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Fanlib.com ruckus
May. 23rd, 2007 04:38 pmSo, I'm new to this ruckus. I'm starting to pick up on things.
So, the general anger is over the fact that it's a for-profit site? That the PTB of the site refuse to step out on a limb legally if a writer gets a C&D? Something about woman in fandom?
Help me out here. . .
My opinions on what I've read so far:
I post at fanlib.com. Where else do I post: fanfiction.net, Black, White and Read, portkey.org, my personal website, my LJ, various communities on LJ. Stars Hollow message board, Stardom Secured message board, VAMB, FanForum, TWOP. . . the list probably goes on.
Do I like any of these places more than another? No, not really because they all have their flaws.
fanlib.com takes a long time to load, it's graphic intense and the owner/operators are still learning how to do things. fanfiction.net can't seem to get it's act together and make everything work at the same time, you can't find the admin, they have no trouble shooting guide and no matter how many times you report a story for TOS violations, it keeps popping up again.
B,W&R's stories have to be approved by an admin. If they go out of town, your SOL, they also have specific ways they want a story to look/appear/be listed and there are no really clear guidelines as to what they want other than a short (form?) email telling you 'better luck next time'.
The list goes on. Do I have high hopes for any of these sites?
Yes, I hope fanlib.com makes it. They're doing things right. They have mass amounts of corporate sponsorship, their admins are easy to find and talk to (and, as a bonus, from what I've seen they all read, some even write), they take fan/user input seriously. We asked to be able to see who marked stories as a favourite and we got that, same with many other things we asked for. Were the prizes a bonus? Sure, of course they were, but they're also starting to strike deals with actual shows.
How is this really any different from the Strange New Worlds contest Paramount runs for Star Trek fanfiction? We are getting corporate recognition! Fanfic writers are getting a voice in the corporate world! We should be embracing this, not trying to tear it down.
I read fanlib.com's TOS and, honestly? I never found the clause that says they own anything we post there. All they say is that they have the right to use anything posted there to promote the site. This is the same clause that Yahoo put into the Geocities TOS and I think we all remember the ruckus that caused.
Now, this said, do I have anything against fan-run archives? Not really. But, it comes down to staying impartial. One too many times I have watched a fan-run archive become a status symbol. (The Harry Potter fandom for example. . . ) A group of BNF's run the archive and things just become a contest to see who can get in good with these people. Or they change their mind and the archive stops being for fanfiction and becomes an archive for what THEY like to read. Bannings start happening, a rift appears in the fandom and then it all ends up on fandom_wank.
Is this all a little tl;dr? Probably. Should I have lj-cut it? Probably. Why didn't I? I think things like this need to be read. I think sponsored archives are the next step in fandom, if ony to really keep it open to everyone so we don't have to battle the little cliques that spring up.
ETA And now I'm all confused and paranoid. Thanks internets. The problem I saw with a lot of the arguments (other than the fact that they were pulling their info from a brochure published 3-4 years ago. . .) Most of the stuff their using to argue their point can be liberally interpreted. The whole "colouring in the lines" thing? EVERYONE wants people to colour in the lines. Abiding the rules that are set out can be considered colouring in the lines. When ever you ask any of the admins about any of this, they give a very compelling argument as to how people are just stirring up trouble.
Verdict: I'm leavin' my shit up there for now. I'm not going to feel guilty about the t-shirt, %40 from Amazon or the iPod nano I got from them. I shall give them the benefit of the doubt until further notice.
So, the general anger is over the fact that it's a for-profit site? That the PTB of the site refuse to step out on a limb legally if a writer gets a C&D? Something about woman in fandom?
Help me out here. . .
My opinions on what I've read so far:
I post at fanlib.com. Where else do I post: fanfiction.net, Black, White and Read, portkey.org, my personal website, my LJ, various communities on LJ. Stars Hollow message board, Stardom Secured message board, VAMB, FanForum, TWOP. . . the list probably goes on.
Do I like any of these places more than another? No, not really because they all have their flaws.
fanlib.com takes a long time to load, it's graphic intense and the owner/operators are still learning how to do things. fanfiction.net can't seem to get it's act together and make everything work at the same time, you can't find the admin, they have no trouble shooting guide and no matter how many times you report a story for TOS violations, it keeps popping up again.
B,W&R's stories have to be approved by an admin. If they go out of town, your SOL, they also have specific ways they want a story to look/appear/be listed and there are no really clear guidelines as to what they want other than a short (form?) email telling you 'better luck next time'.
The list goes on. Do I have high hopes for any of these sites?
Yes, I hope fanlib.com makes it. They're doing things right. They have mass amounts of corporate sponsorship, their admins are easy to find and talk to (and, as a bonus, from what I've seen they all read, some even write), they take fan/user input seriously. We asked to be able to see who marked stories as a favourite and we got that, same with many other things we asked for. Were the prizes a bonus? Sure, of course they were, but they're also starting to strike deals with actual shows.
How is this really any different from the Strange New Worlds contest Paramount runs for Star Trek fanfiction? We are getting corporate recognition! Fanfic writers are getting a voice in the corporate world! We should be embracing this, not trying to tear it down.
I read fanlib.com's TOS and, honestly? I never found the clause that says they own anything we post there. All they say is that they have the right to use anything posted there to promote the site. This is the same clause that Yahoo put into the Geocities TOS and I think we all remember the ruckus that caused.
Now, this said, do I have anything against fan-run archives? Not really. But, it comes down to staying impartial. One too many times I have watched a fan-run archive become a status symbol. (The Harry Potter fandom for example. . . ) A group of BNF's run the archive and things just become a contest to see who can get in good with these people. Or they change their mind and the archive stops being for fanfiction and becomes an archive for what THEY like to read. Bannings start happening, a rift appears in the fandom and then it all ends up on fandom_wank.
Is this all a little tl;dr? Probably. Should I have lj-cut it? Probably. Why didn't I? I think things like this need to be read. I think sponsored archives are the next step in fandom, if ony to really keep it open to everyone so we don't have to battle the little cliques that spring up.
ETA And now I'm all confused and paranoid. Thanks internets. The problem I saw with a lot of the arguments (other than the fact that they were pulling their info from a brochure published 3-4 years ago. . .) Most of the stuff their using to argue their point can be liberally interpreted. The whole "colouring in the lines" thing? EVERYONE wants people to colour in the lines. Abiding the rules that are set out can be considered colouring in the lines. When ever you ask any of the admins about any of this, they give a very compelling argument as to how people are just stirring up trouble.
Verdict: I'm leavin' my shit up there for now. I'm not going to feel guilty about the t-shirt, %40 from Amazon or the iPod nano I got from them. I shall give them the benefit of the doubt until further notice.
