Others on the list have already pointed out, clearly and well, flaws in
the statements of the messages from Brad Jones and Ben Koose.  But there
are more.

Brad Jones wrote:

This is a pleade to all fanfic writers out their who have gone
insane over  what would be termed "gay" fanfic.  First let me state that
I am not gaybasher.  In fact two of my closer friends are gay.

We can tell whether or not you are a "gaybasher".

 This is
more into regards to the slaughter of the Ranma characters.

What is this "slaughter"?  Destroying your concept of how the Ranma
characters are supposed to be?

 I do not
deny that authors have a right to write and post what they want.  This
is more of a plea to state that this has gone out of control.

You suggest what people write and post should be controlled.  That
contradicts your statement that "authors have a right to write and post
what they want".  As Caroline Ann Seawright says, not every country has a
"First Amendment".  But if a country can claim to be so free a country as
the United States, as I'm sure her Australia does, surely the freedom of
speech is guaranteed there by law.

Almost
all of the stories are poorly written so I can only assume that they are
being posted for attention or a desire to justify their own feelings, or
worse yet to see who can just outdo the other.

You cannot claim that "almost all of the stories are poorly written" and
expect that none of the authors, as you say, of "what would be termed
'gay' fanfic" would be offended.  Richard Lawson has already written a
strong reply to your message, and I am not even sure whether you would
have called his story a "'gay' fanfic".  Which stories do you refer to
when you say "'gay' fanfic"?  Which stories are poorly written?  If you
wish to accuse an author of poor writing, do so to his or her face. 
Criticism is what they were asking for when they posted to the FFML. 
Don't hide behind a statement of "almost all".

 Today I read a fanfic
with Kasumi having sex with her father Mr. Tendo.

Is this what you call a "'gay' fanfic"?

 If this is not a good
case of things just going to far I don't know what is.  If you feel as I
do, and judging from the amount of email I have recieved their are more
than some voice your opinion.  We can't force anyone to stop, but maybe
we can make them understand how much damage they are causing.  How many
readers have quit  simply becouse of this. Remember the series you fell
in love with.  Give others the chance to understand the magic.  Put your
talents to better use.  With Ranma over for the time, it's up to us to
keep it alive.  We now decide what is and what can be.  Live up to the
responsability. 

"We can't force anyone to stop" - you wish to stop them so badly?  And
what "damage" are they causing?  Takahashi Rumiko's "Ranma 1/2" is
published in 38 volumes of manga.  Can anyone change them?  New people can
fall in love with the series.  New people can experience the "magic". 
(Are you sure you don't work for Disney?)  Is it our "responsability" to
write in a manner that you, Brad Jones, think is acceptable?  Would our
talents be better served in pleasing you, Brad Jones?

              Brad Jones....aka DaBear

Grand Imperial Master Of All Things Ranma, Lord and Ruler Of Anime, and
one
heck of a great guy.  Life is too short, live it. 

I can only think of one Mistress of Ranma 1/2.  But that has never meant
an author can't say whatever he or she wants about Ranma 1/2.


Next message.  In the following text, Ben Kosse has one >, a responder to
Brad Jones has two, Brad Jones has three, and I have zero.

more into regards to the slaughter of the Ranma characters.  I do not
deny that authors have a right to write and post what they want. 

Isn't this JUST what you are denying them?

    No.

Oh.

or 
worse yet to see who can just outdo the other.  Today I read a fanfic

    ^^^ Here's the key.

Key to what?  The idea that people shouldn't try to outdo each other? 
Competition necessitates invention, and hence progress.  You take a stance
that whatever you don't like shouldn't be allowed to proceed.

I have yet to see mail condemning these.
And even if there was, so what??
Mistakes help people learn, isn't that one of the main reasons for 
the existance of the FFML??

 I, for one, am none too impressed with these gay-Ranma stories. Most do
seem to be just a "can I make this even sicker than the last one?" sort
of story.
    And, since most of these stories have come with some sort of author
apology or such, I fail to see how these are "mistakes" of any type.

Again, which stories do you mean?  Do you think such a story is just a
"mistake"?

I'm not impressed by your call for censorship.

    I'm not impressed with the stories. Now, I'm not a
"must-be-Ranma-cannon-
for-me-to-read-it" sort of person. Heck, I'm working on 2 more somber and
serious Ranma stories. Admittadly, I'm working on another project
which...
stretches some bounds, but I hope there's a sembalance of plot to provide
the reasons for the events...
    Alas, I digress. I would dearly like to see some sort of warning tag
in the event that people continue writing these stories. I mean, when I
got to the end of that fic and Ranma professed his love for KUNO! That
just
got absurd.

Your impression of the stories clearly indicates your desire to censor them.  A warning tag is simply self-censorship.  Given any story, there exists someone who will be offended by it.  Need we put a warning on the story for each different such person?  Alas, you sound like Kuno.

    If you *MUST* write one of these sort of fics, please think twice
about posting it if the fic is purely a "how bad can I make this" type of
fic.  If it's a serious look into Ranma being gay, then damnit, provide
some sort of reason for his obvious love of Akane. Hell, steal my reason

>from Wild Horse Lost in the Mist if you have to, but explain it. Also,

don't do it just to make the reader sick. If that's your purpose, might I
suggest that you make it a lemon and post it to alt.sex.stories.gay or
some such, or at least give it a tag so those of us with less sturdy
stomachs can avoid making a stinky mess of our keyboards.

How is this "MUST" different from your own?  Why "MUST" you, Ben Kosse,
write fanfiction?  Ranma's "love of Akane" may be "obvious" to you, but
that is your opinion.  If you cannot accept others' having different opinions from your own, why should we listen to you?

    I agree that writers should have free reign to creativity. But, with
that freedom comes the responsibility to attempt to write something worth
reading.

Authors don't write just to please you.  And you don't have to read what
they write.

Grand Imperial Master Of All Things Ranma, Lord and Ruler Of Anime,
and one 
heck of a great guy.  Life is too short, live it. 

And gee, you have SUCH a modest .sig :P 

    Were it not for that :P I would have been really upset with you for
taking
something too seriously.
--
Ben Kosse bmk7411@cs.rit.edu

No wonder, so you're not taking this seriously either.  What a relief.


-Sean