I heard people say they were so offended by a fic that they need the place to rant. Not reading the story sounds like the more logical solution. And, sorry, but when a story comes with the warning "character bashing" in the author's note (which was where I hit the back button because I hate character bashing) and people go ahead and read it anyway, why on earth do they go to a rant comm afterwards to complain that there was character bashing in the fic? Unless they read it in order to have rant fodder.
Some people just like ranting, I guess.
I have, on rare occasions, criticized a fic by name -- but I've done it in my own lj, because doing it in a more public venue feels to me kind of like coming over to someone's house for the express purpose of telling them that their baby is ugly. The other thing is, it's almost always good fic that I find myself criticizing, because bad fic doesn't bother me in the same way. Bad fic is just . . . out there, and there's always going to be more of it; criticizing it is like shooting fish in a barrel. There's no real sport in it. But the good stuff that could be great if there weren't something about it that doesn't quite work, or the great stuff that unfortunately showcases what I think is a fandom-wide flaw or unfortunate trend -- that's what usually moves me to commentary.
That comm doesn't just have problems with badfic; some posters have an extremely narrow view of what makes good fanfic.
I have, on rare occasions, criticized a fic by name -- but I've done it in my own lj, because doing it in a more public venue feels to me kind of like coming over to someone's house for the express purpose of telling them that their baby is ugly.
*g* apt comparison. Yeah, I think that's a problem here. Public venue. It's a locked comm but Bones fandom is way too small for them to fly under the radar and the chances of an author finding out are pretty high (unlike fanficrants, which it's modelled after, I think I read... and fanficrants is still a major sponsor of fandom_wank.)
It's not like I never indulged in some pointing-and-laughing at badfic... I'm pretty sure I have. Badfic can be frikking funny. I found babymimi's intentional badfic so hilarious that I could barely read through the tears ;). But it is better kept to the privacy of one's journal where the writer really has to go out of their way to find it.
The other thing is, it's almost always good fic that I find myself criticizing, because bad fic doesn't bother me in the same way.
Yes, exactly. I mean, we've done our fair share of criticizing fic at BBF and as I wrote this I've been pondering whether this makes me a hypocrite. But like you say, it's a completely different animal if you discuss the merits and flaws of a good fic / rec with caveats, or if you pick one just for the purpose of bashing it in a public place.
Some people just like ranting, I guess.
I have, on rare occasions, criticized a fic by name -- but I've done it in my own lj, because doing it in a more public venue feels to me kind of like coming over to someone's house for the express purpose of telling them that their baby is ugly. The other thing is, it's almost always good fic that I find myself criticizing, because bad fic doesn't bother me in the same way. Bad fic is just . . . out there, and there's always going to be more of it; criticizing it is like shooting fish in a barrel. There's no real sport in it. But the good stuff that could be great if there weren't something about it that doesn't quite work, or the great stuff that unfortunately showcases what I think is a fandom-wide flaw or unfortunate trend -- that's what usually moves me to commentary.
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I have, on rare occasions, criticized a fic by name -- but I've done it in my own lj, because doing it in a more public venue feels to me kind of like coming over to someone's house for the express purpose of telling them that their baby is ugly.
*g* apt comparison. Yeah, I think that's a problem here. Public venue. It's a locked comm but Bones fandom is way too small for them to fly under the radar and the chances of an author finding out are pretty high (unlike fanficrants, which it's modelled after, I think I read... and fanficrants is still a major sponsor of fandom_wank.)
It's not like I never indulged in some pointing-and-laughing at badfic... I'm pretty sure I have. Badfic can be frikking funny. I found babymimi's intentional badfic so hilarious that I could barely read through the tears ;). But it is better kept to the privacy of one's journal where the writer really has to go out of their way to find it.
The other thing is, it's almost always good fic that I find myself criticizing, because bad fic doesn't bother me in the same way.
Yes, exactly. I mean, we've done our fair share of criticizing fic at BBF and as I wrote this I've been pondering whether this makes me a hypocrite. But like you say, it's a completely different animal if you discuss the merits and flaws of a good fic / rec with caveats, or if you pick one just for the purpose of bashing it in a public place.
There's no real sport in it.
*nodnod*
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