TBAY debate

[B Arrowsmith]

I fear I may be adding to your difficulties with this post (if you 
think that
the contents are worthy of any consideration, that is).

We have a sort of 'problem' on HPfGU that other sites, dedicated to 
other
books don't have.

HP is a work in progress; the canon is incomplete. This leads to 
theoretical
speculation of all qualities and probabilities. TBAY, IMO falls, for 
the most
part, within the realms of speculation. TBAY as such will probably die 
when
the series is completed (assuming that JKR does not leave the way open 
for
sequels), along with SHIPS. From then on they will be sub-sets of Fan 
Fiction
and that is where they will find their final resting place.

So far as I can trace it, speculation has been rife ever since the site 
was
founded. Good. Splendid, in fact. That was one of the main reasons why I
joined. I love to speculate. (This can cause problems too; I have ideas,
indeed written posts, that do not comfortably fit into general post, 
TBAY or
Fan Fiction. What do I do with them? Over the past  few days I've been
working on a new FLOOZY, but given the discussion on this board I feel
reluctant to post. I'm loth to send off a tongue-in-cheek, hopefully
humorous piece, "fluff" by the standards of some,  when it looks likely
it will probably  fall outside some guideline or other and produce a 
terse
note from an Elf.)

There's a broad spread of tastes on the site stretching from LOONs to
anarchic wishful thinkers. From strict analysts, through "maybe it will 
go
this way" across to "wouldn't it be lovely if..." Few of us have tastes 
broad
enough to savour every style. I  certainly don't. My hackles rise at 
what I
think of as the "fluffy bunny brigade," but that's just me. These too 
will die
when the canon is complete. The site will become a very different place.
Analysis will rule. What else will be left? Especially if categories 
that  are
reckoned to be only loosely tied to canon are hived off.

Expect many fewer posts and posters; there will not be the scope for fun
and games that there is now. There is even a faint possibility that the 
site
may fail; I hope not, but it will if you can't attract posters. Some 
may  consider
a  worse possibility could be in store -  a self-selected, 
same-thinking group
who sit, having received the true gospel, canon in hand, freezing out 
anyone
they don't approve of. We've probably all seen sites like this. There's 
no risk
of that happening here -  yet. There's too much goodwill and relaxed 
give-and-take
among the members, even in discussions such as this that highlight 
personal
niggles and irritations. But fragmentation can lead down this road - to 
the
'them  and us' scenario.

A long way off, you may say. No, just two books.

My advice is to plan for these times now. Take into consideration the 
likely
arc of the site and probably of fandom too. Do you want a group of 
small,
fragmented specialty sites or do you want a kaleidoscopic 
cross-pollinating
bunch of free-thinkers who may annoy each and every one of us every now
and again but have the virtues of diversity?

Personally, I  prefer  the latter.

Kneasy