Hmmm is that the fourth wall? feels like a whole other dimension.
It is fascinating. I don't think it's bad thing overall. To say that we, audience and authors are all people, that we might enjoy the same thing. I don't think it's entirely new either, even if it might be for fanvids specifically.
what are you finding scary about it (if I read you right)?
Yes! new issues! (preferrably not the 2007 recycled with a new themesong)
basically after a series of wank, in particular that time when a compagny called FanLibs tried to make money out of fanfictions, and that time when LJ decided fighting pedophilia meant deleting fan's accounts when they do fanfic/fanart which may posibly be interpretated as portraying underage people in sexual situation, a bunch of fen people decided to do something to protect fandom. 1st, creating An Archive Of Our Own to archive fanworks, all of it, without fearing for it to be deleted by random change of policy. 2nd, be a public interlocutor and advocate when journalists and the like want to know something (instead of talking to Henry Jenkins who is sweet, but not a fan person). 3rd constitute a found of money and knowledgeable people to defend fans legally when they recieve Cease & Desist letters and the like. The things grew out from there.
Check out for more information at otw_news and their website. As for the discussions I was mentionning, just read the last two weeks or so of posts at metafandom ^^
Ah. Thanks.redcandle17January 12 2008, 23:41:02 UTC
My extremely shallow thoughts: the word "transformative" immediately makes my brain shut down. The point of fandom, for me, at least, is fun. Words like "transformative" are no fun at all.
Re: Ah. Thanks.etrangereJanuary 12 2008, 23:47:26 UTC
see, that's one of the criticism which people have brought up ^^
And the answer is : The word "transformative" is used in their name to make a legal point. It's meant to be fannish people explanating things slowly and in big, impressive word to mainstream society. Their agenda isn't to remove the fun away by calling fanfics transformative, but to protect the fun by telling people that fanfics are legit because transformative works have a better chance to be protected by fair use laws.
I'm wary of anything that wants to speak for fandom as a whole. I think that they actually state that they can't speak for everyone. Read up their website. And I agree with you it'd be problematic if they claimed to do so. However when the people journalists&co turn to when they want to talk about fandom are not people from fandom, it's even more problematic. So I've no issue with them having this role. I agree with you about fandom's values.
But most of all I just think it's taking fandom to a whole new Serious Business level. It's a hobby. Why does it need to be "recognized as legal"?You need to remember they are reactionary. We need to be recognized as legal because otherwise plenty of people out there can hurt us. It's happened in the past, it will happen again. Cease&Desist letters that get websites to close. The LJ pedophilia debacle. Sure we overall manage to survive. We rebuild elsewhere and stuff. But we also lose a lot of people/fanworks/connections when things like this happened. Protections against this = good. It doesn't
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It is fascinating. I don't think it's bad thing overall. To say that we, audience and authors are all people, that we might enjoy the same thing. I don't think it's entirely new either, even if it might be for fanvids specifically.
what are you finding scary about it (if I read you right)?
Yes! new issues! (preferrably not the 2007 recycled with a new themesong)
Reply
Reply
basically after a series of wank, in particular that time when a compagny called FanLibs tried to make money out of fanfictions, and that time when LJ decided fighting pedophilia meant deleting fan's accounts when they do fanfic/fanart which may posibly be interpretated as portraying underage people in sexual situation, a bunch of fen people decided to do something to protect fandom. 1st, creating An Archive Of Our Own to archive fanworks, all of it, without fearing for it to be deleted by random change of policy. 2nd, be a public interlocutor and advocate when journalists and the like want to know something (instead of talking to Henry Jenkins who is sweet, but not a fan person). 3rd constitute a found of money and knowledgeable people to defend fans legally when they recieve Cease & Desist letters and the like. The things grew out from there.
Check out for more information at otw_news and their website. As for the discussions I was mentionning, just read the last two weeks or so of posts at metafandom ^^
Reply
Reply
And the answer is : The word "transformative" is used in their name to make a legal point. It's meant to be fannish people explanating things slowly and in big, impressive word to mainstream society. Their agenda isn't to remove the fun away by calling fanfics transformative, but to protect the fun by telling people that fanfics are legit because transformative works have a better chance to be protected by fair use laws.
Reply
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(The comment has been removed)
I think that they actually state that they can't speak for everyone. Read up their website. And I agree with you it'd be problematic if they claimed to do so. However when the people journalists&co turn to when they want to talk about fandom are not people from fandom, it's even more problematic. So I've no issue with them having this role. I agree with you about fandom's values.
But most of all I just think it's taking fandom to a whole new Serious Business level. It's a hobby. Why does it need to be "recognized as legal"?You need to remember they are reactionary. We need to be recognized as legal because otherwise plenty of people out there can hurt us. It's happened in the past, it will happen again. Cease&Desist letters that get websites to close. The LJ pedophilia debacle. Sure we overall manage to survive. We rebuild elsewhere and stuff. But we also lose a lot of people/fanworks/connections when things like this happened. Protections against this = good. It doesn't ( ... )
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