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further thoughts on anonymity
Still musing over my reactions to a mandatory anon policy, and though I haven't reached any major conclusions, I've made some further inroads into mapping out my reactions.
First, a small revelation: I went back and read the comm's rules, and while they're still a big damp blanket over my enthusiasm, I have at least determined that I misread one thing that had concerned me, and archiving fic written for the meme is allowed. (You're not allowed to link to the archived version on the meme itself, though, which puts me right back in the irked!Lance position.)
Second: Bits that irritate me the most include the 'explanation' of the anonymity policy, in which I'm informed that the "best way" to avoid kink-shaming is to enforce anonymity. Which sounds a lot, to me, like: "No one should say anything bad about anyone's kink. The way to do this is to keep anyone from acknowledging that they have a kink." -- Wait, what?
I find that I disagree entirely -- I think the 'best way' to handle it is to let people choose their comfort level regarding openness, especially given the emphasis placed on "do not engage trolls, report offences to the moderators" elsewhere in the policy. If the meme is already set up to handle trolling, how does forcing everyone into anonymity further this goal? Wouldn't it be just as kink-positive to let those who are comfortable with it be role models against shaming?
Third: All right, I'm still working on a third. :D Except the voice near my cerebellum pointing out that the "no linking to an archived version" thing feeds right back into this -- I can write a kink anonymously, and I can post that kink on, say, AO3 under my own name... but I'm not allowed to let the person who requested it know that I wrote it? Someone who, justifiably, is probably pretty interested in knowing they're not alone in their kink, and might like to have a perma-link version of the story written for them? Baffling to me, not to mention frustrating!
First, a small revelation: I went back and read the comm's rules, and while they're still a big damp blanket over my enthusiasm, I have at least determined that I misread one thing that had concerned me, and archiving fic written for the meme is allowed. (You're not allowed to link to the archived version on the meme itself, though, which puts me right back in the irked!Lance position.)
Second: Bits that irritate me the most include the 'explanation' of the anonymity policy, in which I'm informed that the "best way" to avoid kink-shaming is to enforce anonymity. Which sounds a lot, to me, like: "No one should say anything bad about anyone's kink. The way to do this is to keep anyone from acknowledging that they have a kink." -- Wait, what?
I find that I disagree entirely -- I think the 'best way' to handle it is to let people choose their comfort level regarding openness, especially given the emphasis placed on "do not engage trolls, report offences to the moderators" elsewhere in the policy. If the meme is already set up to handle trolling, how does forcing everyone into anonymity further this goal? Wouldn't it be just as kink-positive to let those who are comfortable with it be role models against shaming?
Third: All right, I'm still working on a third. :D Except the voice near my cerebellum pointing out that the "no linking to an archived version" thing feeds right back into this -- I can write a kink anonymously, and I can post that kink on, say, AO3 under my own name... but I'm not allowed to let the person who requested it know that I wrote it? Someone who, justifiably, is probably pretty interested in knowing they're not alone in their kink, and might like to have a perma-link version of the story written for them? Baffling to me, not to mention frustrating!
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And by newbies, I'm talking about new people who have shown up during the time I've been a part of the fandom, when they first showed up. (Given the age of the fandom, I still kind of feel like a n00b myself. ;)) We don't get a LOT of new people, but every now and then we get one.
This sounds rather more like the ST:XI and BBC Sherlock memes, both of which I have spent hours and hours and hours! time in -- especially the former, where prompters and fillers alike often didn't bother with anon at all.
Nah, I spent a little time on the former (enjoyed the TOS meme more :D), and I think it works there because ST:XI is too huge and too new to really have cliques. (BBC Sherlock I'm not in the fandom for, but considering how many people I know talk about it, it seems to be similar.) Tiger & Bunny, for instance, may be too new, but not so gigantic and overwhelmed with different people posting that people wouldn't remember a username who posted their favorite fic (though the anonymity on the meme I think helps prevent BNF syndrome for the most part). This fandom being neither new or huge, and already sort of cliquey, I could imagine it not going well if people didn't maintain anonymity on the meme.
In fact, even though this meme would be all anon, I'm sort of looking forward to filling some prompts if any ever get posted, just so that I personally know someone's posting other than a single other person. :P
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I think it works there because ST:XI is too huge and too new to really have cliques.
That was my main hypothesis. :D Note to newbies: choose large, new fandoms for your first forays into fannishness!
even though this meme would be all anon, I'm sort of looking forward to filling some prompts if any ever get posted
I have been thinking up ways to get around the bits of this meme that irk me most, and I think there ought to be a method whereby a filler could archive the fic elsewhere, give the mods the archive link, and then post anonymously "This fic has been archived offsite; contact the mods for a link".
Given I have no idea how many mods there are or how obstinately welded to the current setup they are, I haven't actually suggested this anywhere, but I'm vaguely thinking about it...