Peter Guttierez wrote in School Library Journal that "[T]here’s probably no single better way to teach online citizenship to young people than through their participation in organized fandom." To him this involved a behavior checklist because "fans must take into account not just the short-term value of making a point or having the last word, but their long-term relationships with their fellow fans." Some of them include "Am I “adding value” through this interaction, either to an individual or to the wider community? Or am I making this online conversation almost entirely about myself?" and "Am I considerate of others’ privacy and safety?"

In The birth of a fanboy, writer Larry Sukernik talks about the rationalization people use for their investments in something, as the seed that shifts them from consumer to fan. "[Once] you buy your first iPhone...you’re invested in Apple. Apple’s success is now your success, Apple’s failure is your failure. But why?" The reason is the continuation of the fandom product, because its loss will negatively impact your investment in it. "Not only does that leave you with an abandoned phone, but it also means that you made the incorrect phone choice. You made a bad decision, and you were wrong. Nobody wants to be wrong."

Not that fans haven't always known about published works that have had their serial numbers filed off, but apparently the wider world is taking notice. Book Riot took a tongue-in-cheek look at YA literature to speculate on which of its works might secretly be fanfiction. "By now we know that Twilight spawned not one but TWO works of fan-fiction that became hot publishing properties...What’s super-amusing about this is that all the books in the Twilight series are Stephenie Meyers’ fan-fiction-y versions of her favorite classics...I have a feeling there’s more popular YA out there that’s secretly fan-fiction and am going to put on my Girl Detective hunting cap and jump right in and start guessing." Among her choices: "The Fault in Our Stars is just Dawson’s Creek if both Pacey and Joey had cancer" and "Matched by Ally Condie is obviously just fan-fiction for The Selected Works of Dylan Thomas."