Actually, I do know a couple of people who are closeted about fanfic that isn't slash. It isn't even sexy... one gal is just uncomfortable about writing HP because it's based on a kid's book. I don't know why it worries her--ghod knows nobody makes a profit from watching football games or bowling or knitting slipcovers for tissue boxes--but she isn't terribly confident about writing at all, and I guess she just doesn't want criticism of any sort from the nearest & dearest. I'd say come out with the writing and let the N&D deal with it, but it's not my relationship.
I'm not conflating anything; I'm saying that when people conceal truth about themselves in response to a perceived threat (and I'm not going to argue cases over what is a valid threat; I'm talking subjective reaction), there's a negative effect on the person. It doesn't matter if it's being gay or writing furry stories (which really hits my wtf? button) or being addicted to jellybeans. Of course the degree varies enormously--nobody's going to be killed for hoarding marshmallow peeps. The possibility of someone being beaten for writing slash fanfic? Extremely remote, but not impossible. Saying "nobody is going to be---" is not the same as saying "It's not likely that anybody is going to be---" There are too damned many crazies in the world.
I do think the OTW folk are more into slash than not, which is likely to be a major stumbling block to the establishment of one all-encompassing archive--a lot of genficcers aren't going to want to be in the same archive as the slashers. Hell, I don't want my stuff in The Greatest Biggest Archive In The Whole World. Bigger isn't better--bigger is more egos bouncing off one another, more flames, more bullshit. And the reward is -- what? A little more fic available without having to track it down? Sorry, when did someone decide that all fic ever written have to be available forever?
This whole project reminds me of the convolutions many of my friends went through in the heyday of the feminist movement--much of the rhetoric is indistinguishable. That movement had much merit and did a lot of good, but also made for some of the goofiest, most grandiose verbiage in the multiverse, and it frequently led to an impasse where no one could say anything for fear of being critical or judgemental to someone else's free expression. I've seen fanfic lists shut themselves down trying to be all things to all members--it always comes down to rigid censorship in the name of tolerance.
Looking at this whole post, it strikes me as a case of your having a battle of wits with--well, not precisely an unarmed opponent, it's more like trying to discuss comparative theology with a crusading evangelical. When somebody's dead set on a course and only asking for opposing viewpoints in order to dismiss them, rational discussion is not possible. These are the same women who can come up with volumes of solipsistic silliness that justifies real-person sexfic wonderful and laudable, as long as the people who are being misrepresented never hear about it. I think this attitude is deplorable.
You find the comparison of fanfic and gay marriage infuriating; I find it silly. It isn't that I find sexual identity or civil rights unimportant--on the contrary, we had a long and difficult transition to move to Canada, where our relationship is described, with beautiful simplicity, as "marriage." That's real life. Fanfiction is not real life.
I expect OTW will attract a number of zealous souls who may well manage to assemble a good-sized chunk of fiction. It'll also probably spawn a certain amount of wank, and eventually much of it will fizzle out as people find other things to be fervent about. I hope some of them devote their energy to combating global warming. You can answer this if you want to, but please don't feel you must. The arguments are starting to look and sound like a merry-go-round.
no subject
I'm not conflating anything; I'm saying that when people conceal truth about themselves in response to a perceived threat (and I'm not going to argue cases over what is a valid threat; I'm talking subjective reaction), there's a negative effect on the person. It doesn't matter if it's being gay or writing furry stories (which really hits my wtf? button) or being addicted to jellybeans. Of course the degree varies enormously--nobody's going to be killed for hoarding marshmallow peeps. The possibility of someone being beaten for writing slash fanfic? Extremely remote, but not impossible. Saying "nobody is going to be---" is not the same as saying "It's not likely that anybody is going to be---" There are too damned many crazies in the world.
I do think the OTW folk are more into slash than not, which is likely to be a major stumbling block to the establishment of one all-encompassing archive--a lot of genficcers aren't going to want to be in the same archive as the slashers. Hell, I don't want my stuff in The Greatest Biggest Archive In The Whole World. Bigger isn't better--bigger is more egos bouncing off one another, more flames, more bullshit. And the reward is -- what? A little more fic available without having to track it down? Sorry, when did someone decide that all fic ever written have to be available forever?
This whole project reminds me of the convolutions many of my friends went through in the heyday of the feminist movement--much of the rhetoric is indistinguishable. That movement had much merit and did a lot of good, but also made for some of the goofiest, most grandiose verbiage in the multiverse, and it frequently led to an impasse where no one could say anything for fear of being critical or judgemental to someone else's free expression. I've seen fanfic lists shut themselves down trying to be all things to all members--it always comes down to rigid censorship in the name of tolerance.
Looking at this whole post, it strikes me as a case of your having a battle of wits with--well, not precisely an unarmed opponent, it's more like trying to discuss comparative theology with a crusading evangelical. When somebody's dead set on a course and only asking for opposing viewpoints in order to dismiss them, rational discussion is not possible. These are the same women who can come up with volumes of solipsistic silliness that justifies real-person sexfic wonderful and laudable, as long as the people who are being misrepresented never hear about it. I think this attitude is deplorable.
You find the comparison of fanfic and gay marriage infuriating; I find it silly. It isn't that I find sexual identity or civil rights unimportant--on the contrary, we had a long and difficult transition to move to Canada, where our relationship is described, with beautiful simplicity, as "marriage." That's real life. Fanfiction is not real life.
I expect OTW will attract a number of zealous souls who may well manage to assemble a good-sized chunk of fiction. It'll also probably spawn a certain amount of wank, and eventually much of it will fizzle out as people find other things to be fervent about. I hope some of them devote their energy to combating global warming. You can answer this if you want to, but please don't feel you must. The arguments are starting to look and sound like a merry-go-round.