[HPforGrownups] "Unspeakable" Subjects

[Neil Ward]

No: HPFGUIDX 9948

Ebony,

Firstly, politics have been declared absolutely off-limits, because we want
to avoid the sort of heated arguments that developed here during the US
elections, and a few recent political remarks have caused offence to some
members.

Re fanfic, there is no point of contention there and I did not intend to
imply that there was.  The post I made on possible spoiling was not meant as
a moderator admin message; it just occurred to me, after reading a few
comments (not yours), that discussions could develop on this list that
*might* spoil PoU and other fanfics for people who hadn't read them.
Responsible plugs and synopses for really good fanfiction are more than
welcome, IMO.  Quite apart from anything else, it's useful to have a
critical filter of the thousands of works-in-progress out there!

'Shipping' posts are loved and hated in equal measure, but I don't think we
could ban them.

[Side note: I recently uploaded an updated list of acronyms and shorthand
often used here, which includes fanfic and shipping terms, so I would hardly
want to suggest that we shouldn't discuss these things..]

Your mention of 'tangential' posts is interesting, as I would regard many of
the posts we label 'OT' as providing interesting 'background' information
(for example all those Christmas dinner posts you initiated <bg>), whereas
some things are plainly nothing to do with Harry Potter.

If OT subjects ramble on for too long, one of the moderators may step in and
say 'enough,' but I think we are all agreed that some OT stuff is inevitable
and that it can enrich the club and help maintain a friendly atmosphere.

Neil (appearing as himself at a theatre near you, playing "blundering oaf
who gives people the wrong idea")


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ebony " <ebonyink at hotmail.com>
To: <HPforGrownups at egroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2001 11:18 PM
Subject: [HPforGrownups] "Unspeakable" Subjects


> Ho-hum, I leave for the afternoon, come back, and tensions are
> starting to rise again...
>
> Moderators:
>
> 1)  Politics is an off-limits subject on this list.  Is shipping off-
> limits too?  Just say the word and I'll put on my "no-shipper" mask.
>
> 2)  I wasn't trying to place spoilers for PoU or any other fanfiction
> in my posts.  These are just fundamental aspects of the fic that
> would be on the book jacket blurb if it is ever published.  None of
> the PoU listmoms (who have all posted to this list within the past 24
> hours) have e-mailed me to let me know I was out of line.  My
> intention was to interest new members in a really good fic... the
> info I mentioned could be in a good book review:  the book's theme,
> unique treatment of a subject, and the setting.  Let me know if this
> is a point of contention, please.  Thanks!
>
> 3)  Is fanfiction an off-limits topic as well?  I've plugged fics I
> like since I joined the list in July... not all or most of them the
> five most popular.  Maybe it's my imagination, but lately I'm
> starting to get virtual glares whenever I do this.
>
> Perhaps there needs to be more clarity in topics that are on-subject
> and topics that are OT.  On another list that Trina and I are on, we
> use an abbreviation that fits in-between these two extremes, TAN-
> tangent.  That means it is related to the topic, but tangentially
> so... Trina, perhaps you can explain this better?
>
> As I tell my kids, "How can you stick to the topic while writing...
>
> if you don't know what the topic is?"
>
> Perhaps further delination is in order.  "Harry Potter" is a very
> broad umbrella--let us know which topics are Unspeakable in this
> forum.
>
> Best,
>
> Ebony
>
>
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>
>