Fan Fic Rant part II
I was talking it over with Ryan last night and I think what sentiments like Gambeldon express are just rooted in fear. Fear of a changing industry, in which big corporations no longer have the technology to control their 'intellectual property.' Fear that fan fiction will somehow take something away--monetarily and legally--from the original author. I think some (ignorant) authors look at us the same way that the music industry looks at pirates, as a real threat to their business. The problem is that piracy is an actual threat, while we are not. But they need someone to blame sagging sales on because God forbid they look at their own writing or at the industry itself, an industry that is quickly becoming every bit as corrupt and superficial as the music industry.
Unlike the music industry, however, books haven't really spanned the digital divide in an easily accessible way. And yeah, there are things like the Kindle. And you can pirate books. But people don't do it like they do with music. Partly I think this is due to the lack of innovation in books through the last 1000 years, whereas people are used to music and technology being almost synonymous (not saying that books haven't changed, just that the basic mechanism is still, 'Pick up, flip open, read to the end.') And partly it's due to the cost and general hassle of downloading and reading on an electronic medium (power sources, format, compatibility, etc.) Call me old fashioned, but I *like* holding a paper book in my hands. And, while there are some that don't agree, I think the sales figures prove that I'm not alone and that many more people prefer to hold paper than plastic.
It's not like I don't buy books. I probably spend several thousand dollars each year on books, both for school and for pleasure. So, why all the fuss? Really, it's about control and how the internet makes it harder to keep control over intellectual property and blurs the boundaries between technology, law and the almighty profit margin. And book authors aren't used to thinking of their work in terms of technology or in terms of the internet and fair use. So, some people will react in fear, all "Fire bad!" while others will be fascinated and flattered by the amount of time fan fiction authors spend playing in their sandbox. But the Neanderthals are on the wrong side of history. The genie isn't going to return to the bottle. The internet, and the subsequent blurring of lines, is here to stay.
Deal with it. Or you will go the way of the newspapers and the music industry.
Unlike the music industry, however, books haven't really spanned the digital divide in an easily accessible way. And yeah, there are things like the Kindle. And you can pirate books. But people don't do it like they do with music. Partly I think this is due to the lack of innovation in books through the last 1000 years, whereas people are used to music and technology being almost synonymous (not saying that books haven't changed, just that the basic mechanism is still, 'Pick up, flip open, read to the end.') And partly it's due to the cost and general hassle of downloading and reading on an electronic medium (power sources, format, compatibility, etc.) Call me old fashioned, but I *like* holding a paper book in my hands. And, while there are some that don't agree, I think the sales figures prove that I'm not alone and that many more people prefer to hold paper than plastic.
It's not like I don't buy books. I probably spend several thousand dollars each year on books, both for school and for pleasure. So, why all the fuss? Really, it's about control and how the internet makes it harder to keep control over intellectual property and blurs the boundaries between technology, law and the almighty profit margin. And book authors aren't used to thinking of their work in terms of technology or in terms of the internet and fair use. So, some people will react in fear, all "Fire bad!" while others will be fascinated and flattered by the amount of time fan fiction authors spend playing in their sandbox. But the Neanderthals are on the wrong side of history. The genie isn't going to return to the bottle. The internet, and the subsequent blurring of lines, is here to stay.
Deal with it. Or you will go the way of the newspapers and the music industry.