Massive purging of stories on fanfiction.net

[HalcyonFour]

Hello All,

I realize that some of you are probably already are aware of this, but fanfiction.net has been undergoing a massive purging of stories lately due to groups like Critics United reporting violations and minor infractions to the website.

Here is Critics United's website--feel free to look around at some of the vitriol their members have spewed. While I understand ff.net has their guidelines, what is happening simply wreaks of nothing but trolling. While various members seem to be well-intentioned, in looking around at many of their profiles, I noticed that they tend to create separate "critique" accounts whereby their actual pages are not revealed, and they pride themselves on delivering criticism. Judging by their general attitude, it feels like they are just plain out to get people who don't write high-quality fics, and it is getting out of hand. Many stories that have been around for years are getting deleted from ff.net, and the group has dubbed this movement the "Reviewer Revolution" and is aggressively going after fics they deem unworthy to be published. Understand that many of these stories are probably written by young people who are just learning to how to get their creative juices going. Everyone starts somewhere, and while some of the deletions might be warranted (i.e. because of plagiarism), they literally have checklists of stories they are targeting to delete. It really seems like this is not a matter of genuine concern, but a hostile purge. I just thought I'd let everyone know about this, as it makes me really angry to see other people impose their will on others in this fashion. It is not charitable critiquing, and to me it is akin to censoring (does everyone remember SOPA and PIPA??), and that is unacceptable. I honestly don't know what to do about it, because ff.net does have their guidelines, and as I said, some of the deletions are warranted. However, they also love the attention they are getting.

Here is a petition someone has started. Feel free to sign!  
http://www.change.org/petitions/fanfiction-net-stop-the-destruction-of-fanfiction-net

[RemSaverem]

Wow. Anything that discourages newbies, particularly young newbies, is unfortunate. Everyone should feel welcome to be as creative as they can and have a safe harbor for doing so. That has been the vision of Kumoricon's fanfic community from day one (with our panel and contest at KC 2003 in Springfield), as well as the guiding value for the Beta Station and the Creation Station that evolved therefrom.

[HalcyonFour]

I completely agree.

[Kimiski]

That's ridiculous. Everyone should be able to post their fanfiction online no matter how "good it is" to some people, and not to others. I've been a user of FF.net for 12 years.... this upsets me greatly...



Is there anyway to get those links working? The only one that works is the actual petition.

[Washougal_Otaku]

Well, I for one favor what they're doing in terms of enforcing the rules. Yet I can definitely see where y'all are coming from with the BS deletions. Personally, I think they should go after the trolls first. I don't care so much for ff.net, anyways, mainly because I know a couple of young women who post horrible Yu-Gi-Oh YAOI stuff, trying to make it bad for the sake of humor.

[HalcyonFour]

Is there anyway to get those links working? The only one that works is the actual petition.

Fixed!

Well, I for one favor what they're doing in terms of enforcing the rules. Yet I can definitely see where y'all are coming from with the BS deletions. Personally, I think they should go after the trolls first. I don't care so much for ff.net, anyways, mainly because I know a couple of young women who post horrible Yu-Gi-Oh YAOI stuff, trying to make it bad for the sake of humor.

The fact is that these people are purposely going after bad fics. They are acting as admins, and enforcing their judgment on other people's stories. Stumbling across a fic and reporting it for abusing the rules is very different from an organized "Reviewer Revolution". If the government did something similar (i.e. SOPA, PIPA, CISPA, ACTA), wouldn't we be outraged? But this is a private group of self-proclaimed "critics",  and I don't think it's OK to let them bully people. I've been to some of their profiles and they brag about leaving harsh reviews. I mean, dude. It's obvious that people write to cater to certain audiences. Tweens are going to write about high school and middle school problems because that is the stage of life they are in. FF.net's guidelines are vague, so for the admin to enforce the rules literally a decade later after some group goes after younger writers...I'm starting to think some of the website moderators are probably in on this. If this is the case, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop posting on the website and take my work elsewhere. I don't tolerate censorship.

[Animeman73]

HalcyonFour you and I might not have always seen eye to eye. But on this one I'm with you all the way. I'm an adult and I'm writing a Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic of my own. And the last thing I want is for the self-procalimed "thought police" to come after me just because my work doesn't coincide with what THEY want to read. Not to meantion my friend Peach Wookiee would get upset if they started to come after her as well. I will continue to write on Fanfiction.Net as well all my cohorts on RESPECT. But if push comes to shove we may indeed have to go some place else. If push comes to shove I recommend Mediaminer.org. In the meantime keep writing as you see fit and remember that old street mantra "Haters gonna' hate".

[HalcyonFour]

Thanks, Animeman.

[Washougal_Otaku]

Well, I for one favor what they're doing in terms of enforcing the rules. Yet I can definitely see where y'all are coming from with the BS deletions. Personally, I think they should go after the trolls first. I don't care so much for ff.net, anyways, mainly because I know a couple of young women who post horrible Yu-Gi-Oh YAOI stuff, trying to make it bad for the sake of humor.

The fact is that these people are purposely going after bad fics. They are acting as admins, and enforcing their judgment on other people's stories. Stumbling across a fic and reporting it for abusing the rules is very different from an organized "Reviewer Revolution". If the government did something similar (i.e. SOPA, PIPA, CISPA, ACTA), wouldn't we be outraged? But this is a private group of self-proclaimed "critics",  and I don't think it's OK to let them bully people. I've been to some of their profiles and they brag about leaving harsh reviews. I mean, dude. It's obvious that people write to cater to certain audiences. Tweens are going to write about high school and middle school problems because that is the stage of life they are in. FF.net's guidelines are vague, so for the admin to enforce the rules literally a decade later after some group goes after younger writers...I'm starting to think some of the website moderators are probably in on this. If this is the case, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop posting on the website and take my work elsewhere. I don't tolerate censorship.

...isn't that what I said?  The admins, the legit ones, should go after these trolls.  That's what these people are; trolls.  I can agree that some of these things may deserve a harsh word or two, but going as far as they do is ridiculous, yet within their rights.  Honestly, adding what I've heard from others outside of these forums, it sounds like you're just kinda pissed that crap is getting insulted for being crap by a collective group of crap haters,  and I see nothing too wrong with that, so long as they're being truthful about it.

Again, I don't really care enough to look into it myself, so whatever the truth is, or the inevitable outcome,... whatever.  However, if you're going to mope about "vague guidelines" then maybe you should go elsewhere.   Go somewhere where the rules are more precise and will be more to your liking.  OOH!  Better yet, make your own site for fanfic writers!  That way, you can be in charge of rules and who gets to enforce them!  That would be pretty awesome, I think.  (Heck, I think I'd do it, myself, if I had the time).

[reppy]

The entire Internet needs to read this book: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People

[Animeman73]

The entire Internet needs to read this book: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People

That reppy is a great idea!

[Washougal_Otaku]

That is, actually.