my thoughts about the cuttingboard

I posted this in tafkarfanfic journal and realized that was probably the wrong place to post my thoughts on about the cuttingboard and what it means to discuss author's stories without informing them or getting their permission...this really should have been posted in my jouranl but I was replying back to someone and this is what came out.

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After my first experience with starting the Angst Archive (I started archiving stories in a potentially controversial archive without the author's permission and it almost killed the archive right then and there 8 years ago) that I've become rather rabid about asking permission for everything.

Especially if there is potential for the author not liking something I do. There really aren't enough good fan fic writers that we the readers can afford to go around pissing them off over stupid stuff. It doesn't take long to send an email and let the author know about the discussion board and that you'd love to offer their story up because you loved it so much....or something to that effect. If they say yes, it's all good, if they say no, respect their decision and find another story to disscuss...It's not like SGA as a fandom lacks good stories.

I have the feeling most authors would be flattered and love to see their story discussed.

I think what would shock most authors is the not knowing about it until later and the sense that they have no control over their work. Or the sense of exclusion that this board encourages. it does not want the author's thoughts during the discussion, at least for a specific amount of time, and that makes me just about as uncomfortable as the moderator saying she doesn't need the author's permission to discuss their story.

Which is technically true but it's the polite thing to do. Especially if you want said author to keep writing. We as fans don't have any holds over fan fic writers like editors have over published authors.

Fan writers are writing on their own time, for their own pleasure, and once the fandom gets to be not so fun they pack up and leave. I don't want my favorite authors to leave the fandom because people lack common courtesy.

And in the case of the Hindsight discussion the author didn't know until after the fact. when I first read the discussion I hadn't realized teh author didn't know either, not until she posted in her journal sounding not too happy about with this discussion community.

Now this is my main selfish reason for really not liking what happened. rageprufrock is currently writing one of the funniest stories I've ever read and I'm not happy that the fandom made her unhappy. Unhappy writers normally quit writing, or go on really really long vacations. I think if you're going to go around grabbing stories for discussion, at least pick the crappy ones so if the authors aren't happy about it, it's not a great loss to the community when they pack their bags and leave.

In the eight years of fandom involvement, I've seen writers leave for less reasons. I just hope rageprufrock doesn't let this get to her.