Fandom (more specifically, fanficton) on the internet is an interesting animal. I've been exposed primarily to *chans and LiveJournal when it comes to fandom.

The slang each fandom develops, and also the global jargon, is fascinating to me.

One would expect fandom to be filled with untalented hack writers, and yet good writers sometimes use fanfiction to brush up on their skills. Some may even do it anonymously. Talented, yet anonymous and unpaid, and working tirelessly to get the next chapter up for their followers, all for the love of fandom. Fanfics can often accumulate fans of their own, spawning crossovers and spinoffs...I can't get enough of studying this subculture.

I've always thought the internet was an untapped goldmine for sociologists and psychologists. The group dynamics that take place online and especially in fandom are, as you said, fascinating. Fandoms are almost like little societies with fanfiction being the vessels in which so much can happen; ship wars, fandom wank, the rise of trends and new ideas, uniting the fandom, boosting writers to the level of superstars within the fandom, and so much more.