[FFML] A thought on the future of the FFML

[Brian Randall]

On Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 9:52 AM, Mythril Moth
<mythrilmoth at mythrilmoth.net> wrote:
>
> Doesn't even need to be that complicated. Just have the site's native tag
> system be BBCode. It'll mean the user has to global S&R their hypothetical
> pre-existing HTML tags to BB tags, but that's a relatively simple task.

No, you just suggested something more complicated, not less.  Now you
_also_ need a mechanism to convert BBCode to HTML (not difficult; I
believe there are a few already out there, but now someone has to
actually implement it) to get things working on the mailing list side
of things again.

> Exactly. Also, there is much to be said for centering/indenting/align-right
> functionality, which are basic features to most word processing programs
> that often fail in e-mail. Additionally, the ability to change the font face
> and text color are useful in many instances. I'm not saying they're
> NECESSARY, but...well, five minutes on my website will tell you I'm an
> advocate of being able to apply more progressive formatting than plain text
> e-mail allows for. =D

Sorry, I don't believe those things are necessary to tell a story for
a heartbeat.  Add them in when you're done, if you like (I do).  But
if you want comments and feedback on your writing, present it as a
manuscript, not something hidden behind whatever tags look cool this
week.  You have complained many times that you want to add extra stuff
that the list doesn't support, and I, for one, am utterly indifferent
to those complaints.

If you're concerned that someone won't like your fic if it's not
'pretty' enough ... then that's a sign your fic needs work.  The FFML
is about comments and criticism.  If this approach drives off people
who only want to read fic without commenting....

...then that's freaking _ideal_, isn't it?

Let those who only want to read get polished drafts later, that can be
tarted up with all the html and media you want.  Let ourselves remain
a community focused on the actual core of the writing, not get caught
up in becoming part of the presentation mechanism.  I was irritated
enough when someone told me that because they joined the FFML just to
read, it had de facto become a place for distribution, and 'rough
drafts' didn't belong there.

I can only see that element becoming worse by such an approach.

--
Brian Randall
--
Yrne awaits those with the courage to seek it.
--
I write fanfiction. Too much of it. You can read it here, on my
terrible webpage:
http://www.soulriders.net/brian/