Leah meant what she said to be understood as:

"That doesn't change the fact that other fans WHO WEREN'T INVOLVED IN THE STUDY over the years *did* have problems with it."

And that is, truly, an accurate statement going by my experience. There are a lot of fans, particularly slash-friendly ones, who don't at all like having a spotlight shown on their hobby. It has nothing to do with whether they thought his study was accurate, or whether or not they liked the conclusions/theories he drew from it. They simply *like* having fandom be their little secret cabal, safely hidden away from the eyes of mundanes.

If you don't understand why, well, how does British TV cover SF conventions over there? What we inevitably get is footage of the 300 pound guy in complete Klingon rig who insists on speaking in klingon and waving his plastic weapon menacingly at the reporter. IF your experience is that Attention to Fandom = Mockery of Fans then you, too, might very much prefer to be left quietly alone and dislike *anything* which draws attention to fandom's existence.

Susan Beth (susanbeth33@mindspring.com)