[HP4GU-FAQ] Re: Fwd: [Fantastic_Posts] HPfGU Fanfic FAQ Recommendations

[Heidi Tandy]

Morgan answered everything well, so I'm only adding a few comments for 
simplicity's sake:

Jo asked:
>>
>>  I have some questions about the classification/ratings of the
>>  fanfics before I can form an opinion on whether or not to include
>>  them.  What distinguishes an R fic from the NC17 fics?
>
>
<snip of 'Standard definition found in many fanfiction archives, based 
on the
> the same definitions for USA movies.'

Fictionalley's ratings are a smidge different - you can find it at 
http://www.fictionalley.org/ratings.html - and internally we have a list 
of movies for comparison. For example, Cruel Intentions is an r-rated 
film, so we allow fics with that degree of sexual content/description, 
but not much more. And the level of violence involved in Harry's 
'killing' of quirrel is pg.

>
>
>
>>  Who rates the fics; the author or some sort of
>>  independant ratings board or individual?
>
> Usually, the authors themselves, but archives are known to alter the
> rating if they feel the author misrated them.

Right. We have a policy that's similar to sugarquill, as I understand  
their admins' take on it to be. If the fic is really nc17 but the author 
claims it's r, we don't upload it, so there's no concern that any r's on 
either archive are masquerading as r but really nc17.

If someone rates a fic pg or pg13 and we think it's r, we rerate it. But 
if someone rates a fic r that we think is pg13, we leave the rating as 
is, presuming the writer may have a reason for it, like other chapters 
in the story, or fics in a sequence, are actually r-rated.
>
>
>
> Besides, aren't we talking about a selection? About a list of only
> the *very* good fics? Doesn't that mean that at least someone with
> common sense has read them before adding a link to them? So I'd say
> we'd be running no risks of linking to pornography or misrated
> material.

If we link to things hosted by individuals, there is a theoretical risk 
that the content of the page will change somewhere down the line 
withoiut us knowing, which is why a disclaimer about links would be 
important. We had a problem like this at the leaky cauldron not four 
days ago.
fanfiction and has taken
>
> If I'm not mistaken, all the legal actions taken against sites
> hosting NC-17 material were eventually dropped.

Well, the sites added password protections and became ungoogleable. If 
we linked to something on, say, veelasinc,that was nc17, people would 
need to have the password before reading it, anyway. It wouldn't just 
open in their browsers.
>
>
> Pairings that involve distant cousins, distant relatives (which, by
> the way, wouldn't be considered incests in some countries).

Or in the wizarding world - it's canon that they intermarried.

Heidi