On Thu, 28 Aug 1997, Panda wrote:
I can't really say if something's changed, since
I haven't been back long enough, but I can
only hope that what I will see now is a thriving
community, the Vanguard of Fanficdom, and not
a bunch of writers who have lost their purpose
as a community.
The 'vanguard'? I don't honestly know if the FFML was ever the 'vanguard'
(and I've been here longer than you think :D). Many, many, MANY fanfics
that hit here don't hit RAAC, and vice versa. It's always been that way;
in fact, most/all of the DBZ stories I've seen have never seen the light
of day on the FFML.
Albercrombie is gone, Bert is gone, Panda and Saffie are supposedly still
here (they maintain the FAQ) -- but they are almost never heard from any
more
People leave. That's part of growing, and life. Many people have entered
these hallowed halls and left them, after a long time or a short. I don't
know (remember) what happened to 'crombie, or Bert; I know if *I* were
faced with a project like Bubblegum Zone (and believe me, I have been O.o)
I wouldn't want the FFML to distract me.
But you're right Jeanne. I, and others have been pretty quiet lately. I can
only speak for myself by saying that I haven't really seen any threads
lately that I know anything about or thought my .02 might be worth adding.
It seems the standards of 'good' fanfiction are changing, from even the
time when I first joined the list. But keep in mind that we all grow
older, and sometimes our hobbies grow faster (or slower) than we do. I
used to read, and collect, voraciously, -EVERY- Ranma story that ever made
its way to this list. Now, I can barely take my eyes *TO* a Ranma story,
and have been severely disappointed with several 'series' that have been
ongoing.
Uncle Fester is no longer going to post his major fic to the FFML,
Kun-chan doesn't post much anymore... have they all found more important,
RL things to do, or are they all just put off by this list?
Again, speaking for myself, it's a bit of both.
Certainly, it is. Kun-chan's slowed down a lot, it must be her old age.
;) Many of the 'old' authors don't post nearly as much anymore, but often
their postings are simply better, and better.
<snip of what's going on :)>
course, none of that is new, but the list is so much more *serious* now, so
much less fun to be around (and "fun" does not necessarily = spam and other
off-topic posts)
True <sigh>
Agreed, but the original intent of the FFML isn't fun first--it's first
and foremost to be a forum in which writers can submit works for
examination and critique to their peers.
And from the time Tybalt arrived, this list has died in all important ways,
save ceasing to exist (and it's tried to do that a few times too)
>From the time Tybalt has arrived? Sure, Tybalt is inconsistent. Sure,
he's iron-handed. But can you blame him? Examine the state of the FFML
back.... oh, I don't know, maybe a year ago. No moderator. Maybe 400
subscribers, only maybe 50 of whom are active. But BOY, are they active.
400, to 500 posts in a day is common, almost expected. Now, look at the
list; recent server/hardware problems, people with ever-decreasing mail
quotas. Plus more than 200 new subscribers, and perhaps 100+ 'active', if
rarely for some of them. Tybalt became a necessity, because otherwise the
list _WOULD_ die, choking on its own growth. I applaud Tybalt for the
bravery he has to have to do his job.
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