I'll put in an enthusiastic second. Although, first time readers should be warned that it isn't one of Speranza's funny stories, this one is about sadness and passion.

I've just barely started the story and I already approve (duh, like I wouldn't approve of a Speranza story) since she's used fazed instead of phased.

Yo! Anyone up for discussing recs, reccing, the difficulty of relying on archives because of fandom politics, etc?

Cause, I sure as shit am.

Why? Because I have shit that's due tomorrow, and I'm feeling like a procrastinating beeyotch.

the difficulty of relying on archives because of fandom politics, etc?

Care to clarify, Plei?

I know about the reccing problem, though. You want people to rely on you for quality. But then you get shit about elitism.

I'll agree fandom politics can really fuck up a good archive sometimes. I've actually removed some bookmarked authors because they abandoned an archive that I like.

I keep trying to get people to post fic to Leviathan. Cause, doood, clean html, loads fast, not cluttered with responses by other people.

But people are scared by the interface or something, I dunno. And I won't rec anything that's not on Leviathan, because boards move the frelling stories around to archive them, so the hell with that. And as a result I get accused of elitism cause I only rec stuff on Leviathan. ::shrugs::

I like reccers to be elitist. I mean, that's the whole point.

I know about the reccing problem, though. You want people to rely on you for quality. But then you get shit about elitism.

Yeah, there is that. I want to rec, but am worried about people getting freaky if I *don't* rec them. Also, I'm worried about reccing something on my list, and forgetting to rec it at BBF, and then potentially feeling like an ass/looking like an ass because I didn't do the latter. (By the way, remember, gentle readers, find something good, rec it at BBF. Pretty please. Love, the silent admin.)

Care to clarify, Plei?

There are character-specific archives that I'll look through (especially when people submit stuff for the Writer's Zones) and realize are missing a lot of really good stuff, because the really good stuff was written by someone outside of the particular circle of the archive, and may have been written by someone with a different take on the character than the archivist. Of course, these are all the places with the "we take only the cream of the blah" policies.

I cannot verify it, but it often appears to be a result of the prickly nest of fandom politics, when I see that Archive X doesn't include anything from Author Y, when Author Y wrote Story G, which was picked Best In Show at Recs List Q or something, and then notice that the archivist at Archive X is on the other side of a Kerfuffle from Author Y. Like, you know, it's all connected.

Oh! Also, anyone HTML savvy want to co-run Buttery? I'm having a hard time keeping up with my 'chives, as I'm normally exhausted and not wanting to code when I get done with work.

I know what you mean, Plei, kind of. My own version of fandom insanity involved giving a complete stranger a review about not protecting a character too much from the responsiblity for his actions...I'm usually on the other side of that discussion...it felt weird. But there are tons of reasons John Munch got divorced that don't involve the Job. He's a moody, cranky, negative PITA that thinks about sex all the time(and sadly, the one character best representing my state of mind on TV at the moment.)

I want to rec, but am worried about people getting freaky if I *don't* rec them.

For those actually running an archive, I can see where this could be a problem. But, if they are someone who is in the archive, then a polite "I'm sorry I forgot you" and adding them to the recs should take care of it. If they aren't in the archive, just a gentle, "I'm sorry, your fic doesn't meet the criteria to be posted/recced, bye" seems to me to be the most polite response. I'm a great believer in Ann Landers' MYOB response when pressed for more detail.