ADMIN: We'd Like to Pick Your Brains About TBAY

[Kate]

--- In HPFGU-Feedback at yahoogroups.com, Jennifer Boggess Ramon 
<boggles at e...> wrote:

> Chiming in late as usual . . .

Me too!


>We'd like to see newer
> members get involved with the form, but we realize that the learning
> curve for TBAY can be a little steep. 

 

I think the best way to get new members involved is to keep the TBAY 
explanatory file up to date.  It is not up to date now.  No one who 
joined the list recently like I did could possibly understand 
something like Magic Dishwasher based on the sketchy, outdated 
description.  And none of the Sirius TBAY theories or other OoP 
theories are there either.  

 
>To this end, members of the list
> admin have been putting together a TBAY primer, which will answer
> new members' questions about the format.
 

Do you mean it will answer questions about the TBAY format and style, 
or the TBAY theories themselves?  I think there's no real reason to 
have an explanation of the TBAY style.  It is obvious that it is fan 
fiction.  What is needed is an explanation of the theories, with 
links so people can follow along.

> 1. We'd like to know how you perceive TBAY. How would you describe
> TBAY messages? What do you feel is the most important aspect of a 
>TBAY message? What does the term 'TBAY theory' mean to you? What, if 
any, is the difference between a TBAY theory and a regular HPfGU 
>theory? 

 
A TBAY theory requires background information, whereas a regular 
theory is self explanatory.  

> 2. Do you read TBAY messages? Have you ever posted a TBAY message? 
>If you have, what prompted you to do so? Have you ever wanted to 
respond
> to a TBAY thread but chose not to because of the format? What about 
the TBAY format made you reluctant to post?

 
No, I do not read them very often, although I would like to.  I read 
the explanatory file, but it doesn't discuss the recent theories.  
The old theories were great, though.  Again, the problem is that the 
current theories are not in the explanatory file and they should be.

> 3. How accessible do you find the TBAY format? Do you find 
>discussions of older theories (such as MAGIC DISHWASHER) on TBAY 
>more or less
> accessible then discussions of older theories in regular posts >
>(such as Evil!Lupin)? Do Hypothetic Alley (home of several major 
TBAY theories)and Fantastic Posts help to make TBAY posts more 
>accessible? What can veteran TBAY-ers do to make newbies feel more 
>welcome?

I don't think it is the job of the veteran TBAYer to make new members 
(I don't like the term "newbies") feel comfortable.  It is the job of 
the people who run the list to do that.  It seems odd that the new 
member should be put to the task of asking the veteran members to 
explain things.  Would they even respond if dozens of people were 
asking them to explain their post?
 

> 4. What do you find confusing about TBAY? What would you like to 
know
> before posting? What would make you more likely to post in a TBAY 
style?


If the explanatory file were up to date, that would help.  Right now, 
I don't have the information I need to participate.  Sorry.  

I don't mean to be critical, but I know I sound that way, and I want 
to aplogize for that.  I don't like to be critical if I'm not going 
to be willing to help.  If you need any help in updating the Tbay 
explanatory file, let me know.  I guess if I have to go back and read 
every Tbay post to understand them, it wouldn't be that much more 
work to write updates as I go.

Hagrid wrote:


>One of the problems that had to be addressed by the Framers of the
>U.S. Constitution was how to preserve the rights of the minority in
>a political struggle, which, in case you haven't noticed, is what is
>going on right now on the list vis-a-vis TBAY and Filks. It is one
>thing for the majority to decide questions that do not threaten the
>very existence of a genre; it is quite another to exile a
>significant minority of listees. 


<snip>

>I think that simple majority rule here would trample the
>legitimately expected rights and privileges of current listees,
>honored by list practice over time. If we seek to change them at
>all, we should seek some kind of super-majority to ratifiy these
>removal of previous practices.


I think having a poll is a great idea.  First of all, who says that 
the majority would exile or ban Filks or Tbay?  They might not.  And 
if not, then that would put an end to this "political struggle" once 
and for all, as those who don't like those posts would know the list 
supports what the current rulers are doing.

If the poll showed overwhelming unpopularity of Filk and Tbay, then 
the next step would be to figure out what to do about it.  That might 
depend on the results and on the available options.  I think we'd be 
getting ahead of ourselves to say that we won't even ask the question 
because we might not like the answer.

After all, this list is called "Feedback."  Why be so afraid even to 
ask the question in the form of a poll?  As it stands right now, only 
the loudest (and in some cases strident) voices are being heard.  
 
And I don't think voicing an opinion here is the same thing 
as "whining."  

Kate