Start with post 10281 (which is a lovely review of Career Change, which you can skip if you like). The actual argument starts at 10284.

In happier news, Speranza has published her new and improved version of Some Strange Prophecy.

I'm reading the BBF thing now. (Until Connie's name came up, I thought we were talking about the extremely tiresome "Is slash canon?" debate, because that was the kerfuffle the last time I checked the list.)

It is making me hate people.

I would say I feel really bad for the mods (which I do), except that could perhaps come out as self-pity. Which it's not. Because when I say that, I mean my peers, not myself.

The rest of them are so much nicer than me, y'know?

I feel bad for y'all, Plei.

But not bad enough to ever contemplate taking on that job. Thank god BFA-L largely runs itself.

The thing is -- as a non-mod -- I think the original poster was not trying to be offensive, and the slashers were a mite hair quick on the trigger to condemn her. (Hitler, or at least the Klan, came up about four responses in.)

But she is also really, really, really not doing herself any favors in her responses.

Basically, if I were a mod, I'd be looking at the travel brochures to Bermuda about now.

(I think Hitler, or at least the Klan, came up about four responses in.)

That's Aura. Also not the most reasonable party on the list.

But the thing is -- if Pagan has a problem with Aura? Take it to her offlist. Take it to the mods offlist. Standing up and screeching is not winning her any friends, as you noted.

But she is also really, really, really not doing herself any favors in her responses.

Yeah. A humble or even humble-sounding "Sorry, I really didn't mean it to sound that way" might've prevented a lot.

That said, while I do think it was a matter of poor word choice, I can't blame the slash side on this one -- it's a hair trigger that comes out of way too much experience with "all slash is icky so you shouldn't recommend it". For that reason, the thing that really set me off in the original post wasn't her use of "fetish" -- which I read as "it's not my kink", in the fun nonmedical way plenty of us use it -- but the "I don't want to be forced to read something squicksome". Which I thought *did* imply, and rather strongly, the all slash is icky thing.

Peeps were already prickled about the previous discussion.

So, match, meet mister powderkeg.

I know it's gone beyond anything to do with me at this point, and Career Change was just a catalyst, but I really did get all goosebumpy realizing something of mine ignited passionate feelings. Much better than someone reading it and saying, "OK, not bad," and forgetting it ten minutes later.