A thread to discuss naming threads, board policy, new thread suggestions, and anything else that has to do with board administration and maintenance. Guaranteed to include lively debate and polls. Natter discouraged, but not deleted.
Current Stompy Feet: ita, Jon B, DXMachina, P.M. Marcontell, Liese S., amych
Caroline, Whedonesque's site owner, doesn't like the circular links on the blog anymore.
What's a circular link? Is that just where it's only linked to b.org rather than to the thread/post URL?
Pretty obviously there is a judgement call to be made between friendly chatter and PUT ME ON THE INTERNET content. I hope I haven't crossed that line with this link.
I don't know that there is a line, except in any individual's head, unless our stompies say, "The server can't hold," or something. Personally, I would no sooner Whedonesque a Buffista conversation than I would a LJ exchange with my friends, or a phone call with my mother. In other words, I don't like it, but I don't know that I think you did anything
wrong,
it just feels ooky-to-me ooky.
What's a circular link? Is that just where it's only linked to b.org rather than to the thread/post URL?
I believe it's when you post a link to the post that contains the link.
Heh. I feel just like I did after ANMMHE
In other words, I don't like it, but I don't know that I think you did anything wrong, it just feels ooky-to-me ooky.
Well, my logic was this: Tim has said to me before (many many many years ago), anything he puts out on a public forum is okay to redistribute elsewhere. So, I took the posts and redistributed them without the direct link. This was partly to stop server load issues (once bitten, and all that), and the other to stop craxy fans turning up saying 'What about SPike?!@?!?'.
Buffistas is an open, albeit cliquey, community like many others on the way -- but it has some exceptions in terms of public interest (ie Tim). How best to deal with that, totally nothing to do with me. If somebody says to me 'Don't link or reference things Tim says here', cool. I'm fine with that.
In this case, though, I don't think any harm was really done. If anything, I think it just probably implanted the name 'Buffistas' with 'cool fandom news', which is probably not a bad thing.
If anything, I think it just probably implanted the name 'Buffistas' with 'cool fandom news', which is probably not a bad thing.
Actually, I bet if you did a poll, a lot of people here would think that is a bad thing. Me, I think it's a neutral thing, but barn door horse, etc.
I'm in the barn door horse camp, myself.
Tim has said to me before (many many many years ago), anything he puts out on a public forum is okay to redistribute elsewhere.
FWIW, I've always gotten this vibe from Tim. He knows when to keep it secret, and he's not afraid to defend his views, and he's not upset when people disagree. He's savvy enough to know this is public, even when he's having friendly discourse.
I tend to think what you say on the internet is up for public viewing. And everything makes rounds. But sanctuarys should not be invaded for agenda's by the crazed fans.
Tim, from all the emails I have ever gotten back from him, has no problem setting the record strait, speaking his mind, and being quiet when the muse does not suit him to talk.
I also think there is a reason why people have gone out of their way to not link Buffista's in the past. Respect and the the feeling that if it is meant to be known by the genral fanbase it will find it's way out without disturbing the balance elsewhere.
It's a very fuzzy distinction, but I think of this place as a community, and Whedonesque as a fandom news source. It makes me uncomfortable to see our posts treated as news, rather than as parts of a conversation among friends.
It's not about how public or not the board is -- we're none of us ignorant about how the internet works -- it's about something much more intangible, which makes it difficult to defend. I think the only polite thing to do is to ask permission before linking to someone's posts.
