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Thread: Lurking: A Defense Of

  1. #1
    NS Member
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    Lurking: A Defense Of

    When I logged in to NS a few moments ago after months away, I was appalled to discover that my fandom privileges are limited by my participation in the community.

    Let's just take a look at that, shall we? [I]Fandom[I] privileges. My right to read fanfiction is based on my willingness (or ability) to talk to strangers? I understand that authors in this fandom might have rational, understandable arguments for desiring more feedback from their readers. I understand, as an author, that hearing from one's
    readers is one of the most gratifying parts of the writing experience. But to demand, to require, that people who are only peripherally interested in this fandom, who only really read maybe a fifth of what is published—most of which was written a long time ago—be active in some other way just to have the capacity to return and reread a favorite from long ago?

    It's a poor strategy for inspiring involvement, as it's more likely to inspire resentment from those of us who didn't realize we were signing up for a long-term commitment. I appreciate fandoms that appreciate that fandom is for fun, not guilt and obligations.

  2. #2
    Administrator Senior Member Julie's Avatar
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    Re: Lurking: A Defense Of

    Hi curi,

    This policy wasn't implemented as any kind of punishment, but rather as a way to try and encourage users to be more active and, and in the case of fanfiction, which most of the users are here for, to give feedback.

    You can still leave feedback/reviews on the older completed stories, it doesn't matter where you post
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  3. #3
    Members mima's Avatar
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    Re: Lurking: A Defense Of

    The admins don't want us to leave. At most, they're just reminding people that this is an active community. I was marked as a lurker once, and that doesn't bother, because i haven't been very active. I didn't see it as a punishment or even as a strategy to drive us away. I write fanfics and I know how difficult it is for an author to write a story and not having some sort of response from the readers. It really kills your muse.

  4. #4
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    Re: Lurking: A Defense Of

    It's a poor strategy for inspiring involvement, as it's more likely to inspire resentment from those of us who didn't realize we were signing up for a long-term commitment. I appreciate fandoms that appreciate that fandom is for fun, not guilt and obligations.[/QUOTE]

    Well said curi.

  5. #5
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    Re: Lurking: A Defense Of

    Thanks for summing it up curi! I'm in the same boat as haven't logged on in forever...thanks.

  6. #6
    NS Full Member skauble's Avatar
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    Re: Lurking: A Defense Of

    Quote Originally Posted by curi View Post
    But to demand, to require, that people who are only peripherally interested in this fandom, who only really read maybe a fifth of what is published—most of which was written a long time ago—be active in some other way just to have the capacity to return and reread a favorite from long ago?
    I completely respect that you're upset by the policy, and I think that the above is an important issue so I wanted to add my thoughts.

    I agree that some people might wander in and out of this part of fandom and so, for them, it's not something they participate in to much extent and it might feel more like a burden to have to make a post every time that they come back around. But for some, who have been an active part of this community, the realization that it's been so long since they've posted or the welcome back they receive from friendly faces after posting again actually has helped to draw them back into the community in some ways.

    The thing is that I can sympathize with you that it may be an inconvenience for some people passing through, but the fact is that keeping the community active is important because a dead community usually leads to an offlined site. And so while I definitely understand that there are people who come by occasionally to read some of their favorite fics, if the site is gone then they're not going to get to do that. So keeping the community going, even in a very small part once a year or so, benefits all of us, even those that rarely drop in.

    ~Sarah~

  7. #7
    NS Senior Member Senior Member letia84's Avatar
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    Re: Lurking: A Defense Of

    Quote Originally Posted by curi View Post
    Let's just take a look at that, shall we? [I]Fandom[I] privileges. My right to read fanfiction is based on my willingness (or ability) to talk to strangers?
    I have always thought the idea behind a community like this is to get to know other people through the shared bond of fandom. We may be strangers but we all have come here to enjoy some Lex and Chloe so don't be warded off from posting because if anyone is going to understand how you feel on the pairing its the people in this community.

    Quote Originally Posted by curi View Post
    It's a poor strategy for inspiring involvement, as it's more likely to inspire resentment from those of us who didn't realize we were signing up for a long-term commitment. I appreciate fandoms that appreciate that fandom is for fun, not guilt and obligations.
    The idea behind the post does in no way make you sign up for a long term commitment. The policy states you can post any where to get your privileges back. So you can leave for a month come back with one post and read to your hearts content.

    Administration just wants to keep the site a live and well. I think its something people that stop in everyday and lurkers want. To keep N~S alive! Please don't see it as a means of punishment.

  8. #8
    Happy-ending addict Senior Member lexie's Avatar
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    Re: Lurking: A Defense Of

    I think the key word here is "community". We aren't just a repository of stories such as ff.net where you can leave feedback if you want but where the sense of "family" is lost because the objective isn't bonding or sharing with fellow shippers or members of a fandom.

    NS is more than a place to read and post fiction, though the fanfiction subforum is undoubtedly the most popular and one of its main attractions. We're a family and to keep communication flowing, to keep it growing and for it to stay healthy we need participation. Lack of input and sharing in a community is like having a meal with your parents and siblings with the TV on- you watch, you read , your alleged "family" is there but it might as well not be present. You're a member in name. And let's face it, lack of bonding and communication means death to family/community life.
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  9. #9
    Fanfic whore sinecure's Avatar
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    Re: Lurking: A Defense Of

    Quote Originally Posted by letia84 View Post
    I think its something people that stop in everyday and lurkers want. To keep N~S alive! Please don't see it as a means of punishment.
    I come in every day and I don't want it. I'm posting this because I need to in order not to become a lurker. I just typed up a post, hit the wrong freaking button and lost it all. I'm not going to say it all again except to say that I don't read fic anymore, therefore I don't feedback and that's mostly where my posts come from. I, like most of you, are busy with life and writing and other fandoms, therefore, I don't want to be forced to come in here and post just to have the privilege to read threads every 30 days.

    I know people keep saying you can choose which thread you want to post on and blah, blah, but that's not the point. The point is that forcing participation and forcing people to be more active, is not going to make them so. I've been here for years, participation goes up and down, mine does as well, but this new rule hasn't changed things. It did for the first few weeks or month that the new rule was instated, but as always happens, that died down.

    Forcing people to do something is not a good way to inspire them to be sociable.

    I'm only posting this, as I said above, because I need to before I'm knocked down to lurker status. Then I'll go back to not saying anything unless a thread or post really inspires me to speak up.

  10. #10
    NS Junior Member momdaegmorgan's Avatar
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    Re: Lurking: A Defense Of

    I've been for the lurker rule ever since Julie implemented it. Up until recently though (the last month or so), I'd been fairly active here (not as much as I should've been, but I posted on any threads that interested me and tried to be a part of the community at large). Now, however, I'm simply too busy with other pursuits to do more than check the site for PM's, and I stand the very real risk of being delegated to lurker status (and probably would've been sometime in the next couple of days if I hadn't replied to this thread).

    So, have I changed my mind on the rule? Considering that six weeks from now I might get the urge to read an old favorite, but I'll probably be prevented from doing so? No. I still think it's a good idea for the most part and I don't think the requirements to regain full member priviliges are all that difficult to meet.

    We may be strangers but we all have come here to enjoy some Lex and Chloe so don't be warded off from posting because if anyone is going to understand how you feel on the pairing its the people in this community.
    I'm going to speak up here and say something that I had avoided bringing up for the past few months.

    Yes, we are a Chlex community, and therefor, this is a safe place to come and discuss the pairing (and the characters individually) without worrying about what people may think. However, we are not a very Lana/Lois/Clark-friendly environment, and someone who is a big fan of one or more of those characters may not feel comfortable in becoming an active part of the community. Honestly, it's one of the reasons I've become more of a lurker lately. I just don't feel comfortable anymore being involved in threads that, more often than not (at least in my experience), end up turning into character bashing. I'll still be here, posting stories whenever I manage to tear myself away from the original work I'm doing now and write a Chlex story, and occasionally reading someone else's story, but for the most part, I probably will not be the more active member I used to be.

    -Momdaegmorgan

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