elke_tanzer
2003-05-02 02:02 am UTC (link)

Well, I'm all for folks having their own opinions... and as a member of the "determined little coalition" I'll try not to wank too hard here in f_w. But if you've got any better ideas about how to make fannish theft a higher profile issue across fandoms and draw attention to a centralized place, I've got a few entries asking for just that sort of constructive brainstorming over in my LJ, c'mon over. And the Access Denied folks have now set up discussion boards on their site for fannish writers and artists to commiserate and share stories.

If y'all just want to point and laugh, well, go ahead... that's what this community is here for, after all, and you're entitled to your opinions just as everyone else is.

*waits for the pointing and laughing to commence*

Hey! Look! Do I see the giant squid having an illicit affair?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

nevadafighter
2003-05-02 03:00 am UTC (link)

But if you've got any better ideas about how to make fannish theft a higher profile issue across fandoms

I think that there is the fallacy in your thinking. People have stolen ideas and work from others since recorded time and will continue to do so. A single organization can't stop it. Also, if you put your work up in a public domain (hanging pictures in a gallery, publishing fiction and poetry, or putting work up on the internet), the possibility of theft becomes very real. Even if you find a way to diable cut-and-paste, people can still print the work out. Plagiarism is not the sole purview of fan writing.

Also, putting up the perpatrators' names and websites and emails for all to see will a) encourage the victimized author and his/her friends to flame/attack the plagiarizer b) only be effective if the plagiarizer has a conscience or feels badly about stealing. There will be many who won't care one way or another how wrong they are and will keep stealing.

I may be cynical but sometimes I think ISP interventions or lawsuits are the only deterrants that actually work, and I don't know if even those are effective.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

elke_tanzer
2003-05-02 03:35 am UTC (link)

Aigh, I really didn't want to debate this here, because it's really not the right forum for this, but what the heck, right? The Squidwarts OTP saga will just have to continue in some other comment. ;-)

I'm not trying to say that this one consciousness-raising project will Solve All Plagiarism Problems. I'm also not saying that every person who's stolen fannish work will learn anything from it.

I'm hoping that it will bring fannish theft more into the spotlight, for a couple of reasons:

First, so that the victims of theft can band together across fandom boundaries and know that they're not the only ones to go through the bullshit associated with theft of fannish work as opposed to original work... i.e. "it's OK if I steal your work because you already stole it from Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy/whoever/whatever megacorp" which is utter horseshit.

Second, so that people across multiple fandoms and mediums can see what happens to plagiarists and thieves if they admit what they did was wrong and apologize, as well as see what happens when they don't and continue to be rude and spiteful. Yesterday, the Buffyverse vidder who'd stolen clips from other vidders took his vids down and apologized, and he's now getting all sorts of offers of help in ripping and acquiring his own source. In contrast, the hosting-without-permission asshats are still being discussed as a boil on the ass of Firefly fandom, and fans in the Firefly fandom are having to more carefully consider going underground or pass-protecting their work... basically, the Firefly fandom is still suffering, and the Buffyverse fandom is recovering.

Third, to have a central place to collect reports of repeated plagiarism and disrespect for fannish creative types... there are people in the world that crap all over one fandom and then move on to the next, and it's possible that some of those people may be brought to some harsh exposure in the boards now up on Access Denied. They're predators, and they deserve to be outed as such.

Fourth, the grey day allows those of us who support the work of fannish artists to voice our anti-asshat stance. Recently in Firefly fandom, only a few asshats make the vidders/writers/artists miserable by publically stating that artists should sit down and shut up when their work is stolen, and the rest of us understand what's what in the fannish community... The vast majority of good people don't have a central place to come together and speak out or take action in any unified way to make our collective voice louder than the obnoxious asshats.

I personally have more reasons, but those are the top four reasons why I'm participating.

*still trying to be calm, still waiting for the pointing and laughing*

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

Re: -

nevadafighter, 2003-05-02 03:44 am UTC