Because this is literally tearing me the fuck apart. Warning: RANT INVOLVED.

[slasher48]

 I just. Ugh. I don't get it, and maybe that makes me naive, or ignorant, or power hungry, but I just, I DO NOT GET IT. Why in the world is ignorance so acceptable in this country? Who in the world, way back when education was being decided, agreed that laziness and being "passable" should be the standard we should shoot for? Who the FUCK believes

Comments

[twirl_away]

I don't get it. People are complaining about getting a beta? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! I've on several occasions offered to be a beta even if it was just to check spelling because I've noticed so many mistakes in a lot of stories. No one has ever really taken me up on my offer unless they were asking for it before I could ask. And let me tell you, I usually stopped reading said authors because all I could focus on was the stupidest spelling mistakes ever. Like really? You didn't realize you didn't spell Ville's name right?

[slasher48]

No, people are complaining about a network that takes newbies and veterans and puts them together (possibly mandatorily) in order for the newbies to learn the 'ropes' from said veterans and avoid many of the thoughtless mistakes that might be made. Thus, beta network.

I know, right? I feel that if you want to post, you should take pride in your writing enough to take advantage of all the options offered to you to make it the best it can be. It's just respecting the reader, right? I mean, you don't want to give the person who's getting your product shitty service, right? Why would you do that with writing?

And why the hell do we have to keep accepting the reputation fanfiction as a whole has and just write things off as "it's just fanfic"? I don't get that; improving your English skills or the way you write is only going to help you in the end. If somebody offers their skills to help you do so, why condemn them for it?

[twirl_away]

I think I still might be a little confused, but I'm sure I'll understand once said system is implemented.

Ugh. I hate it when someone says in their warning "this is really crappy and unbeta'd but I posted it anyway because I'm just really tired. I'd love it if you commented." Like what do you want me to say? That this sucked ass and you owe me some of my life back? Yeah, it's not a published work but it's still something you should put a little pride and effort into.

[slasher48]

Thank you!
OH MY GOD, thank you!

That's exactly how I feel after reading a work like that. Or works that have unnecessary color just thrown in there, fucking with your eyes. Or stories with "I suck at summerys" in front of them rather than even a VAGUE hint of what the story's about. (And while I'm at it with that summaries thing, the word summary is spelled correctly in the community's rules. I kind of feel it's just laziness to neglect spelling that right. Same with Author's Notes.)

Okay, well, I might not be able to implement said system, lol. If a lot of people feel like people pleasing should be above quality, then I have no idea what I'm going to do to change that. I mean, seriously, haven't we all been complaining in secret to each other for years about this story or that story? Don't we have a right, as a community, to expect better of our members than "let me know if there are errors 'cause I don't have a beta!"?

I think we do, but it appears I might be lynched for such things. Rad.

[blueandbrady]

Oh, how things have not changed. This is the exact same stuff that was going on when I left. Exact same that it's creepy. Vam is known to be one of the worst fic quality fandoms out there. Good luck changing that.

[slasher48]

Great. >.I hope you know that I'm not part of that. You do, right? I've been trying to help change it for years, but there's not much I can do without the community's backing

[slasher48]

I agree with that, but my best friend is telling me I'm being a snob and that fanfiction is just 'fun'. Since when did fun become a word associated with no substance? O.o

[slasher48]

And by no substance, I mean no commitment, no responsibility, no pride in one's work, whether it be professional or not. Why can't writing well-written work be just as fun as reading it?

(Well, therein lies that American teaching I'm talking about, I guess. Ugh. >.<)

[spinefarm]

Wow.

Tell the little bastards to shut the fuck up. They are either growing up and becoming adults, or are adults and should be able to write like one. Really now, it's not that hard.

What about the nickname shit?

[slasher48]

Yeah, I just. Ugh. I get what you're saying, but as the mod, I'm supposed to be all diplomatic and shit. Y'know?

The nicknames...just. Too many nicknames make the story seem vastly unrealistic. And some stories can get past that, but...some can't.

[spinefarm]

As the mod, you are supposed to make the community the best that it can be.

[slasher48]

I know, and I'm doing my best, but if the entirety of the community is too busy warring over whether or not the guidelines are appropriate, the community loses its credibility/fun-ness quickly. So it's a happy medium I need to find.

Trust me, I want the community to be the best it can be. But I'm a figurehead, not a monarch. I ask what they want and if they want what I want, it happens. If they want things to stay the same, they do.

Thankfully they don't. We'll see just how much change the community will bear. I'm hoping for all these guidelines implemented sometime in the next year...

[jehane_writes]

Okay, bb, these are my non-Vammer thoughts.

On the one hand, I would absolutely applaud anything you or anyone else did to improve the standard of fanfic anywhere. I think that if as a community you implemented measures that sought to promote commitment, responsibility and pride in one's work, that would be an immense thing. I know you display those qualities in your work and I like to think that I do, too.

As you mention, badfic lowers the reputation of a writing community as a whole, and makes things less enjoyable a read for the fans. I don't think it's elitist to think that way.

On the other hand, occasional badfic is generally better than no fic. (Though I guess REALLY REALLY badfic is better than no fic.) And having a Standards Police, where people deem your fic worthy before it can be posted, might have an unnecessarily chilling effect on newbies.

IMO, it's a matter of striking the right balance between being welcoming and encouraging and helpful, and cruelly crushing young dreams

[slasher48]

Thank you, lovely. I appreciate them

[bluespire]

"IMO, it's a matter of striking the right balance between being welcoming and encouraging and helpful, and cruelly crushing young dreams