In which I argue both the government and the opposition

[blamebrampton]

I was raised to be quite broadminded. So much so that I often find myself arguing against myself until I am nearly convinced of something I don't actually believe.  Or, as in this case, I actually DO believe both sides of the argument. Which brings us to today's topic:

ELITE ARCHIVES: GOOD FANDOM SERVICE OR SATAN'S BASTARD SPAWN?

By 'Elite Archives', I mean fic archives or communities that list fics that have been selected by a group of moderators, and which selections are made using particular criteria.

Some have invited authors, who are able to post any of their stories, others choose specific stories.

In the brief Pro Elite Archives case, they're a brilliant one-stop shop for good-quality fics in particular fandoms or pairings. You can be certain that anything posted there will be of a certain standard and that it will be, at a base level, *good*, regardless of whether or not it is to your specific taste.

These archives expose the work of excellent writers to a far broader audience than most could find on their own, and they also encourage writers whose work is given the stamp of approval. For people who are new to the fandom, they are a wonderful place to start, and for people within it they are a place to 'show our best'.

For the brief Anti case,  Elite  Archives focus on the best of fandom, according to *particular criteria*. Often this comes down to the personal tastes of a small group of people. While those tastes are almost certainly educated, and the mods that I know try to work against personal prejudices, it's impossible to not draw lines.

Drawing lines inevitably leads to hurt feelings, and accusations of bias against the mods, and of Princess Tantypantsdom against people who complain about being 'left out'. Then people who feel they have been hard done by strike back, and their friends take sides, and before you know it things look like one of those unfortunate Christmas dinners where you end up hiding in the stables.

To rebut the Pro case: how do you decide on that standard? There are only a small number of writers in fandom that I would describe as very good. There are more, but also a fairly small number, that I would describe as very bad. There are a lot who are average, and that's not an insult. Most of us are average writers at some point in our lives, just as we're average at sports we're learning. Then there is the group that makes the whole process incredibly difficult, the group of writers who are good, entertaining and competent, but not very good.

It's the difference between Trilby, which is a rollicking good novel, and Emma, which is brilliant. The difference between Disney's The Little Mermaid and Hans Christian Andersen's. In both cases the former is still enjoyable, but it's just not as good as the latter. However, people often enjoy the former more. Yet a truly Elite Archive would probably miss out on these. And so would its audience.

To rebut the Anti case: Elite is not a dirty word. Yes it's sad that some people might have their feelings hurt by not being included in a particular archive, but at the same time it acts as an incentive to learn about and improve their craft, while inclusion for inclusion's sake leads to a fandom that promotes mediocrity, and we have enough of that in politics these days.

In conclusion: 
Buggered if I know, you tell me what YOU think.

Comments

[romaine24.livejournal.com]

Just a quick response.

As long as the rules are posted and what qualifies and what doesn't I agree with you.

What is bothersome is being told that these are the elite and not told why beyond that these are people we know and think are the best. And saying they write great plots with no SPaG is not helpful in choosing what to read or not.

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree. Then again, to take the analogy a little further, if you're going to a professional game, you have a fair idea of the code and standard of sport you're going to see. It has clear rules and coaches are picked based on their capacity to interpret those rules and deliver a team that can play to them. But even in those circumstances you'll get coaches who aren't clear cut, who try and take their team and the game in muddy directions, often for personal reasons or self-aggrandisement. That's when you have to decide if they're the team for you.

But in any area that involves subjective decision making, you can't keep everyone happy all the time, no matter how clear the rules are. At some point personal judgement and taste is going to come into play. Writing and art are like gymnastics - it's not always about how high you can vault, it's also about whether the judge of the day likes the way you do it.

And things are only elite if we allow them to be in our own heads - nothing makes one archive more 'elite' than any other, except for the perceptions of the people participating and reading. Creative pastimes involve a fair amount of embedded emotional value, and this inevitably colours our reactions to how other react to what we produce.

One of the life lessons I was talking about is the one where we learn how to place our values on external opinions and our own sense of worth and satisfaction in what we achieve.

Sorry for the long winded response to your quick response. It's an imperfect world, full of imperfect situations. :D

[romaine24.livejournal.com]

I loved your response and your analogy.

To tell you the truth, I'm not sure why I'm even posting about this. I wasn't even aware of elite groups until recently. It was a little late for me as I'd already been in fandom for a while. When I became of aware of them, it did surprise me.

I just want to play ball and I'm hoping that others will too. My goal, though, is not be asked to be in one of these groups, but to actually write better and to entertain not just myself but others.

[meredyth-13.livejournal.com]

Excellent goals, and if I may say so, you're definitely making excellent inroads in achieving them. I wouldn't stalk your writing if I didn't think so. :D

[romaine24.livejournal.com]

♥

And your comment just made writing and posting stories worth it.