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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.
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.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 06:59 pm (UTC):)
I have been giving this some thought in relation to Generation Hex, and I made some notes yesterday about how to go as far as possible in creating an elite comm or archive that doesn't look wankerish.
I also think it's important to ensure that there is a mechanism for people to apply. IMO, 'invitation only' is a bit of a power trip for the mods. Rather than being encouraging to authors, it's a clear warning message to stay away, and regardless of whether any of the existing invite only comms actually do recruit new members based on who their mates are (and their mates' mates ...) people BELIEVE it to be true, so it might as well be.
There are some wildly popular authors in fandom whose work leaves me unmoved. Some of them are what I would categorise as the 'Hermione Granger' author: people whose work is technically squeaky clean, but ultimately lacks any real soul. Other authors have bucket loads of soul, but they can't seem to learn enough technical skill to showcase their work in a positive light.It's swings and roundabouts, and what constitutes 'good' to me won't necessarily mean 'good' to you, and vice versa.
A set of guidance on what the mods are looking for in a fic is a must, imo. It gives people the opportunity to see, transparently, what the criteria for success is based on, meaning everyone has an equal opportunity to work towards inclusion, based on their skill, commitment, and perseverence. Hard as it is, some people will never be good enough, no matter how much they want it. We are all that person in relation to some aspect of our lives.
So, the list I started on to try and outline what I look for in a good fic is below:
Does the author demonstrate an above average understanding and usage of good grammar, spelling and punctuation (including Potterwords)?
Does the author demonstrate that they know the canon details of JKR's universe, and use them appropriately in their story?
Does the author write in a manner that is accessible to read? (Structure of sentences and paragraphs, plotting a coherent story.)
Does the author tell an original, engaging story?
Do the main characters ring true as male wizards of the chronological age at which they are written?
Are any featured canon-based characters recognisable, and if not, is there a well-plotted explanation as to why the person behaves differently?
Does the plot make sense?
Did I enjoy the story, and did I enjoy the experience of reading it?
That's as far as I got.
Edited, because I have no idea why this comment was not posted in the order I typed it ...
no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 10:54 pm (UTC)Oh dear, looks like I won't be invited! ;D
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 02:07 pm (UTC)More seriously, though, these look like objective criteria, but it still begs the question about what is a good story.
Lots of people confuse 'I don't like that' with 'this is shit' but sometimes the reason you don't like it is because it's shit.
Believability of characterisation is just this huge minefield.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 02:27 pm (UTC)I think that's why you need to have a decent pool of mods if an elite archive is to have any hope, and liked one of the suggestions elsewhere here that said mods declare biases, it would make it handy to know before following their recs.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 02:35 pm (UTC)I think everyone knows mine by now. Snerfles. Though there are some odd ones. I won't read fic with Draco smoking. It annoys the snot out of me.
I'm trying to book tickets for our sojourn. This is not going well. I thought the extra day would help.
Next time pick somewhere more convenient. Like bleeding Azerbaijan.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 02:46 pm (UTC)I reckon the idea that you need to check in two hours before a flight is bollocks. I've spent all my previous trips hanging round doing sod all. Ah well if I miss my plane out I'll just get another one the next day. I'm a spendthrift. Fuck it. I'm not happy about turning up at the airport at 11pm, mind, but it's that or three the next day.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 03:16 pm (UTC)I shall just expect a rescue mission if there are no taxis. And I shall have to prepare a little speech to order one.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 03:43 pm (UTC)Albergo Pendini, per favore. Via Strozzi due (2). Grazie.
We will come and rescue you if needs be! And don't forget to organise a late book in.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 03:49 pm (UTC)I'm still trying to arrange rooms. Did you manage to book online?
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 06:39 pm (UTC)I think what we've got in our favour is that the group of mods isn't exactly a group of friends. Other than Brammers and me, the rest of us happen to be connected via Hex, and not because we've gravitated towards each other as like-minded friends. Between us we have a very broad reading interest, and I'm banking on that breadth to stand us in good stead.
But those who get turned down will still wank about it - it's human nature to feel pained about any rejection.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 06:53 pm (UTC)