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Scott Davidson ([info]cathowl) wrote in [info]fandom_rant,
@ 2007-05-27 17:09:00


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*FROTH* The main reason I hate ffnet: The users
Dear guy who posted to two chapters of mine now stating that I must shorten my author's notes, and then threatened to report me to ffnet if I post an author's note on my next chapter,

You, sir, are a bossy asshole. You have no control over what I post, and the fact that I'm posting absurdly-long author's notes will not shatter your tiny, self-centered world.

Yes, good author's don't need author's notes. Just because someone doesn't need something doesn't mean that the thing which is not needed is incapable of adding anything to an experience, or can't just be nice to have for its own sake. Many of my other readers have expressed delight at my author's notes, and claim they're funny. More than one has stated that they can't decided if they like the story or the author's notes more. ...Though this may not be saying much about the story...

I'm fully aware that having my author's notes longer than the chapter looks tacky, however, I deny completely that "three or four lines" needs to be the max. Especially when most of the author's notes are more about interacting publicly with my readers than about the story itself. If they would comment on my LiveJournal instead of on ffnet, most of these "author's notes" would be reply comments.

Why the hell did I taking the time to justify myself to you? It doesn't matter what you think of my author's notes. Who are you to tell me what a good author does or does not do? You're just some random ffnet user I don't know and hardly give two shits about. Who appointed you the ultimate sovereign of author's note length? Get back to me when you're Terry Pratchett or the ghost of Heinlein. I might listen to you then. Maybe. If I felt like it.

Inferiority issues? I "obviously have inferiority issues"? Man, not only are you an asshole, you're an arrogant asshole, to think you know about my mental state more than I or my therapist do. And before you get all superior going "Hah! A therapist, you do have issues!" Yes, with my family. Because at the time I saw her regularly, I was living with my mom, and we would have likely murdered each other without a mediator.

You have more brains and common sense than I? You who come into an author's story reviews, boss them around, and expect them to just roll over and obey your every word?

I'm pretentious? Me?
Hyperdictionary: "Pretentious: intended to attract notice and impress others"
Huh. I guess I am. Well, I'm not going to be ashamed of that, so you fail at insulting me there.

I wish I'd never promised myself not to reply to you after the first time, so I could call you an asshole to your face. But I keep promises to myself. So I'm going to vent where you can't see me. You insulting, condescending, grudge-reporting little shit.

I'm going to continue writing author's notes as long as I want them to be, and if you get my story removed, I'll put it back up, author's notes intact. If I get booted off ffnet, I'll rejoin and post it again. Until you go away. That's really all I want. For you to disappear. Or at least shut up. Because every time I see your posts, I want to kill something. Preferably you.

And Fandom Rant? Thank you for existing. I needed to rave about this guy to get it out of my system so I can try to forget about him.


(Post a new comment)


[info]spawn_of_kong
2007-05-28 02:26 am UTC (link)
Yeesh. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable making my author's notes longer than my chapters, but I agree, there's nothing really wrong with them being lengthy. In my case, I'm writing a whole epic crossover on FF.net, in each chapter of which I like to mention where I got some of my ideas from, and (in future chapters) reveal some background information that doesn't fit in the actual story.
Ergo, this guy does indeed FAIL.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 02:42 am UTC (link)
I'm not actually comfortable with my author's note length being almost as long as my chapter, myself, but this guy just pisses me off. If I was slightly less rational I'd make them longer just to spite him.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]dawnswalker
2007-05-28 04:03 am UTC (link)
It's only fanfiction.net. Make the next author's note three times as long!

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 04:07 am UTC (link)
I'm soooo tempted to. But... I think I'll just keep doing what I have been fr the last couple chapters; I'll reply to every reviewer who says something I think of a reply for.

Which is usually enough for at least a thousand words. I've got so many more reviewers now than I did when I was writing DBZ fics. Admittedly, they were really awful DBZ fics. Man I was stupid back then...

Maybe I should write a theme song for my fic and post it in the author's notes of every chapter...

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]keri
2007-05-28 05:07 am UTC (link)
I thought FF.net instituted a reply feature for reviews to cut down on that kind of author's note, though? And you aren't supposed to have ANs at all anyway?

Or I could be dreaming. I only visit FF.net to read fic these days, and only when I can't find the same story elsewhere.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]ladybirdsleeps, 2007-05-28 05:23 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]keri, 2007-05-28 05:57 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]tangentialone, 2007-05-28 07:03 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 12:57 pm UTC

[info]scarah2
2007-05-28 05:53 am UTC (link)
Maybe FanLib would be better?

(Totally kidding)

(Reply to this)


[info]rekall
2007-05-28 06:56 am UTC (link)
Especially when most of the author's notes are more about interacting publicly with my readers than about the story itself. If they would comment on my LiveJournal instead of on ffnet, most of these "author's notes" would be reply comments.

Word of caution. It's against ff.net's policies to have long A/Ns especially when they're use for replying to reviews.

I frankly don't care what you do but even if you get rid of this guy, it's possible that someone else will report you for the same thing in the future.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 01:02 pm UTC (link)
I know it's against their ridiculous totalitarian rules. I'm ignoring that rules deliberately because I think it's stupid to regulate fscking author's notes. *Sighs* I really want to leave, but I also don't want to give up my readers there that don't like LiveJournal. So, it's a little bit of armchair freedom fighter mixed in with wanting extra attention and putting up with shit over it.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]pyratejenni
2007-05-28 02:37 pm UTC (link)
Will you come and rant when you finally get drop-kicked from FF.net?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 02:55 pm UTC (link)
Probably not. It's so easy to be kicked off there for stupid things.

I guess its easy to attract annoying people, too, so I shouldn't have been surprised at Mr. Bossy, but he just rubbed me the entirely wrong way.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]esclaramonde
2007-05-28 03:23 pm UTC (link)
You could put up a post in your LJ that replies to every reviewer at great length and then link it in the chapter.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 03:41 pm UTC (link)
I'm not sure it would work, but it's a useful thought. Thanks for the advice.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]rekall, 2007-05-28 04:57 pm UTC

[info]seiberwing
2007-05-28 10:54 pm UTC (link)
You can't post URLs in ff.net documents. They just plain don't show up.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 10:59 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]seiberwing, 2007-05-28 11:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]esclaramonde, 2007-05-29 12:08 am UTC

[info]angelhunter
2007-05-28 02:59 pm UTC (link)
Sheesh, flounce off to FanLib. I heard they are catering to the fanbrat brigade.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 03:02 pm UTC (link)
Don't like me, do you.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]nevadafighter
2007-05-28 06:49 pm UTC (link)
This is fandom_rant, not hugs_and_bunnies_and_chocolate_for_ranters.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 06:55 pm UTC (link)
See me crying about it?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]nevadafighter, 2007-05-28 07:44 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 07:48 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]nevadafighter, 2007-05-28 07:57 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 08:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]nevadafighter, 2007-05-28 08:28 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 08:35 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]nevadafighter, 2007-05-28 08:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 09:01 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]nevadafighter, 2007-05-28 09:07 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 09:10 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 09:14 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]nevadafighter, 2007-05-28 09:15 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 09:29 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]nevadafighter, 2007-05-28 10:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 10:17 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]pyratejenni, 2007-05-28 09:01 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 09:05 pm UTC

[info]esclaramonde
2007-05-28 03:35 pm UTC (link)
I have to say that you come off as bad as, if not worse than, the complainer. Author's notes as long as the fic? Eeesh. Whenever I see that sort of thing, I assume that the author is trying to get the fans to fangirl her more by giving them shout-outs. Maybe you like to have all of your replies out in the chaper so "anyone can read them", but chances are that people are only reading the ones with their name on. Just use the reply feature, it keeps everything tidier.

Who are you to tell me what a good author does or does not do? You're just some random ffnet user I don't know and hardly give two shits about. Who appointed you the ultimate sovereign of author's note length? Get back to me when you're Terry Pratchett or the ghost of Heinlein. I might listen to you then. Maybe. If I felt like it.

Why do you bother caring about the reviewers at all, then? They aren't Pratchett either. Although nobody who breaks Ebert's Law ever seems to think about the reverse.

I'm going to continue writing author's notes as long as I want them to be, and if you get my story removed, I'll put it back up, author's notes intact. If I get booted off ffnet, I'll rejoin and post it again. Until you go away. That's really all I want. For you to disappear. Or at least shut up.

You're going in a very wrong direction, then. If you persist in messing with the rules, they are going to persist in following you around and shouting at you. My suggestion above still stands.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 03:49 pm UTC (link)
"but chances are that people are only reading the ones with their name on"

Actually, very few of my replies are to people specifically. They're addressed to the questions or thoughts I want to reply to. Examples:

The reaction to the Hogwarts song could have been presented better.
I don't doubt it. You should have seen the first draft. It was so much worse. Terrible. Thankfully I fixed it up into something I could at least ignore, if not be delighted by.

I like how you pick fun at Draco!
...I wasn't aware that I was doing that.

"Why do you bother caring about the reviewers at all, then?"
Because sometimes they have good advice. I wouldn't mind if he'd said "don't you think your author's notes are rather long? I think you should shorten them." instead of "your author's notes are too long. Good authors don't need notes". In the first, he's making a suggestion, but in the second, he's ordering me around and unsubtly suggesting that if I have author's notes, I must suck.

And your suggestion is a good one. My pride says to keep on my current path as a matter of principle, but if I decide I can't deal with the resulting consequences, I'll follow your advice.

I still think ffnet's rules on author's notes are totalitarian and I'd happily repost my author's note-full chapters endlessly under as many names as it took if I thought it would get them to change their (stupid) policies. Alas, I am a drop of water in an ocean and they likely wouldn't even notice me longer than it took to press the delete button, let alone listen to anything I had to say. *Shrug* I am definitely leaving ffnet as soon as I can afford to have a good website for my fanfic (that's not Geocities like my current one. Ick, Geocities).

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]omega
2007-05-28 04:04 pm UTC (link)
Xing is running a business, not a democracy. If his rules aren't to your liking, you are free to try and find another service provider, yes?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 04:07 pm UTC (link)
Business? He's making money off of fanfiction.net?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]pyratejenni, 2007-05-28 04:43 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 04:47 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]esorlehcar, 2007-05-28 06:38 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 06:41 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]esorlehcar, 2007-05-28 06:49 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 06:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]esorlehcar, 2007-05-28 07:15 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 07:16 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]pyratejenni, 2007-05-28 07:41 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 07:45 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]pyratejenni, 2007-05-28 08:59 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]cathowl, 2007-05-28 09:07 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]qem_chibati, 2007-05-28 10:04 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]jk_ashavah, 2007-08-15 04:43 pm UTC

[info]onaga
2007-05-28 07:28 pm UTC (link)
I think you took a wrong turn at fanficrants somewhere back there.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 07:40 pm UTC (link)
Oh? *Checks* ...Huh. I wasn't aware it existed. I apologize, I really do try to post in the proper place.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]onaga
2007-05-28 08:27 pm UTC (link)
http://community.livejournal.com/fanficrants

You're welcome.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]cathowl
2007-05-28 08:36 pm UTC (link)
Thank you. I'll bookmark it in case I ever get all frothy again over fanfic.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


 
   
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