Dear Harry Potter Fandom

[tytal]

Being asked by LJ not to post potential child porn - fictional characters or not - does not constitute oppression, nor does it equate to Nazi-like levels of evil, nor does Live Journal belong to you, the user, but rather to Six Apart, the company that purchased it. As a Harry Potter fan, I am asking you to shut the hell up. Jesus

Comments

[lovelies]

With as many related communities as I run, I've been wondering for days whether I ought to post anything at all on the subject. There just seems to be so many clashing Issues, or at least undercurrents of them, tangled up in the web of it that just the thought is making my brain contort.

Plus, I know dick-all about US laws and policies, which seem to be at the crux of it.

[lady_alyria]

The only illegal child porn is child porn with actual children in it. You can draw it, write it, computer generate it til your heart's content. LJ is coming down on the HP people because they don't want to find themselves on the 6 o'clock news as a company that supports pedophiles like has already happened to MySpace and Facebook.

[lovelies]

That's not the only legal issue that has left me curious (written and drawn child-pornography are banned in my country already). The rights and limits of private institutions, businesses, individuals, the government, the states, minorities and minors are unclear to me also. I've been left with an impression that there has been some recent change in policy in some of these areas, and that it, along with other factors, has contributed to the unannounced changes in policy. There are also issues apart from any legal nit-picking that being brushed aside too easily for my comfort.

I understand that they're running a business that has recently started depending on revenue from advertisers that might take ill to that kind of publicity. I'm not yet certain what I'm supposed to think of it all.

[tytal]

Alaria is correct in that written and drawn images of children in sexual situations have been deemed by the high courts to be not against current US law. That said, Six Apart/Live Journal is a private company that must worry about the political climate of their advertisers should one of those crazy shows like "To Catch A Predator" decide to start chronicling their Crusade For Children or some such nonsense on television

[lady_alyria]

I can't believe she tried to burn the shirt. HAHA!

And while its not the second Holocaust, what they are doing is wrong. They aren't enforcing US Law. It is perfectly legal to create child porn in which no child was involved in the making. So you can write and draw about whatever the heck you want in this country. The only reason LJ is now closing those communities is because the fundie right are coming down hard on them. And its all shits and giggles until the stuff you like starts disappearing then you'll get all apocalypse now like the HP fans are.

I can't stand Harry Potter, I don't care who he has sex with. But it urks me that a bunch of squealing girls that just want to make slash with their favorite characters are being treated like they are conspiring to snatch 12 year olds off the street. Way to turn a mole hill into a mountain people!

P.S. Isn't Jack Harkness da bomb! I love Torchwood.

[tytal]

In order:

Flame retardant much? I should wrap fire-fighters in those LJ shirts for their job. Screw those yellow jackets.

You're correct, they are only enforcing what is best for their business out of fear from nutters. By vaguely invoking US pornography statutes they can use the "obscenity" laws to make it seem as though it's all illegal though - thus hushing up any would-be arguments. All in all, it's just to protect possible lost revenue. I don't really blame them.

I rather like Harry Potter and would gladly fuck Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint until they can't walk straight. But yes, the few psychotic fangirls are making the rest of their fandom look like absolute nutjobs.

[bakersgames]

I agree with you, my only sticking point is if they are changing the policy from what it was (and it is their right to do so), they should offer lifetime members a refund since this wasn't a problem when many of them forked up the $100+ payment, and now it is.

Thats my only issue about the fandoms. Personally I am thinking about reopening Dark Erotica (we had a website for dark erotic themed writings and even art). I however, would never host such a thing on LJ. Not even because they are getting weird, but rather I would never want anyone else to have control over my account and be able to lock me out. Sure an ISP can do it, but when we did the dark erotica, we had an adult webhosting company hosting it, so it didn't violate their TOS.

The funny thing is, all these fandoms are freaking out about the loss of rights, but do you notice they don't once bitch about our real rights that Bush and company are removing? I find it hilarious the tripe the spew, but they ignore the real civil rights we are losing.

[tytal]

I think the Fandom as a whole is just over-reacting and I agree with you that if it affects the lifetime members then they should be allowed a refund. I also completely agree with you about hosting any sexually-related matter on a server whose host has a clear TOS hat concerns possibly "obscene" materials (a dubious term at best).

[...]but do you notice they don't once bitch about our real rights that Bush and company are removing?

No. Shit.

[tytal]

I completely agree about the situation with the support journals and there needs to be a better way to address interests. Like I told bottle_of_shine, I think they owners of the journals in question should have been given some notice before deleting their journals.

[heyheyrenay]

If you think fandom as a whole is upset specifically because artists were banned, that's wrong. I notice you don't link to anything of the really thoughtful discussions on what LJ's decisions means for fans. I mean, pick and choose if you want, but this post and the posts you've chosen to link to is not representative of valid concerns many of us have about LJ's unclear policies and empty promises.

The banning of ponderosa and elaboration is not, and has never been, the only issue; this is absolutely LJ's mess. Even Ponderosa has stated that LJ was well within its rights to suspend her, lest you think this is caused by angry fangirls out to protect our rights to read/write/draw kiddie porn.

If you really want to understand why fandom is in an uproar, upset and offended, try reading recent posts at metafandom, instead of pointing out the idiots in the official LJ communities as the Voice of Fandoms Everywhere and painting us all with the moron brush.

Seriously. Many of us are not morons.

[tytal]

I know many of you aren't morons; three of you are on my F'list and I hadn't planned on removing you. I also know these two artists aren't the reason you're upset, but I was pointing out the far, far too over-the-top reactions to these two people's experiences. I honestly don't think that the whole of fandom has a reason to be concerned considering that most of fandom isn't slash. Is it

[tytal]

BTW: thanks for the link to metafandom. I think that it can be helpful.