Recs & locking

[espresso_addict]

For a long while I didn't recommend fiction at Espresso Recs that was only available in personal LJ partly because I was worried about the ease with which unlocked fiction could be locked, but some time ago I gave in. I've now realised that some recommended material has recently been locked.* I don't recommend locked fanfiction and don't intend to

Comments

[manna]

I keep my popslash WIP journal locked. Actually, I have the whole journal locked, but that's mostly because it's set to default post like that. It's locked because everything in the is a WIP, and I want to make sure that people know that before they start reading. When something is complete, I post it on my webpage.

I don't really see that journals are that much different from private web pages or archives, as stories can just as easily be taken down from the latter as locked/deleted on the former.

[espresso_addict]

I can completely understand locking draft or incomplete fiction. I started off considering all fiction posts in personal LJs as essentially drafts or private sharing of stories with friends, and so would wait till someone archived it elsewhere to recommend, but it just got untenable a year or so ago, as more and more fiction was available purely on private LJ.

I don't really see that journals are that much different from private web pages or archives, as stories can just as easily be taken down from the latter as locked/deleted on the former.

I don't think it's quite the same as private web sites. I certainly find it quicker to click the f'lock button in LJ than to delete files on my personal webpage, though I don't update my website as frequently as some do. Also, I think LJ defaults to sending The Way Back Machine's webcrawler away, which I don't think many people do in private websites, so the latter can often be snatched from the jaws of deletion if one is really desperate.

[melannen]

If they're locked because of the current fuss, I would wait and see - I would hope that within a month or so, the author will have either unlocked or moved. If they've moved, find the new link. If they're still locked at that point, though, I'd probably delete.

I'll friend authors in that situation *only* if a)it's an explicitly fic-only journal, not also their main personal journal, and b) I already have some level of trust in that author, either from reading their unlocked stuff or otherwise interacting, and c) I *really* want to read the fic. Otherwise, it's just not worth the trouble.

[espresso_addict]

If they're still locked at that point, though, I'd probably delete.

I think I might try to add in the functionality to take recs off the list temporarily. I hate losing recs forever, and I don't think there's yet been one that I couldn't locate somewhere, even if it was only The Way Back Machine.

I'll friend authors in that situation *only* if a)it's an explicitly fic-only journal, not also their main personal journal, and b) I already have some level of trust in that author, either from reading their unlocked stuff or otherwise interacting, and c) I *really* want to read the fic. Otherwise, it's just not worth the trouble.That's a sensible idea. I'm honestly not sure what I'm going to do regarding the journal that sparked this post. I've never actually had to consider it before, because prior to the latest kerfuffle it's been mainly very explicit stuff that's locked, and I'm just as happy to leave that be. But this is an excellent author whose stuff I loved when it was open, and I'm sad to lose those stories I hadn't yet got around

[celandineb]

I'd probably only friend an author to read their locked fic if I was interested in friending them anyway. There's already more fic out there that I want to read than I have time for anyhow.

[espresso_addict]

That's a sensible attitude. I've never had to consider the question before, because it's mainly the very explicit stuff that gets locked, and I'm happy to leave that be. I'm just sad that authors are feeling pressured by SixApart (damn them) to lock their journals down.

[celandineb]

*nods* I've moved all the fic to a comm, and am planning to go back and gradually flock what's in my personal LJ. So things will still be public, just in a different place.

[espresso_addict]

That seems a sensible middle ground to allow the fiction to be available in the LJ format but minimise the consequences if SixApart do another silly.

[espresso_addict]

Ah, excellent, thanks! I think it was only 'Fire Bringer' of yours that was affected, and it looks open. Actually, it wasn't anyone on my friends list whose locking I'd noticed (the 'access denied' page is so much more obvious than that little padlock).

It's annoying that SixApart have managed to cause so much jitteriness across the fannish world.

[glitterboy1]

You could add a dated note to each affected rec. Or perhaps some kind of global note to the effect that fics hosted in personal LJs were publicly accessible at the time of recommendation, but their status can change over time?

Either way, I wouldn't delete the recs: the fics still exist and are worth recommending. They might surface elsewhere - or, as you say, be unlocked again in the future.

[espresso_addict]

A dated note seems to be the way to go, at least for now, possibly in association with a global note as I don't check the links work more than once a year or so. I'm very loathe to delete recs, and indeed I don't think I've ever had to before now, although I've resorted to The Way Back Machine more than once. I probably should add the ability to mark recs as currently unavailable, so as to keep the information in my database without necessarily having to publish it.