On 6/29/98 9:02 PM, Tybalt at tybalt@ffml.fanfic.com wrote:

I've been going over my traffic logs, and have noticed that a sizable
portion of the spam on the list consists of someone taking Ranma 1/2,
picking a movie title out of a hat, and writing to the FFML suggesting
that the two be fused. I can't remember the last story idea I've seen
posted that wasn't utter crap.

As a result, WW and I are seriously considering A) Banning story ideas
being posted or B) banning fusion/crossover story ideas being posted.

The decision will largely be made based on how much trouble with the
aforementioned story ideas we see in the next few weeks. Hint hint.

I mean, really, if you've got a crossover idea write the cursed thing, but
inflicting it on the rest of us is getting a bit old.

Um. Well, let's see -- as someone trying desperately to catch up with a 
1300 message backlog, I can understand the reasoning behind this; you're 
right, 90%+ of the story ideas have been crap, and a lot of that stupid 
one-liner impulse posts. On the other hand... aren't story ideas a vital 
part of writing fanfics, and isn't that what this list is about?

How's this sound for a compromise: Story ideas allowed only if the poster 
puts some thought into it. So, for example,

"What if Ranma were gay?" = Pifff!

while

"It'd be interesting to do a story where Ranma discovered he's gay. When 
you think about it, he seems to be spending more and more time in girl 
form as the series progresses, and seems to be more and more comfortable 
with it; he hasn't started liking guys, but who knows... what would 
happen if he got *stuck* in girl form? What would some of the 
consequences be?" 

might be acceptable.

This isn't a complete solution, but it would probably cut out most of the 
thoughtless "I wanna see Ranma fight with the cast of Teenage Killer 
Ninja Vixens!" one-liner crap. If you have to stop and think about your 
idea before posting, it'd probably zap most of the impulse posting -- and 
almost certainly be more entertaining to read.

Thoughts, anyone?



Travis Butler
(The Professor, formerly of Myth and Magick!, Lawrence, KS;
 tbutler@tfs.net, now from the Wandering Powerbook;
 <http://www.tfs.net/personal/tbutler/>;
 Mac page <http://www.tfs.net/business/tbutler/>)

...They got the library at Alexandria. They're not getting mine.