And yet you're a BNF amongst the Buffistas. See?

UNDO IT! UNDO IT!

Yeah, I'm aware of that. It's because I talk too much. And I was the equiv. of a BNF in the early 90s insular Seattle BBS scene, at least in a particular subsection of it, because I was active in the community, went to GTs, ran boards, and was always online.

I mean, BNF just means people in a certain community recognize your name. Could mean people agree with you, but doesn't have to.

Yerp. It's very silly.

The Road Rules/Real World Battle of the Sexes is pretty much what happens when you throw Big Name and Little Name and No Name women together.

Jesus, talk about back stabbing and pack mentality. They were already jumping on each other and trying to tear each other's throats out, and then turning around with pretty smiles on their faces. Lots of behind the back stuff.

On the guys side there was the one huge major blow out, but other than that the guys seem to get along.

With the women it's a bunch of small petty stuff and you can see the allegiances forming and lots of "your my friend and you don't like HER so I hate HER too." happening.

All feedback thrills me. I ascribe the minimal feedbacks "Hi, I liked it" to either shyness or inability to put together a more coherent statement. I've sent feedback to strangers, mostly to encourage them to finish a series I adore.

Part of me wants to be a BNF, but that's the small person who was always picked last for Red Rover. She has belonging issues. It's too much work to maintain that kind of presence, and I'm more into everyone having fun. I found Vamp!Giles recced by Te, who specifically said she never recs Works in Progress but she was making an exception, and that's thrill enough to last for months.

OK, I'm just skimming the discussion here, but is there really some etiquette I was heretofore unaware of that I'm supposed to be providing feedback every time I read a fanfic? Because I honestly have no clue.

I mean, I treasured every "love your story" I ever got back when I wrote Lois & Clark fanfic, but I sure HOPE not everyone who read it wrote me, because if so I had a maximum of 100 readers or so, and I'm vain enough to hope there were many, many more.

OK, I'm just skimming the discussion here, but is there really some etiquette I was heretofore unaware of that I'm supposed to be providing feedback every time I read a fanfic?

I don't think so, but I know that a lot more people read than send feedback, and that some writers are pretty vocal about wishing people would send more feedback in general. Then there are the feedbackers who are vocal about wishing the writers sent more thank you notes, and blah, and blah, and blah.

I don't really care. I love to get feedback. I think it's good to remind folks that hey, tell a body when you liked something, okay?, and that it's good to say thanks for reading, because that's always nice to see.

Okay. Honestly? I don't do as much reading as I used to. I try to send feedback thrice weekly, exclusive of Silverlake. Lately, I've been failing even to do that, because that which I've been reading is either on Silverlake, in which case I do my feedbacking on list, or it's on LJ, so I'll comment.

I haven't had the energy to send good feedback in a while. I need to get better about it again.

Oh good. I try to give feedback if I know the author, but otherwise I haven't even thought about it.

My personal stance on the feedback shit is confined to the personal. I don't give enough of it. This tears at me, because I feel personally obligated to tell the person whose fic made me wear exclamation marks for a week that they rock rock rock, but I'm a lazy-ass bitch in more ways than that.

(I've decided, though, that since it's much easier to write recs than feedback, probably mostly because it's third person rather than second, I'm going to start a habit where I rec things long and loud and detailed in my LJ, and then translate that into an email to the author.)

I try and feedback for every story I read- especially now that I'm only reading three or four stories a week. When I was just getting into fanfic, and reading masses, I didn't feedback: mostly because I didn't have anything to judge 'this is a good story' against. I'm guilty of not feeding back to stories which are very bad, where thier authors seem to be writing for themselves ('I want to be a writer') rather than to tell a story.

On the other hand, when I get feedback I sometimes (ff.n) despise it. It's a tough call. I've never had feedback from a BNF (barring the fact that my current mindset calls any Buffista a BNF- yes, RL, PMM, connie, you). It would probably make my head 'splody, like a good beta.

and I can't think of any rec'cers who notify the rec'ees.

BSO did it when they recced a couple of my stories.

It's just that I'm looking at, f'rinstance, "but we're wanking" disclaimers...

blink.

Is this literal? Or fanwanking? I could see it being used in either way, but I'm not sure how common the word "wanking" is (in its everyday UK sense) Stateside.

I don't think so, but I know that a lot more people read than send feedback, and that some writers are pretty vocal about wishing people would send more feedback in general. Then there are the feedbackers who are vocal about wishing the writers sent more thank you notes, and blah, and blah, and blah.

Wow. I can't imagine having so much self-confidence in my own work as to think that people were obliged to send me plaudits if they'd read it. Wow. But I guess I can understand the frustration, kind of. I mean, it's always lovely to get feedback, and the detailed ones that show someone is coming from the same place as you and that they really got it are wonderful. Whilst, I grant, a few over at FF net made me blink and harbour ungracious thoughts.

I should send more feedback. But I'm not reading much fic right now, what with Real Life stuff. The thing is, though, that if something is outstandignly wonderful and really touches me, then obviously I will send feedback.

Getting the occasional Rec makes me bounce and squee like a teenager.