Posted by Carolyn on May 11, 1998 at 02:19:46:
In Reply to: Fan Fiction Section posted by Anwenn on May 10, 1998 at 00:44:56:
Anwenn wrote, in reply to Amethyst:
: I don't think you'll find too many here who'll object to Byron and sex and for those who do we will make sure such pieces are marked appropriately.
At the risk of repeating myself, I'll say go slowly and think carefully about the implications of what you suggest here. Please understand, I have no objection to fanfict; I'm a writer of some myself. But this is a PUBLIC site, open to any and all, and hopefully, for Robin's sake, the site of a great deal of traffic by B5 fans (and others) of all ages and tastes. I see fan fiction, particularly that fiction with adult content, as a private matter, and I don't believe a mere label as to the content is a sufficient protection.
I'll put a question, I guess, to Robin, and Jeffrey, and Doc Rock, and who all else was involved in the creation of this site. I wasn't here in the beginning (if you'll excuse the expression), but I assume this site was created and continues to exist as a PR opportunity for Robin. Yes, by the grace of those who created it, it provides opportunities as well for fans to interact with Robin and with one another, but its primary purpose, I should think, is to foster Robin's image. So, Robin, and Jeffrey, and Doc, (and who all else), is fan fiction part of the PR strategy?
If it is, fine, and best wishes to those who opt to "publish" here, but if not, perhaps the writers might find other avenues to share their work. It's delightful, I think, that Robin's work, the character he's created, would inspire people to write original story lines, and there's always great fun to be had when fans share their creations. But as Anwenn said, there are plenty of sites on the web to do that, and of course, there's always email.
The success of this site will depend on keeping its goals clearly in sight, doing all that furthers those goals, and nothing that obscures them. It seems to me to be Robin's call on whether this idea fits.