Chris Williams Responds to Our Questions about FanLib

[slashpine]

First, I hafta just add my voice to those saying: What's this we, white man? "Chris Williams Responds to OUR Questions" ... well, yes, but first he avoided responding (civilly; he did real well at the other) to fans politely inviting dialog with the FanLib exec who's all about fandom. It's MIT's Henry Jenkins who CW was willing to talk to,

Comments

[lily_liedtome]

I was just about to post the following to your previous entry in this journal, so I'm glad I decided to check again to see if you had posted this (also, now I can mem and rec you, which is fantastic!).

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I've just read your response to Henry Jenkin's post of Chris Williams' response to fan's questions, and I wanted to tell you that I found it one of the best summations of some of my personal qualms with the fanlib endeavour that I've read. In particular, this point

FanLib seems to see the form and the function, the
structure and product, as separate. Thus, its desire to preserve and
promote the fan's work, while taking the fan community back into a
narrow, elite-ruled, mercantile-valued predecessor form, claims to
honor the product while exterminating the culture that produces them.

was entirely new to me, and, on reading it, I realised that it is really an articulation of something which I previously had not been able to put my finger on about this whole situation.

My point is, I really enjoyed reading it, and I would love to see more of your work in the future, so don't be surprised if I friend you. *grins*

[slashpine]

Hey - I'd be delighted! I think I've seen your comments on metafandom stuff (?) And having just popped over to your lj, I see you have Meta Recs! On gender! Yee-ha. It's amazing how much is said about gender in western societies, and how little people seem to *learn* (grrr). Pleased to meetcha.

Thanks for the compliment on my characterization. Actually, I have to say that while I am new to media studies, I think that, and comm studies, is where I finally am learning to use all that lofty Foucault, Marx, etc. for actually analyzing something (as opposed to just being awesome theory, but on a completely abstract level).

Since I don't think we are in the same fandoms in terms of shows, etc., that just makes this point even more clearly: the community we share is "meta." There's no way FanLib is going to capture that kind of interaction, much less facilitate it. At least, heh - not over at FanLib. They're stupidity has been pretty stimulating to thinking over here!

cheers, and thanks for commenting! I hope I'll be able to contribute more regularly this summer now that I'm not doing the job from hell, plus the job from heaven (even more work when you love it, lol), plus classes and my research. ::goes off to friend you::

[lily_liedtome]

I think I've seen your comments on metafandom stuff (?) And having just popped over to your lj, I see you have Meta Recs! On gender! Yee-ha. It's amazing how much is said about gender in western societies, and how little people seem to *learn* (grrr). Pleased to meetcha.

It's so true - people never seem to absorb what they learn about gender. Gender and Gender theory are kind of an obsession - I am a Women & Gender Studies major in RL and I find myself unable to resist a good discourse on gender. (literally, I always get sucked into reading these things)

I finally am learning to use all that lofty Foucault, Marx, etc. for actually analyzing something

Yeahhh...I'm still working on that one. :)

Since I don't think we are in the same fandoms in terms of shows, etc., that just makes this point even more clearly: the community we share is "meta." There's no way FanLib is going to capture that kind of interaction, much less facilitate it.

Absolutely. And, honestly, I love meta - I love interacting with fans on a thinky level - not doing so because we dont share the same fannish interest is ridiculous.

Also, YAY, new friend!