MD/TBAY/Hans/Fforde

[Debbie]

A Magic Dishwasher question, for all you MD experts.  What are, or 
should be, the boundaries of MD?  I tend to think of the theory as 
what was in Pip's two original posts; however, it seems to have taken 
on a life of its own, so that any theory involving a ProActive!
Dumbledore becomes trapped in the dishwasher's gleaming steel maws.  
Does it all belong there?  Does it matter if the theory was written 
by a member of the MDDT defense team (or a chief opponent of the 
theory)?  I'm muddling along as best I can, but thought that the MD 
experts among us could help.

Carolyn:
> The reason we have the TBAY category, and why it is down in the 
Admin 
> section, is because there were some early posts in TBAY style 
before 
> the decision was made to ask posters to put TBAY in the subject 
head. 
> We also wanted to make sure we captured all the posts in that 
style, 
> so that those that don't like it can exclude them from their 
searches 
> if they like, or conversely, those that like them can pull up the 
> whole lot if they want.

A second reason to capture TBAYs into a discrete category is that 
many of them read like a story, and I admit to occasionally coding an 
otherwise OT post to TBAY to avoid missing part of that story (which 
doesn't mean that every TBAY post has value regardless of its 
canonicity) or, in one case, because it was too humorous to ignore.

Ginger:
> I was thinking of Hans and his Character Discussions.  Like filks, 
> people either enjoy them or skip them alltogether.  We have a 
seperate 
> category for filks, why not one for the character discussions?  It 
> could be under religious influences.  Then when we get to that 
series, 
> we could just code it to that category, and maybe to the person 
being 
> discussed, and it would save a lot of time.  The devotees would 
have 
> the series in one convenient spot.  Their own little treasure 
trove, if 
> you will, and those who prefer to skip those posts would be able to 
do 
> so easily.    

What devotees?  I started reading his posts when he started the 
Weasley body part analogies for sheer amusement value.  But, yes, 
Rosicrucianism should have its own little category under Religious 
Influences where all his posts can be enshrined so that us Stoned!
Harry enthusiasts can skip right over them.

Potioncat: 
> > And after reading "Lost in a Good Book" I'll never think 
of "Great 
> > Expectations" the same way!
> 
Miss Havisham responded:

> I enjoyed her sort out of Heathcliffe best I think.

Oh, so *that's* where to find his anger management class?  Was I 
reading the wrong Fforde?

Debbie
whose elfin status precludes her from commenting on certain trolls of 
the Lupinus doctrinus bindweed variety