Do you find the boards hostile?
No. That would definitely be too strong a word.
The two main types of reactions to fic used to be posts encouraging and kudoing those writers/stories they enjoy, and posts offering constructive feedback on those they think have promise but might be better with certain things fixed, tightened up, etc. And some that did both. And I am happy to say that both those types of posts continue to appear.
However, a tendency I am seeing more and more of (it's rather like a creeping plague) is people using comments about a story they like to make snide remarks about other stories. A fair number of these comments are blatant; others are more subtle.
But more than that, I see people pushing for the kinds of stories they like and ONLY the kinds they like. Until about a year ago (I think), I don't remember seeing too many posts suggesting that certain fics, or types of fics, ought to be less prevalent. (And I am not just talking about the deathfic issue. That sort of suggestion has come up on several other, unrelated topics.) I am sure that this will raise ire -- "Aren't I allowed to express my opinion?"
Of course. But when you use that opinion to bludgeon writers into doing things your way . . . well, it makes this board awfully homogeneous. And I happen to think variety is what this fandom should be about. I think it's wonderful that this fandom can produce tearjerkers that make me sob, and sweet waffy stuff that makes me sigh happily. Angst that puts me on the edge of my seat, and vignettes that make me smile. And plenty of fics that are not to my taste. But that's ok, because they ARE to lots of other people's.
*shrug* While I absolutely think constructive criticism has an important place here, the "social engineering" sickens me. If you dislike a certain type of story, that's fine. It's well-known that Tank dislikes kiddy-fic, for example. And yet, I don't recall him ranting about the evils or kid-fic, and how it ought to be stamped out. (Ok, once or twice, but that was clearly a joke.
)
He just doesn't read it.
Let me repeat that. It's very, very simple.
HE JUST DOES NOT READ THE TYPE OF FIC HE DOES NOT ENJOY. That's it.
(And just to be very clear, I am NOT talking about requests for warnings. Those seem perfectly reasonable to me.)
