Crowd-sourcing HD fan-fair: Progress Report #3 - Take a Poll

[snowgall]

A poll to see how best to label fics: top, bottom, or switching?

We are so close to having completed our hd-fan-fair spreadsheet with all of the information on who tops in each fic! As of today, we are only missing information on 12 fics rated R or NC-17.

Thanks again to cabinetcaligari, cagnurit, eidheann_writes, and khalulu who have all added lots more information in just the last few days. If I

Comments

[dicta_contrion]

Adding a poll to your stats? I'm all a-flutter. Nerdily.

On 3 and 4: in practice, I think it depends on how explicit the implication is. I'd differentiate between something really vague ("Harry can't wait for next time; there are so many more things he wants to try") and something that makes it abundantly clear what has happened ("I'm on top this time, Potter, you can't have all the turns") or will happen ("Just wait until you're balls-deep in my arse").

On 5, I just have no idea. Suspect sticklers for the distinction, the people who say "I won't/can only read bottom-whoever," would want it to be bottom-whoever-bottoms-on-screen, b/c I think that's where the preference tends to overlap most heavily with characterization preferences, but can't be sure.

[snowgall]

Absolutely agree on vagueness, which is why it's a) very hard to be objective about these things and b) so wonderful when people add extra information in the top/bottom spreadsheet field about what actually happens in the fic.

And I think that cases #4 and #5 are going to be where the biggest controversy will be. So having people explain in the comments what their opinions are and why is going to be very helpful.

Thanks so much for your help! ♥

[gracerene]

OMG I love that you are doing this, it's so interesting! I definitely have a preference when reading, but that preference doesn't prevent me from reading/enjoying all the sexy times! :D

That last one was particularly hard, but I'd say a good rule is to label for the on-screen sex. I'm not a super stickler about top/bottom roles, but I know there are readers out there who are, so I usually try to tag for that in my recs. If there is any switching at all, I always mention that, though if there is only one instance of a switch, I usually indicate which is more prevalent in the fic. I also tend to indicate when switching it implied/mentioned off-screen because some people don't like reading even the vague mention of the other character topping...Which makes Case 4 hard for me, because I'd probably tag as implied switching for potential readers, but personally, I'd see it as really only bottom whoever we see explicitly penetrated.

Not sure that is at all helpful!

[snowgall]

All of this is helpful ♥

The more I read these comments, the more I think that there is a difference between how to tag a fic for purposes of helping readers find/avoid what they want to read (which is what you and capitu have to think the most about) and how to tag a fic for purposes of counting top/bottom fics for statistical reasons.

For readers, the more info you can give them about even small scenes or implications will help them make informed choices, if that's their issue. But for the question of what the trends are in fanfiction, it may be more useful to focus on what's actually on screen in the course of the fic. But I'm still interested in finding out if people agree with me on that :)

And yeah, #4 and #5 are going to be the trickiest ♥

[gracerene]

Yes, I think that's exactly it! You managed to say it much more eloquently than I did! But I do agree that for trends purposes, it's probably more helpful/relevant to focus on the on-screen activities, rather than the off-screen implications.

[nia_kantorka]

Case 5 would depend. First example I would declare as not explicit at all. Second would depend on the narrating. Do we 'see' both sex scenes? Then I would say it's switching. If we only see the sex with Harry, I would say it's top!Draco.

Good luck with those last 12 fics.
The question is very intersting from a statistical viewpoint, in RL (or as in a reading experience) I so not care. On the contrary, it annoys the hell out of me when people want to force others to see X always as the top/bottom, no Y...see what I mean? Though each to their own.

[snowgall]

Oh yes, I know what you mean. No one should try to impose their view of who *should* top on anyone else. But the question of how best to label a fic after it's been written is academically interesting to me.

And as I mentioned to gracerene, the answer of how to tag a fic could be different for different goals. I appreciate all the feedback, even from people who don't normally care. <3 it's nice that people are trying for my sake :)

Typing on my phone while riding in a car. Please excuse typos!

[khalulu]

I don't have strong opinions - I'm not good at categorizing fuzzy situations, and I also don't care, myself, who tops, or how often they switch, or even if they have that type of sex. But it was fun to read or skim through a bunch of old fan fair fics and be able to say it was for research!

[snowgall]

I'm so glad that there are people other than me who find that sort of thing fun :) And I'm really just so thrilled that the idea of crowd-sourcing worked as well as it did - I honestly was worried that I'd put up the spreadsheet and no one would add anything to it!

Thank you so much for all of your help, and for being detailed when you added info to the top/bottom field. ♥

[kitty_fic]

I voted other on cases three and four: Is there a way to label those as bottom!whoever (with implied switching)?

[snowgall]

Thanks for voting! So in the spreadsheet itself these fics are currently listed that way (bottom-whoever with implied switching) and that won't change. I always like to have as much information as I can about a fic

[kitty_fic]

Oh, yeah that makes total sense :)
I'm totally impressed by your organization! :D