astridv | (no subject)

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I just came from a party where I met the friend of a friend... we’d met at the movies a couple weeks ago, she’s in fandom (not Buffy, I forget which), I gave her the link to the Smile Time comic. Then today I ask her how she liked it, and she says, yeah, she like, and by the way, three of her friends were all, "What, you know her?"

Which poses two questions.
1. How frikkin' awesome is this?
2. How many people have read this thing, if at least three people in my own town know about it? I really wish I’d installed a counter or something, now I’ll never know. Or is there actually a LJ tool that gives you a hit status of a certain post? Do they collect that sort of info?

And now, since I’m already friends locked, for a spot of bitching. I’m not in the habit of doing that... don’t think I’ve ever done that before... but this guy is just too much, and I don’t want to risk attracting an obvious troll: Mark "I'm not a misogynist but I play one on Lee Goldberg's blog" York replies to the fic defenders, once more confirming that he has the IQ of a watermelon.

Mark says:That's the biggest load of horse hockey I've ever read. That's my strong opinion but one backed up by law and universal ethics, not some wild relativistic carte blanche to pilfer original work. At its worst it's character defamation. Not all opinions are created equal. Some have a foundation in reality.
( leegoldberg.typepad.com/a_writers_life/2006/09/am_i_a_fanficce.html#comment-23161773 )

Universal Ethics, WTF? And here I thought that‘s basically an oxymoron.

Speaking of morons... other pearls of wisdom from Mr. York:

What a surprise? A woman fanfictress like Rommel. I think the "We" says it all. We women thieves sisters in arms and all. A defender of stolen crap by a writer of it. Yawn. Such blatant shillery."

"You could explain why it is that women are defending this thievery? Why is that? Is it something hard-wired that allows them to just cast aside established rules because they happen to want something?"

Jeez. Issues much? I have no idea why he’s trying to make this whole thing about gender issues since that’s a) inaccurate and b) not exactly helping his side of the debate. It’s a giant, completely useless red herring. Traditionally, if you use shifty debating techniques you do it to make the other side look bad, not your own. I’m puzzled.

*deep breath* Okay, all better now.

[eta: now he's done bashing women and has moved on:

Ey-up makes a lot of sense. That must be why she is having so much trouble with the German take on what a fan can and should be able to do.

Wow, that man is a fucking idiot.]

Also, to get back to the productive side of things, page six is almost completely coloured and page seven more than halfway inked. Maybe I’ll finish even both of that tonight.

[eta: unlocked]

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Astrid, wow, unlock this. Because you're right, and they're wrong, which is one thing -- BUT STUPID, TOO. Which always needs to be exposed.

*Jesus*

I'll think about it, but see... the thing is, I have to be careful. I considered posting it unlocked because I stand by every word... but I'm using my real name online, and I don't want to do something I'm going to regret tomorrow.

Besides, everyone over there sees him for what he is. He's being ignored by everyone.

... weird as it may be, I was actually more offended by the declaration of his sense of ethics as 'universal' than by the rest of his ramblings. Because that stuff's just too stupid to take seriously.

It’s more than stupid it’s also wrong; it’s my ethics that are universal! Did he not get my memo?

But seriously, I have also as much dislike for idea about of total moral relativisms as I have for the concept of universal ethics. Where that does leave me, do I not really know? I am deeply ambivalent and then again not.

It’s more than stupid it’s also wrong; it’s my ethics that are universal! Did he not get my memo?

For some reason I'm getting an Illyria moment. Tremble and shudder at my feet, puny mortal.

But seriously, I have also as much dislike for idea about of total moral relativisms as I have for the concept of universal ethics. Where that does leave me, do I not really know? I am deeply ambivalent and then again not.

Ah, that's a very complex question (unless you're Mark York, of course). I suspect a lot of very brainy people have been wracking their brains, mulling over this problem. My head's starting to smoke a little just thinking about it.

You must be a BNF then, how does it feel?

Why don’t you quit Lee Goldberg's blog? I myself consider it a good thing, to read other peoples thoughts, especially when you don’t agree with them. But I have stopped following some blogs, when I felt that I got too irritated over something written. I could just taken noticed of those views and givem them so thoughts and then moved on, or post back and explain my opinion and where it disagree with the writer and argue from my point of view. But I think most people will not be convinced, that they are wrong from some semi-stranger, even when it’s elegant and intelligent debated.

Lakrids, a male fic writer

You must be a BNF then, how does it feel?

Pretty damn cool *g*

Why don’t you quit Lee Goldberg's blog?

I've been asked that before. The thing is, even though Lee can be annoying as hell and some of his commenters are idiots, in general I find this whole topic extremely interesting and entertaining. It's not like you just get the Marks comenting; there're some insightful and well-argued comments to be found from both sides of the debate. Even Lee has his moments, when he doesn't happen to rattle on about fanfic... his journal isn't boring.

Of course, rarely ever will anyone be convinced. But the argument itself is fun, exasperating, educational, will make you bang your head against the wall... any of these things, but it's rarely dull. :)

I was interested in your comment about Smile Time. As you know, I have a copy of your comic on Scribes of Angel. (http://www.scribes.darkstarfic.com/) I put this up for the site's 4th birthday last year, and because I was curious, I went to check my site records for you. Assuming my addition is correct - I had to add them all up! You've had 705 hits on the page since 21st July 2005. The first month actually received 257 hits alone - they've probably dropped back because it's a special feature, and not part of the main archive. Does that help?

Thanks, it's interesting in any case.
I still don't know how high the stats on my journal post are. I found this (http://www.ljtop.com/2005_06_04.html). Rank five for that day sounds not bad at all, only I got no idea what number it translates to. But if they can keep track of stuff like that, it means there must be a tool to get the stats somewhere. Heh. My curiosity is definitely piqued.

Hey Astrid,

You know I need to take deep cleansing breaths too when it comes to Mr. York, but it's becoming increasingly evident that York is just a troll. A very self important, loud, and persistent troll, but a troll. If you look at his responses to the other threads on Goldberg's blog he's just as abrasive, ignorant and egotistic on other topics. He may be reading our posts but he's not absorbing them. It took me making a blatant statement of my gender for him to notice I was female (though there were plenty of references to it in other threads he was participating in). He's now apparently under the impression that we're all German because we agree to some extent with Kete, despite the fact that you've never mentioned where you live, I've repeatedly said in those threads that I'm from the US, specified in the previous thread that I was raised in Philadelphia, if he bothered to look at my profile he'd see I now live in Panama, and Rommel's in the UK and has said so. Much like gender, he seems to think that someone's nationality is a character flaw, yet he can't be bothered to get the nationality correct.

He's an idiot, full stop. Even Goldberg leaves him out of his periodic "I can't be bothered to participate in the discussion but I agree with this list of people who agree with my preconceived notions" posts. I think the most amusing thing would be if he continued to post his blather and no one responded at all. He's probably too self involved to notice, but the other readers aren't, and will mock.

If you look at his responses to the other threads on Goldberg's blog he's just as abrasive, ignorant and egotistic on other topics.

Yeah, he's 100% troll. Not just in Lee's blog, either - I just did a little googling; looks like our friend Mark strives to get banned from everywhere in the blogosphpere.

That man has serious problems. I can not fathom what would drive someone to behave like that. What is he, an author, journalist, something like that? I mean, does he not see that he presents himself as an utter jerk, damaging not just his reputation but possibly his career as well? He's a posting under his real name, after all.

He's now apparently under the impression that we're all German because we agree to some extent with Kete, despite the fact that you've never mentioned where you live, I've repeatedly said in those threads that I'm from the US, specified in the previous thread that I was raised in Philadelphia, if he bothered to look at my profile he'd see I now live in Panama, and Rommel's in the UK and has said so. Much like gender, he seems to think that someone's nationality is a character flaw, yet he can't be bothered to get the nationality correct.

The German thing is utterly bewildering. I haven't posted on that blog yet, btw... there's someone posting under the handle A. but it's not me (though I like their brain.) I have no idea how he got the impression that you and Rommel and the other fic writers there are German. Even less, why on earth it should matter to him.

Lee & Co, I do disagree with but I can still see where they're coming from. But this troll is an utter conundrum, I just can't wrap my mind around anyone behaving like that.

Ok, I'm an idiot - I thought you were A. And I may even have conflated you with Amireal in my head. I'm one to talk about paying attention, aren't I ;-)

Cheers.

Well, FWIT, I could've been A. because s/he's pretty much taking the words out of my mouth. :)

I've come *this* close to posting there a number of times, but so far have been able to restrain myself. I just don't think I have the energy and patience to allow myself to get dragged into this... you'll know from experience how that debate will suck you in like a vortex.

Ha, and also:
I can't be bothered to participate in the discussion but I agree with this list of people who agree with my preconceived notions" posts.

That's Lee, in a nutshell. Bwah!

1. You. are. awesome. Now, get over it. :-)

2. Everyone in the freakin' Internet Buffy and Angel fandom has read SmileTime, loves it, and loves you for do it. :-)

3. That man IS a fucking idiot.

4. ::hugs you::

1. *cough* just give me a minute... okay.

2. I'd so love to have a rough number how many readers the thing had.

3. Yup. See my reply to lost_erizo above... trolls simply confuse me.

4. *hugs back* Hope you had loads of fun in Philly!

Okay, so, I first saw Buffy in April. I started looking into fandom around May, still not having seen all the eps. I signed up for all these mailing lists. One of the very first things I clicked on *ever* in relation to Buffverse was someone just saying, "YOU *HAVE* TO SEE THIS IT'S THE MOST BADASS THING EVER." It was your Smile Time comic. I hadn't even seen the ep yet, but I read this comic, and it was the most badass thing ever. I made my parents read it. I think I sent links to my friends. I don't do that with fanfic, because no matter how good a fanfic is, I'd probably get the question, "but *why* would someone do this?" But people see that comic, and they don't question. They're just riveted. And they say, "That? Is badass." It just doesn't surprise me that everyone and their mom has seen it.

Mark's lame.

This was in 2005, of course.

This was in 2005, of course.

Wow, for some reason I always thought you'd been around much longer.

But people see that comic, and they don't question. They're just riveted.

Huh, I think that's true. And isn't that weird? Because that's fanfic right there, just another genre. Why is comic so much more easily accepted than prose fic? It's not like the legal and ethical arguments are much different for both cases. Artwork just has it easier to catch the reader's attention because all it takes is a glance. Means a lot more people would probably come to like fic if they gave it a chance.

Artwork just has it easier to catch the reader's attention because all it takes is a glance. Means a lot more people would probably come to like fic if they gave it a chance.

Yes, I think so too. But if only most fanfic were as high quality as that comic!

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