a puzzlement
I've gotten involved in a sort of semi-kerfluffle, and since I'm the only one who seems to have my panties in a twist I'm starting to wonder if perhaps I am an aberration. So I thought I'd take the matter to a new forum - i.e. my journal - and see if people think I'm bonkers. (I'll name names since all involved will know who I'm talking about anyway, so what's the point in being coy?)
It started with autonomy reading minisinoo's "Heyoka" and finding it a well written but ultimately unfulfilling Mary Sue, which she said in her journal. Min found the journal post, was a bit miffed, and posted about that in her update mailing list. Half a dozen people then found this as a reason to go to the reader's LJ and defend the story. At which point I pretty much lost my temper, because to me that's such an iffy thing to do.
Now, Min said nobody needed to go post, and she says she meant it. I take her word for that, but ultimately, it doesn't matter, because the end result is the same - it was interpreted much in the way you'd interpret "you don't have to buy me a Christmas present if you don't want to".
So, why am I upset? Nobody else seems to be. But to me, while an author commenting on a review is rather silly, it's nowhere near as tacky as a bunch of her friends doing it on cue - whether that cue was intentional or not.
At the same time, I'm aware that this seems to be the way of things in fandom - quite often, all a person has to do is complain that someone is being unfair to him/her, and people will rally to support. There are even times when I'd do the same - gross personal attacks come to mind, but of course that's rather clear cut.
There isn't a clear line, and there are a number of things that may have affected my reaction:
The issue of where something takes place. While an LJ is public, it still belongs to someone, and I'm not too comfortable in crusades to someone else's LJ, especially one that no one involved seemed to have noticed before.
Fact vs. opinion. "Mary Sue" is an opinion that can be more or less well informed. "I don't like this story because they're never in the mansion" would be an incorrect fact, and I'd be more comfortable with people correcting that - though it would really only take one person.
The fact that - and I'm well aware of this - even though I don't agree with the reader, "Heyoka" has always rubbed me the wrong way. But I'd like to think this isn't a major point. I really can't see myself reacting differently if the story had been one I really loved.
That I like Min and want to prove that she's not the kind of person who's only kind if you agree with her. Which means I'm really screwing up my definitions of defending and attacking...
That I don't really understand what friends are supposed to do for each other and not. I never have - I'd say that next to sports and love, friendship is one of the things I'm worst at.
It started with autonomy reading minisinoo's "Heyoka" and finding it a well written but ultimately unfulfilling Mary Sue, which she said in her journal. Min found the journal post, was a bit miffed, and posted about that in her update mailing list. Half a dozen people then found this as a reason to go to the reader's LJ and defend the story. At which point I pretty much lost my temper, because to me that's such an iffy thing to do.
Now, Min said nobody needed to go post, and she says she meant it. I take her word for that, but ultimately, it doesn't matter, because the end result is the same - it was interpreted much in the way you'd interpret "you don't have to buy me a Christmas present if you don't want to".
So, why am I upset? Nobody else seems to be. But to me, while an author commenting on a review is rather silly, it's nowhere near as tacky as a bunch of her friends doing it on cue - whether that cue was intentional or not.
At the same time, I'm aware that this seems to be the way of things in fandom - quite often, all a person has to do is complain that someone is being unfair to him/her, and people will rally to support. There are even times when I'd do the same - gross personal attacks come to mind, but of course that's rather clear cut.
There isn't a clear line, and there are a number of things that may have affected my reaction:
The issue of where something takes place. While an LJ is public, it still belongs to someone, and I'm not too comfortable in crusades to someone else's LJ, especially one that no one involved seemed to have noticed before.
Fact vs. opinion. "Mary Sue" is an opinion that can be more or less well informed. "I don't like this story because they're never in the mansion" would be an incorrect fact, and I'd be more comfortable with people correcting that - though it would really only take one person.
The fact that - and I'm well aware of this - even though I don't agree with the reader, "Heyoka" has always rubbed me the wrong way. But I'd like to think this isn't a major point. I really can't see myself reacting differently if the story had been one I really loved.
That I like Min and want to prove that she's not the kind of person who's only kind if you agree with her. Which means I'm really screwing up my definitions of defending and attacking...
That I don't really understand what friends are supposed to do for each other and not. I never have - I'd say that next to sports and love, friendship is one of the things I'm worst at.