An Unexpected Conundrum

An Unexpected Conundrum by Anonymous on 2013-05-17 01:42:00 UTC

... so who went and replied? by Huinesoron on 2013-05-17 08:12:00 UTC Reply

Because I really don't think 'why do you believe you have the rights to notify a unsuspecting author about the PPC's existence and "PPCing" of this fanfiction' is a good thing to have said. It gives the impression of The Secretive PPC, Sneaking Around - along with The Fandom Police Will Stop You Talking To Each Other. It smacks of several gallons of elitism.

Guys. People are allowed to talk about us. 'Many members have agreed that what you just did is a Bad Idea'? This sounds like it's verging on a threat. I know it isn't, but - can you see how it sounds?

As to the topic at hand: there was discussion back in '05 or '06 about whether we actually ought to be telling everyone we wrote missions of. The theory was that it would help them to improve. That died pretty quickly, mostly because several authors got very angry (I think there's a comment on the Wiki about authors trying to get missions taken down - yeah, that happened), but that doesn't mean we enacted a What Happens On The Board Stays On The Board rule or anything.

Regardless, I think the appropriate response here would be either to ignore it, or to post a friendly review outlining:

1/ Some of the points that you (probably Lily in this case) found needed improvement in the story - and also what you liked! Concrit is awesome.
2/ An explanation of who the PPC is - that we are a group of writers who use 'missions' to explore what needs improving in fanfics, as a combination of entertainment and learning to improve our own writing. I think that's a fairly accurate description, but if you think the key words I've avoided ('killing' and 'badfic', mostly) are needed, put 'em in.
3/ (Potentially, and if you have time and inclination) Offer to beta-read any changes or future chapters of the story.

I wouldn't link to anything - wiki or mission. If she(?)'s that interested, she can hunt it down herself (and besides, I'm not sure FFN allows linking in reviews).

Oh, and take a backup of your mission in case it does get attacked.

hS

On FFN and links... by Herr Wozzeck on 2013-05-18 03:18:00 UTC Reply

You can work a link into an FFN review. You just have to be sneaky about it by using Strategically Placed Spaces.

Aw. by Ellipsis Flood on 2013-05-18 06:43:00 UTC Reply

For a moment I thought that you knew how to hack FFN comments. :(

Er, yeah. by VixenMage on 2013-05-17 19:34:00 UTC Reply

I really do not think that what we do, largely, is bullying. We don't go and link to missions in the comments, going "Nyah, nyah, you suck we rock, Look upon our awesomeness and weep!" But I do think that we could stand to give more concrit - when you see a 'fic that looks awful, tell the person before you go in for a mission! It's like, I dunno, making fun of someone's terrible awful caricature skills while not bothering to point out to them that they're holding the pen wrong. Maybe, if they know what they're doing wrong, they'll want to change it!

But... telling people not to talk about us, because we're too busy mocking them to actually converse, that's... that's pretty bad, and puts us way over the line into bullying territory, I think. Please can we not.
I did that, sure. by Lily Winterwood on 2013-05-17 14:38:00 UTC Reply

Although probably not as comprehensively as you listed it, but yeah.

I took a look by Karen on 2013-05-17 23:44:00 UTC Reply

Your review was very nice, Lily. It's got some good advice. I hope the author follows it.

Reminds me of GAFF's Phantom Linker by Ekyl on 2013-05-17 02:24:00 UTC Reply

That said, generally not much comes from these things. If anything happens, we can deal with it.
GOOD GLODS, WHY IS IT ALWAYS MY STUFF. by Lily Winterwood on 2013-05-17 02:19:00 UTC Reply

First the writer of the Winnie Breccan fic found out about the mission, now someone's gone and notified Kestrel's writer, too? Oh, not to mention I think Alexis Gilmore's writer found out about her page on the Wiki.

Has anyone else ever heard from the creators of the fics that they mission? Or am I just the most loudmouthed of the lot?

Re: GOOD GLODS, WHY IS IT ALWAYS MY STUFF. by Miah on 2013-05-23 19:31:00 UTC Reply

I had one that found the mission because of a tag back feature on LJ. She called me a name or two and set all her stuff to private. It might have been not as it could have been, because I had made a point to say that I liked other things she had written, and I don't think the mission was very harsh.

Another one found it through one of those linkers and he was angry. Said I was doing copyright infringement or plagiarism or something like that. I don't remember exactly now.

One other comment that I got was hostile and I have no idea who the person was. The stuff is set to public so maybe they just randomly found the story? They didn't claim any authorship or relation to any author, so I never knew who they were.
I think you're the most loudmouthed of 'em all. That said... by Herr Wozzeck on 2013-05-18 00:57:00 UTC Reply

...this isn't the only time authors have found out that their things were PPC'd.

There was actually a wave of tells at one point where someone angry with the PPC told everyone about PPC missions that had been done of their fics. Some authors replied, and some didn't care.

But people within the PPC telling others about the PPC... Yeah, that is a Bad Thing that should never happen. Ever. You know how it is.

Still not liking the 'almost threat' vibe here... (nm) by Huinesoron on 2013-05-20 19:17:00 UTC Reply
Gee thanks. by Lily Winterwood on 2013-05-18 01:54:00 UTC Reply

All right, I'll just tone down the sense of paranoia that I'm getting. /deep breaths

Sorry. by Herr Wozzeck on 2013-05-18 02:45:00 UTC Reply

I actually was referring to the authors whose stuff you've PPC'd rather than you. That said, I could've been more clear about that and all. Sorry. =(

Not me. by SpecstacularSC on 2013-05-17 10:09:00 UTC Reply

Although I did get nailed in the back end by an Internet Rager (read: people who are pissed off at EVERYTHING for no reason) on an Assassin's Creed comedy fic I'm working on.

Man, at least your readers have the nerve to leak info back to the authors.

I'm STILL waiting for the day when a badfic author gets wind of an MST I did of them and gets pissy at me for it. Or, in the case of the one that wasn't as bad as it could have been, and that I was summarily easy-going on, I'm still waiting for their opinion on my MST and whether it helped them or not.

(For that matter - does my MST blog even GET views anymore? I'll have to check in on that...)
Also, the more awkward part is... by Lily Winterwood on 2013-05-17 07:40:00 UTC Reply

...that author appears to have favourited some of my fics on my Archive of Our Own account.

Can we get an awkward turtle in here?

I feel your pain. by Sergio Turbo on 2013-05-17 17:04:00 UTC Reply

SOme of the people who are following or favourited IrregularS (my crossover fanfic between Madoka Magica and Lyrical Nanoha) are the authors of fics I considered sporking before writing IrregularS.
Re: Also, the more awkward part is... by World-Jumper on 2013-05-17 08:11:00 UTC Reply

That is a lot. by Karen on 2013-05-17 03:10:00 UTC Reply

Did any of those writers contact you/the PPC about them? What's the protocol for these situations?

Winnie's author had a little rant on her blog. by Lily Winterwood on 2013-05-17 03:18:00 UTC Reply

Alexis's writer had her friend submit an anonymous ask.

Well... by Karen on 2013-05-17 23:31:00 UTC Reply

At least Alexis's writer didn't freak out?

....Really? by Lily Winterwood on 2013-05-17 23:42:00 UTC Reply

I was under the impression it shattered her.

It seems I was mistaken. by Karen on 2013-05-18 02:57:00 UTC Reply

As usual.

Oh.... by Bausiren on 2013-05-17 02:00:00 UTC Reply

Well...if I could, I would, but as I can't, I won't. I'd say someone needs to PPC this... or just ignore it.
Ya know, maybe that wasn't as helpful as it sounded.