Granted this was the first big wave of "Furry as an aesthetic" where they also discouraged folks from using fursona and change it to OC's because couldn't be weird and want to actually be your fursona.

Yeah like, I have fursonas & I have OCs, those are 2 different things.

yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup which is also "furry as a brand" and "yourself as a brand" your fursona is not a representation of YOU it is a Marketable Character

I still use yif, yiffy, fursona etc. I ain't cleaning this up just to appease corporations that want to buy their way in. I'm sticking to un-marketable stuff...

Always be suspicious of anything that tries to take the Furry out of Furry. That way leads to shit like "anthro" fandom and nobody wants that.

Oh, I wouldn't say it was the first. See also "Burned Fur Movement", and know that while it officially started in 1998, I've dealt with that attitude from some prominent fandom members as far back as the late 80's. They've been there a long time. They won't go away. So just keep being you anyway.