The uproar about FF.Net

[piasharn]

I was going to write an entry on how I don't give a damn about FF.Net is eliminating all NC-17 'fics, but lyria beat me to it. I decided to glance through a few of those petition entries, though, just out of morbid curiosity, and now I really need to get something off my chest.

You do not have a constitutional right to poorly written fanfiction!

Hate to break it to you, but I don't recall ever reading about a right to read bad, out-of-character Harry/Draco slash 'fics. (And while I don't mean to offend shippers of this particular pairing, I have never seen an in-character H/D slash piece. Never.) Besides, FF.Net is not a government funded website. It's privately owned, and is more of one bigass lawsuit waiting to happen.

The second thing that gets to me is the attitude of so many of the complainers. They go on and on about their "right" to fanfiction, about how they are being betrayed. However, has any one of them actually done any work to make a site like this? I can't say I agree with Xing's (lack of) guidelines for 'fics, but when push comes to shove, it's his site. It's his time and money and effort. And he is still offering it for free. Think about that for a second.

If you don't like how he's running the show, then go buy your own domain name and webspace. Hell, there are stillfree servers out there. Sure, they aren't as nice of deals as they used to be, but the option is still there. You don't even need to learn HTML or have to make your own graphics anymore! There are so many programs that will do everything for you. And you don't even need to make a mega-site like FF.Net, you can just do a personal one to archive your work. So go make your own damn site!

Wait... what's that? You don't have the time? The money? You just plain don't want to do any work yourself? Well, tough cookies, babe. You ain't getting any sympathy from me. Perhaps you ought to be grateful that the site is even still around and stop bitching about how Xing runs his site.

I don't go to FF.Net for 'fics unless I am really desperate. If I wrote, I sure as hell wouldn't post my work there. For every decent review an author manages to eke out, there are 20 pointless ones. And most of the time, that's all these so-called "authors" want: meaningless praise. More pointless drivel to feed their already bloated egos. They care more about their fame than their work.

I don't give a fuck that NC-17 'fics are being eliminated. Do I think it is "right"? I guess not... I mean, I am a fan of (good) smut. I don't see anything wrong with having adult material on a public site; not everyone on the 'net is a preschooler, after all. But in all honesty, how many decent 'fics were actually posted there? Not that many. There are loads of free sites out there. You just need to know where to look. Go play around on Google for a while!

Still, that's just how I see it. Others doubtless have different viewpoints on the whole thing. But the ingrateful attitude spewed forth from the whiney fangirls (and boys) is giving me a headache. It seems to be the trend with kids today... they are raised with the idea that the World revolves around them. Spoiled little brats who'd rather whine about the supposed injustice than get off their asses and actually try doing something themselves.

And before I veer off on too great a tangent, I should wrap this up. This entry is already quite a bit longer than I had originally intended. Now let's see how many people I manage to piss off this time...

Comments

[travellyr.livejournal.com]

Piss off as many people as you like, Pia. I agree with you, and I'm just tired enough to be quiet.
meaning I'm just tired enough to be dangerous.

Pheh

[dawndancer.livejournal.com]

If you piss them off then they deserve it. If you want free smut that is (sometimes) fairly decent you can go to literotica.com. Hell, I don't LIKE fanfiction smut because really it is so pointless.

*Meekly*

[citizenjess.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, even if the rant I wrote on the matter was because I don't think the 'fics should come down simply because there's sexual content in them. I mean, the reason I peruse FF.Net is because you can find anything there -- which is the same reason I've got such a beef with their sudden "moral obligation" to pull down all their adult material.

Anyways, I hope I wasn't considered in the generalized sweep of "angry fangirls". I don't really think that's how I came off at all.