Things That Make You Go 'Grr'

[slyprentice]

Usually I'm a very understanding person. I really am. I try not to put pressure on anyone, especially when fandom related, because seriously why should any of us be bashed on for a hobby? I've had enough Bad-Fandom-Experiences to last me a lifetime and I don't want to anyone to go through that. Hell, anyone who was following my Harry Potter fan fiction probably remembers the whole bitchy-psychotic-stalker-feedbacker that literally drove me to give up fan fiction for a few years due to sheer and utter loathing of it. 

But - and yes, there's going to be a but here - BUT there are some things that I've been faced with lately in both fandom and reality that really cheese me off.

First of all...

Friending Policies: Okay, this is a basket of dirty bananas to begin with because not everyone has the same friending policy and thus every single time you want to keep up with someone you have to go through jumps and hoops in order to read something as gross and mundane as their cat have rectal problems (seriously, I friended someone once and the first post I was allowed access to was about the girl's cat's ass). Everyone (and I do mean everyone) should have the right to friend-block their shit but does anyone know how damn frustrating it is to go to someone's journal, see a friend-lock, only to realize that because you have an interest in a particular thing, that person won't friend you?

I've had this happen to me TWICE in less than a week. The first time I went to someone's journal because they write the most absolutely divine fan fiction for a particular fandom that is super old only to find that because I write a particular something (which I won't divulge) I am not allowed to friend her. Okay, I get that, it's your right, your choice, but your journal is the only place I can read your stories anymore! You stripped them from the web, put out a post to a yahoo group saying that anyone who wants to read your fan fiction can go over to your journal and then...boom...half of us are screwed. 

The second time wasn't even fandom related. I just wasn't allowed to be friended because I don't eat skittles or some such. *headdesk*

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that someone shouldn't have the right to restrict who gets into their stories or personal posts but it's maddening when all I want to do is be friendly or have access to one particular thing. I know I'm not the only one. I know it.


Author's Who Deprive Us: All right. I know someone out there is going to try to bitch at me for this one but if I don't bitch and moan here, my head'll explode and there will be a crater where my house was.

Why is it lately there has been a sudden and completely unexpected unsurge of fan fiction author's that suddenly (VERY SUDDENLY) decide to pull every single one of their stories off the net with barely any notice?

I don't understand it. I seriously don't. Give us time people. For the love of God, give us lowly readers the time to save your stories, even if it is with the understanding that we cannot share it with others. 

Now, from an author's standpoint I understand. Some author's go professional and would be in a mess of trouble if they were found to have written fan fiction (very rare but still true); others have less than professional and more person reasons for pulling fan fiction and others still simply fall out of fandom (which happens, believe it or not), but from a readers standpoint...

Well, from a reader's standpoint, I'm really disappointed in a lot of authors. It's like when your favorite book goes out of print and you're cursing yourself for not buying that extra copy while you still could because your old copy is bollocks-upped now. It upsets you more than you'd think.

Barring the professional bit - which is rare, you have to admit - that who simply fall out of fandom...I'm begging you, please leave your stories up. Please. So many of my cherished author's that I've read for years upon years are disappearing (I mourn the loss of Caroline Crane; I truly do). I've been reading fan fiction for over a decade (I started young...really really young...maybe too young *closes can of worms*) and through the years I've come across some real jems. 

Back in my boyband days...I still remember some great author's that now are MIA (or should that be KIA) forever. I'll never get to read their stories again because they fell out of fandom and pulled their stories. Even recently, I've gotten into older fandoms, fandoms that I'm just starting to learn about  - Magnificent Seven! (wee!); Doctor Who; Babylon 5 (Marcus/Neroon for the win!); Alien Nation (Sardonac hehehe) - and so many of the prolific author's of those fandoms are pulling their stories before I even got the chance to read them.

It makes me feel old - I'm only 22! - and like an era or chapter has ended. It's tough and I hate it. (Why does it have to happen!) So I'm begging you authors out there...unless it's for professional or extremely personal reasons, please use archives like WWOMB and upload your fic before you leave so we can enjoy them for so years to come and maybe the newcomers can enjoy them too.

 
It's Old; Not Broken! : I don't know how many people out there remember old shows like Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (came on in '93) but right now I'm really really missing them. I adored KF:tLC. Absolutely adored it. I was all about Peter Caine and his Pop. I constantly (constantly!) hope that they put that show out on DVD because the first day it's out, I'm buying it and watching the whole damn thing in one solid go. 

What about Alien Nation? Anyone remember that? I have the complete series and am looking forward to buying the ultimate movie collection as soon as it comes out.

Babylon 5? Own it, love it, need to get the movies. 

Why am I babbling about all that? Because I MISS OLD TELEVISION! *weeps* I do. I was still a kid (okay, some can argue I'm still a kid because I act like I'm one most of them time) when most of that stuff was on but I miss shows like those SO DAMN MUCH. 

Understand; new age television is awesome.

I watch Numb3rs; I watch Heroes; I watch Supernatural; I watch...you get the idea...but I'm starting to realize that nothing - and I do mean nothing - can replace the old school television.

Barney Miller. Soap. Golden Girls. Beauty and The Beast.

I miss shows like those. 
I miss when TV was TV and not reality fucking television. 
I miss shows that were comfortable - like fuzzy slippers and worn in pajamas - that you could slip on and watch and come away with nothing more than a good time. 

Everything today on television is either a reality show I couldn't give two fucks about or carbon copies of One Tree Hill or some horrible bullshit like that. 

This year PRE writer's strike...I was having some really high hopes. 

Moonlight and Pushing Daisies reminded me of the old shows. They were light and funny and not like every other thing on tv and then...

The Writer's Strike.

*sigh*

I was holding a candle that the stations would pull out the old stuff for us. I know I would have been plenty comforted by watching old episodes of Kung Fu but alas...

I have to suffer through America fucking Idol.

*shudder*

Comments

[lionphox]

I am with you on both the fiction staying on the web and the old tv rules things.

I miss Saturday morning cartoons and weekend matinee movies that were usually something that just came out on VHS. *sigh*

[kirstiebird.livejournal.com]

I know I know.. I'm probably a border-line stalker(!)
but I saw your post in 'shareitall' and the links were dead..
so I came to your personal journal, DON'T HATE ME!! =[
and I was just wondering if you still had Twilight and New Moon
uploaded anywhere or if you know where I could find them?!?
I have been looking for months and I just recently found your post and the links are expired =[
If I am completely wrong for doing this.. you can go to my journal and write a hate-letter! that'd be fine lol.
sorry again.
and.. I agree about the old television.
I LOVE Babylon 5. I have all the seasons =] <333

[slyprentice.livejournal.com]

It's okay :) I don't mind people stumbling into my journal, that's why I don't bother keeping it private. To answer your question, I no longer have either Twilight or New Moon and the community I got them from has since closed down but if I come across them, I'll reupload them and post them to shareitall again :)