(no subject)

[donutsweeper]

I watch a few story finder communities. I don't always find the requests to be a story I'd be interested in, and in fact some wind up hitting some of my serious squicks, but I appreciate the fact that the comms exist and try to help people find stories when I can.

The following post appeared briefly on the ncis one:

I honestly don't know what is wrong with some of these requests... What is wrong with some of you...Always looking for stories that have awful, horrible, stuff happening to Tony??

What happened to normality?? An actual plot, storyline, depth?? Not the same old, same old rec's and some that should'nt be rec'd...

Sincerely,

{poster whom I shall not name}

My response was:

It is a wide and wonderful world out there filled with diverse people with different likes and dislikes. Some people want to read slash, others only gen. People like what they like, be it mpreg or D/s or whump or case!fic or slash or gen or het or what have you. This is a comm to help people find those stories. If you don't like the request, scroll past it. If you don't approve of the story suggested, don't read it. There is no need to judge the requests or make your own decision on their worth.

The entire thread has been deleted, but I stand by my statement. Opinions are good. Intolerance and censorship are not. Let's try to have an open mind and let people read what they want to, okay?

Comments

[tejas.livejournal.com]

Good for you!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I'll admit being a little surprised with the ncisficfind comm of late because of a poster going about and commenting on recced fics (not even in threads they started, just randomly) arguing over the validity of the rec.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

I think that the requests on finder communities are often depressing, but that's no reason to rant at people.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Some are story subjects I find disturbing even disgusting (looking at some of the RPS request at the supernatural comm there) but if someone wants to read them, and someone else can help them find it, why should it affect me?

[kensieg.livejournal.com]

exactly! I only ever rant when a story is poorly written. *shudder* RPS *shudder

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, I must admit, it boggles the mind that not only did someone *write* it, but someone *read* it and wanted to read it again and someone else could find it for them.

[laligin.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I am left in horrified awe by the specific requests and resulting fics I see on tw_storyfinder... But clearly somebody wants it again, and I can manage to scroll on to the ones that sound pretty good and it all evens out in the end...

So I quite agree with you, basically. (:

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Have you actually found good stuff on tw_storyfinder? I've never seen anything there that was good that I hadn't discovered on my own.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

horrified awe just about sums it up *nods*

[kitsun3.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have a response of "O.o? ...D=" to some of the stuff requested on spn storyfinders, but it's really not that hard to just scrooooll on down, is it?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Exactly, some of the spn storyfinder things really make my head spin, but I shrug and scroll past it. Nice to know others are reasonable like that too.

[kensieg.livejournal.com]

if it really is too awful you can just leave/unsub the comm

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Hee! It sounds like Unnamed Poster hasn't been in fandom long. And/or has a fantastical belief that everybody's preferences are the same and should be regulated as such. Good reply!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure. I'd like to think they're just a newbie, but I'm leaning a little more towards feeling less complimentary after they also went in and replied to comments denigrating the suggestions on other threads.

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

Seems like a lot of comms are dealing with trolls right now. Coming up on full moon, I guess...

I really want to start an "anonymous kink request" thread now. Everybody can anonymously request whatever kink they really like reading but are too embarrassed to ever admit, so they never ask for recs!

Am I naive to think that some people are too embarrassed to admit things on the internet?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on the person. I've seen rps bestiality requests, all sorts of D/s requests, questions about vore and a whole bunch of ones I didn't even look up to try to figure out what they were actually talking about.

[mylogiceatsyou.livejournal.com]

I didn't see that post, but I am glad to hear it was deleted. I really do not like people being so judgemental of a persons preferences, likes and dislikes. I think zero tolerance of that is important.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

It was deleted pretty quickly, not sure if by the poster or a mod, but either way, it was a good thing. It's fanfic, there's enough out there for everyone. :)

[chatona.livejournal.com]

That reply = perfect.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)

[xanthelj.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised by how many people commenting seem to share the original poster's distaste of the fic being looked for on finders' communities which I didn't actually think was your point. I've never even thought about it before.

I know there are lots of different fics out there, I have my squicks but I just don't click on stories that involve them, because I know they're *mine* and they don't have to be everyone else's.

Often I think the fics on finder communities sound interesting, or good fun. If they don't appeal I barely even register them. I like finder communities because I've found some good fic that way.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Words cannot express how much I love your icon.

Although I actually clicked reply to give a sort of sheepish smile and say 'good point' about us griping about the post while agreeing with it. I'm in the middle of a Jack Sparrow-style "Where did the Gen go?" flail at the moment in most of my fandoms, but I do love that there's something out there for everyone, and have ended up reading some great stuff that I would have normally scrolled past because the fic-finding description intrigued me.

And goodness knows most of us have got enough lurking in private (or public *embarrassed cough*) places that we'd now consider badfic... Maybe I'll go back to my fanfiction.net account before moaning next time ;D

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't have my fandom any other way, honestly.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Exactly!!

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

A few of my fandoms and I are barely on speaking terms thanks to the lack of fic I want to read. And we all get ticked off by endless re-hashings of the same tropes, not to mention the seemingly endless cravings for badfic.

BUT. There are pleaces for that kind of ranting - fanficrants or your own journal or wherever. The OP also seems to think that they're the first person to notice this. Maybe the scrolly thing on their mouse is broken or something.

I love your reply :) Much more measured than the eye-rolling I'm doing right now... I seriously need to make that 'speshul snoflake' icon, don't I?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Maybe the scrolly thing on their mouse is broken or something.

That would explain much.

speshul snoflake indeed. :)

[phoenix64.livejournal.com]

That was a wonderfully polite and instructive reply. I'm not optimistic, but wouldn't it be wonderful if they took it to heart?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

It would actual help shore up my sagging faith in humanity. A nice dream, is it not?

[thaddeusfavour.livejournal.com]

Good for you! It's good to stand up against ignorance and intolerance. Besides, don't they know what the back button is for?

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Thanks! *laughs at icon* Yeah, I didn't understand that either. Don't like/don't read seems like an easy solution.