Never mind Tbay, what about FILKS ?

[a_reader2003]

--- In HPFGU-Feedback at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:

> I can't speak for all filkers, but  my filks usually do have a 
canon 
> point  and sometimes I've found that a filk can actually convey a 
> theory better than a straightforward  exposition. 
> 
> For example I observed some similarities between the plight of 
> Dorothy's companions in the Wizard of Oz and the characters of 
> Sirius, Lupin and Snape. Nobody seemed to get it until I filked "If 
> I Only Had a Brain."
> (snip)
> Pippin
> posting on her own behalf

Carolyn:

As the person who queried FILKS in the first place I thought I should 
just say that the arguments that have raged here about TBays have 
persuaded me that there is no case to argue for excluding FILKS and I 
withdraw my objection unreservedly. 

This is not because I have suddenly decided I like them after all - 
in fact, I made a point of trying to read a couple of recent ones, 
but my eyes glazed over with boredom before I finished the first 
verses - so no, they are not for me and never will be. However, they 
obviously have meaning for their writers and readers, and its no real 
problem to skip them (although it is not quite true that they don't 
generate threads - sometimes responses are actively invited & 
submitted). As I don't want to have to read them, I'll leave it to 
others to judge the extent to which they contribute to canon 
discussion. 

My real concern is that if there was any serious move made to exclude 
FILKS, that could be the thin end of the wedge to get Tbay off the 
main list, and that really would upset me. 

On the issue of having to pay a lot to download unwanted, and perhaps 
very long posts, personally, I pay a flat rate of £17.00 (US$26.00?)
per month (all phone charges included) for continuous 24hour internet 
access, because I need it for work. There are much cheaper packages 
available for less heavy users, and many completely free ones. 
Broadband packages in particular enable very rapid download of even 
the largest files. It does not seem a huge amount to me, and surely 
people should accept that joining an Internet-based discussion group 
will involve some charges of this sort? And they are surely using 
their Internet connection for a lot of other things as well ?

Would it be worth doing a poll to find out if the cost of downloading 
large, unwanted posts is a big issue for members generally ? This 
would seem to be a quick and easy fact to establish, and the response 
may help to take (some !) of the heat out of the argument, although 
obviously will never persuade those that hate Tbays of their right to 
exist on the main list.

Because of the package I have I choose to read everything online 
anyway, and I find the The SHIP, TBay, FILK headers etc are fine, and 
I can see the whole head on the message index, and pick what I want 
to read. 

One thing that seems clear to me, however, from all these posts is 
that there is a big need for better explanation of the theories, the 
characters etc, just for anyone to refer to, whether they will post 
on Tbay or not. I rest my case for re-indexing and sorting out all 
those past posts ..

Carolyn