Sure you can, but... why?

Question about fics from locked archive sites. by Laburnum on 2011-04-05 14:23:00 UTC Reply

So, I was browsing on a site where you can only see the mature-rated fics if you have an account there. It's not a personal site, it's a fic/art archive which is set up for that purpose and the rule applies to everyone's work there. It's been suggested to me that it's better not to do missions of fics from that site, as it's iffy whether it comes under the heading of "public". However, deviantArt works on similar principles and I think people have sporked/MSTed mature-rated fics from there before. Also, does MSTing have different rules on that topic than PPCing?

dA doesn't work on similar principles by Teddy Leach on 2011-04-06 12:02:00 UTC Reply

If you can actually only see the fics through registering, it's much more private than dA where every man and his dog can see just about everything there without making an account. Therefore, it's best not to use fics from that site, whereas fics on dA are completely open to the public eye.

Um by Data Junkie on 2011-04-06 13:43:00 UTC Reply

Actually, dA does work on a similar principle. Laburnum said that you only had to have an account to see the Mature-rated stuff, which the same as how dA does things.

Ah right by Teddy Leach on 2011-04-06 13:51:00 UTC Reply

Ah, sorry about that. I've had a dA account so long that I'd forgotten.

Eh. by Vixenmage on 2011-04-06 04:29:00 UTC Reply

I'd agree that it's better to not do missions from there, especially if the M-rated stuff is what's being charged. I think it's said below here, it falls under Your Kink Is Not My Kink, and so on. But I think MSTs, unless they're specifically PPC MSTs, are more just using your best judgment. I still wouldn't advise it, just because it is, so to speak, behind a locked door. But a lot of places do sporkings - I think it's your call.
Depends by Data Junkie on 2011-04-05 18:39:00 UTC Reply

What sort of problems are there other than "bad dialogue"? Because that sounds more like a problem for concrit than anything else. Like, are there any major canon breaches, or things of that nature?

Alternatively, I'd be happy to take a look at the fic and give you my opinion if you want to email me a link to it.

Re: Depends by Laburnum on 2011-04-05 18:49:00 UTC Reply

No major canon breaches, I don't think. There's bad dialogue, anachronistic euphemisms, and a brief mention of what I think is a case of TVTropes would refer to as "It's Not Rape If You Enjoy It". I don't think it's mission-worthy, but the actual writing is so silly that I really want to MST it.

It's Protectors of the Plot Continuum. by Aster Corbett on 2011-04-05 19:24:00 UTC Reply

If there are no canon breaches, why are you sporking it?

If it just ignores canon and isn't even related to it yet has canon names, I don't think it was written for the fanfiction aspect at all...

MSTs don't really fall within PPC continuity. by Neshomeh on 2011-04-05 20:27:00 UTC Reply

Basically, whatever standards or rules we have only apply to stuff that happens in-continuity, so if it's not going to be a mission or an interlude or something, it's not really for us to say what can and can't be done.

~Neshomeh

In that case, should I not use PPC characters to riff? (nm) by Laburnum on 2011-04-05 22:56:00 UTC Reply

Sure you can, but... why? by Aster Corbett on 2011-04-07 17:48:00 UTC Reply

I mean, you can MST with PPC characters it if you want, but I personally wouldn't MST something that didn't touch canon at all. If it's just random original fiction with fanfic names tacked on to the characters... what are you going to say about it? "This has nothing to do with canon?" over and over again?

Just my opinion. I would find something like that very boring to riff on, unless it has merit as a BAD original fiction story by itself. Then I wouldn't be riffing on it as fanfic at all.

So... LOL I DUNNO.

The characters are vaguely recognisable at the start ... by Laburnum on 2011-04-07 19:39:00 UTC Reply

... but after the setup the dialogue gets increasingly worse and the description sillier. As I said, I don't think it's mission-worthy, but there were so many opportunities for snarky comments that I didn't want to pass up MSTing it.

Oh! Ok. by Aster Corbett on 2011-04-07 20:29:00 UTC Reply

Sure, why not then?

I was under the impression it was totally unrecognizable-- like most horrid high school fic, where the names are all that remain.

Re: Oh! Ok. by Laburnum on 2011-04-07 22:51:00 UTC Reply

It's not as entirely appalling as most of the fics I PPC, and I don't think it's mission-worthy, but the writing just ends up so silly-sounding I couldn't bring myself NOT to riff it.

I don't think it's mission-worthy, as I said. by Laburnum on 2011-04-05 19:54:00 UTC Reply

But the actual writing offers so many opportunities for riffs I think it'd make for a good MSTing. MSTing kind of works differently from the missions, I think - with the missions, the focus is on the canonical mistakes, but with a MSTing, all that's required is that it offers opportunities for jokes. Original fiction isn't PPCable, but plenty of it gets MSTed - see The Eye of Argon - so I think the same principle could apply.

Also some misused words. by Laburnum on 2011-04-05 18:57:00 UTC Reply

I'm still trying to puzzle out the meaning of the word "apprehensous".

Hmm a tough one. by Asheel on 2011-04-06 22:32:00 UTC Reply

I think that it might be some hybrid mix of "apprehend" and "sensuous". you know, kind of like "Luscious" Malfoy.

I think I made a post about grossness and sporking earlier. by Aster Corbett on 2011-04-05 14:55:00 UTC Reply

I still wouldn't do it, even if you've done it before. The point is not 'rules' about it, but fetish material. Nobody wants to hear about anybody make fun of fetish material, written by people who know what they're going on about and post it anyway. I kinda feel that sporkings and even MSTs are more about badfic, not gross fic.

Your opinion may differ, but as somebody who has seen it all on the internet I can safely say I don't really find mindful fetish material, no matter how poorly it's written, that funny. At all.

I think I made a post about this earlier today,

http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=199610;article=209673;title=PPC%20Posting%20Board

I wasn't thinking of taking them just for grossness. by Laburnum on 2011-04-05 16:42:00 UTC Reply

The one I was thinking of this time is pretty vanilla, but has really terrible dialogue. I don't think being fetish fic automatically qualifies a fic as not being bad, myself - technically wouldn't all adult-rated fic fall under that heading?