The Boosette incident

Subject: The Boosette incident
Author: Wide Eyed Idealist
Posted on: 2010-10-07 20:05:00 UTC

The Boosette incident happened a few months ago, when a LiveJournal user by that name essentially wrote an essay accusing us of being both misogynistic and bullying. Her main argument was that Mary Sues are OMG STRONG WOMEN, and that by objecting to the horrible writing, we are preventing these girls from expressing themselves as STRONG WOMEN. She also seemed to miss a few key points regarding the definition of a Mary Sue. Given some of the horribly sexist attitudes displayed by Sues (Laburnum's Kittensquick and Warlord projects are especially noticeable), we pretty much decided she was as full of crap as the average sewage plant on that point. However, looking at the bullying accusation, we concluded two things:
1) That's not what the PPC is about. It's in the rules, don't insult the authors until they get nasty to you, and preferably not then.
2) Sometimes we're not too great about following the rules, so we should all make sure of that.

Here is Araeph's response to her accusations; I'd link you to the original, but it's f-locked now.

Here is Neshomeh's statement on that second point.

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If you could blow up one thing... by asterselene on 2010-10-04 03:51:00 UTC Reply

...what would it be?

An abandoned church by Mystia on 2010-10-06 18:54:00 UTC Reply

I'd love to be on the demo crew that brings an especially pretty church down. There's just something so solemn and poignant about a religious place coming to it's end.

Mystia

Wow. by Vixenmage on 2010-10-06 19:10:00 UTC Reply

That'd be some seriously heavy symbolism, right there. One of those times where you have to wonder what metaphor the author was looking for (and then realize you'd have to first know the thematics of the entire story).

Like stone walls: at least, in New England, they're an obvious metaphor for the marching-on and keeping-of-traditions, often without fully understanding -why-. Stone walls were important, back in the day! And they were built by farmers chucking stones out of their way as they endlessly plodded through their stony, stony fields, and they took an art and skill that's mostly lost. People don't generally tear them down, so you see them criss-crossing all over the place, long-forgotten property lines and boundaries coursing uselessly through a young wood ("young," of course, meaning 100 or so), and people remark on the scenic beauty-- forgetting, exactly, why.

...Ahem. Uh, off-topic? What's that?

Me? I'd blow up an iceberg, out in the middle of nowhere. Pretty things, icebergs. And the outer parts would hopefully be far enough away from the blast that they wouldn't melt-- shards of crystalline ice just flying everywhere. Kinda awesome.

Child abusers by PitViperOfDoom on 2010-10-05 07:16:00 UTC Reply

I have neither mercy not pity for them.

On a humorous note, I would love to blow up a Death Star. Just to be able to say, "Hey. I blew up a freaking Death Star."
May I just remind everyone... (Short version: Cut the crap.) by Wide Eyed Idealist on 2010-10-04 23:37:00 UTC Reply

That a few months ago, after the Boosette incident, there was a Talk about insulting the badfic authors rather than the badfic. The results boiled down to:

DON'T.

We're here to create laughs and have fun, not to be vicious.

Just out of curiosity, by Sister-to-the-Queen on 2010-10-07 14:24:00 UTC Reply

what's the Boosette incident? I don't think I was around at the time.

The Boosette incident by Wide Eyed Idealist on 2010-10-07 20:05:00 UTC Reply

The Boosette incident happened a few months ago, when a LiveJournal user by that name essentially wrote an essay accusing us of being both misogynistic and bullying. Her main argument was that Mary Sues are OMG STRONG WOMEN, and that by objecting to the horrible writing, we are preventing these girls from expressing themselves as STRONG WOMEN. She also seemed to miss a few key points regarding the definition of a Mary Sue. Given some of the horribly sexist attitudes displayed by Sues (Laburnum's Kittensquick and Warlord projects are especially noticeable), we pretty much decided she was as full of crap as the average sewage plant on that point. However, looking at the bullying accusation, we concluded two things:
1) That's not what the PPC is about. It's in the rules, don't insult the authors until they get nasty to you, and preferably not then.
2) Sometimes we're not too great about following the rules, so we should all make sure of that.

Here is Araeph's response to her accusations; I'd link you to the original, but it's f-locked now.

Here is Neshomeh's statement on that second point.

That's not entirely fair. by Vixenmage on 2010-10-08 00:12:00 UTC Reply

Firstly, she was right about certain things-- the Anti-Sue culture itself is often quite sexist. And bullying, yes. And cruel. The PPC as a community does strive not to be that, but there are people who don't follow the rules-- some of whom don't even bother to introduce themselves here or follow any of the rules.

Boosette's a cool person, a friend-of-a-friend, and I have a lot of respect both for her and a lot of the people on her side. What she said was not entirely a load of crap, and it sparked a very necessary discussion, both here and on various Dreamwidth/LJ communities, and it made me do a lot of thinking I'm glad I did. The thing about not trashing Suethors? It also applies to not trashing... people. You can disagree with her without comparing her to a sewage plant.

Second. by Araeph on 2010-10-05 00:01:00 UTC Reply

Do we need to have time-outs for Boarders, now? I hope not.

Thirded. by Sedri on 2010-10-05 00:31:00 UTC Reply

Actual lighthearted humour that doesn't hurt anyone is fine. Cruelty is not. I hope everyone here is mature enough to know the difference.

Agreed. by Vixenmage on 2010-10-05 02:13:00 UTC Reply

There's a line between satire and bullying. Read the Constitution-- the PPC is not, never will be, and never has been in favor of personal attacks.

Definitely. by Silikat on 2010-10-05 19:07:00 UTC Reply

After all, we all laugh at each other's old badfics but don't hate each other.
Oh so much by The 9th Blue Mage on 2010-10-05 11:26:00 UTC Reply

I do not wish harm upon the badfic authors. Despite them...well...writing badfic, they're humans just like us. I've read some of the messages on here, and I was kinda bothered by the fact that the some of the posts on here seem to wish a horrible fate upon people such as the badficcers. At least some of the ficcers seem pretty friendly, and wouldn't be too bad once you get to know them.

In short, I just don't like threatening people such as the authors like that.
Uh-oh by Sister-to-the-Queen on 2010-10-05 08:50:00 UTC Reply

Guess I crossed the line there. Won't happen again.

I'll rephrase my original post. I'd like to blow up a building containing every single badfic that's ever hurt my brain.

Thanks for that. Also, I'll help you blow up the badfic :) (nm) by Sedri on 2010-10-06 00:07:00 UTC Reply

Eeeexcellent... by Sister-to-the-Queen on 2010-10-06 10:06:00 UTC Reply

*cue shifty eyes*

Okay, listen up. Meet me at the entrance to the warehouse district at four minutes past midnight. I'll bring the explosives and the detonators, you bring the wires, the raincoats and the spiffy sunglasses. And oh yes, round up as many people as you can. Everyone's invited. We'll need lots of manpower to get the job done.

Tonight, my friend, we will have our vengeance!

*goes up in smoke*

Wheeeeee! :D (nm) by Sedri on 2010-10-06 10:38:00 UTC Reply

[Quick question] by Sister-to-the-Queen on 2010-10-06 17:18:00 UTC Reply

[Think we have RP material here?]

[Well...] by Sedri on 2010-10-06 23:18:00 UTC Reply

Yes, if you have the time and energy for it, but I'm afraid I don't - I'm barely finding time to come to the Board every day just now, so I won't be able to join you regardless. Still, I don't see why not. You might want to set it up on the Other Board, though, and just make a post with a link here, inviting everyone over there.

It has begun... (nm) by Sister-to-the-Queen on 2010-10-07 23:02:00 UTC Reply

The question is not what but how you go about it. by jakraziel on 2010-10-04 19:44:00 UTC Reply

I think I'd blow up Mars, while making it very clear to everyone i was going to do it. Hopefully people would belive I could do it again. Mwa ha ha ha har.
Betelgeuse. by Calista on 2010-10-04 19:41:00 UTC Reply

Because a supernova only ~500 light years away would be just plain cool.

Betelgeuse is a red supergiant which, as far as anyone can tell, is on the verge of going supernova sometime in the next 500 years. When it does, it'll be so bright it's visible in the daytime for months.

That is awesome! (nm) by Mystia on 2010-10-06 18:46:00 UTC Reply

I would cause a very small explosion... by doctorlit on 2010-10-04 18:22:00 UTC Reply

...along the lining of Osama bin Laden's stomach. That way, he would die a slow, painful death of acid leaking out into his torso through his explosion-burned ulcer.
The picture I took of the hedghog sleeping in my garden by IndeMaat on 2010-10-04 17:48:00 UTC Reply

10 by 15 centimetres is just too small for pictures like that.
A place full of all those perverted criminals. by Sergio Turbo on 2010-10-04 17:28:00 UTC Reply

Rapists, pedophiles, mafia... all this annoying people. And badfic authors, too.
This absurdly large stereo by Tranum on 2010-10-04 17:06:00 UTC Reply

I found it in my basement. Much to my dismay, it does not work.
A boat loaded with fireworks. by TheLowtide on 2010-10-04 15:21:00 UTC Reply

Imagine all the pretty colors!

I agree. by Sylibane on 2010-10-05 02:43:00 UTC Reply

Pretty colors...
*Gets distracted by the shinies*

A building containing by Sister-to-the-Queen on 2010-10-04 15:01:00 UTC Reply

every single web author who has ever, directly or indirectly, hurt my brain.
Hmmm... by KsandraMallan on 2010-10-04 09:23:00 UTC Reply

All the douchebags, morons, and people who are just too plain lazy to exercise proper spelling and grammar on the RP site I frequent. *grrr*

[/rant]
Something big. by Silikat on 2010-10-04 07:39:00 UTC Reply

So that when it exploded, it would make a giant BOOM!