Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
Faye and Angus: LTR?
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: bunnyThor on 02 Feb 2011, 00:05 ---why even have a discussion forum?
--- End quote ---
Jeph has made it clear how he views the forum. Read the thread leading up to that post for the fuller discussion (and there is no need to repeat that discussion here).
The moderators have no contact with Jeph, but are trying to keep this forum operating in a manner that will not cause him to close it. I can assure you that closure has been discussed more than once in the last couple of years; stage one was when he moved the link to the forum from the top menu of the QC site to the bottom of a sidebar on one page only.
The Seldom Killer:
--- Quote from: bunnyThor on 01 Feb 2011, 21:06 ---For an artist to have their work dissected, analyzed, critiqued, and used as a springboard to others' flights of fancy is one of the highest compliments possible. It means that the audience has noted the artist's work, and that they find it compelling and important.
If the artist doesn't want that, that means that they should avoid showing their work to an outside audience. Some would argue that if no one but the artist reacts to the work, then it isn't art in the first place.
Jeph may not relish every aspect of the audience's reaction to his offerings, but I imagine that is still preferable to complete indifference.
--- End quote ---
History is rife with artists, authors, musicians and other creatives who have held a view on how their work should be viewed. No shortage of which consider appreciation in it's original form to be the highest compliment possible and have suggested that mimicry, adaptation, bastardisation and variation do not serve to complement but instead weakens and detracts from the original work.
Whether such a view detracts from their abilities may be subject to debate, but that really only serves to illustrate that there is no single definitive opinion.
bunnyThor:
--- Quote from: pwhodges on 02 Feb 2011, 00:25 ---
--- Quote from: bunnyThor on 02 Feb 2011, 00:05 ---why even have a discussion forum?
--- End quote ---
Jeph has made it clear how he views the forum. Read the thread leading up to that post for the fuller discussion (and there is no need to repeat that discussion here).
The moderators have no contact with Jeph, but are trying to keep this forum operating in a manner that will not cause him to close it. I can assure you that closure has been discussed more than once in the last couple of years; stage one was when he moved the link to the forum from the top menu of the QC site to the bottom of a sidebar on one page only.
--- End quote ---
Well then, guys, I'll just have to wish you mods luck in what has to be one of the most thankless jobs out there. Between the author who thinks that 99% of what goes on in forums is stupid and wrong, and the forum guests who expect to act like they act in any other forum, you guys have to do quite the dance to keep this place bearable by both parties, knowing that it takes only one egregious kerfuffle to shut down the whole enterprise. Honestly, I'm surprised it has lasted this long.
In cases like this (and there are a few) where the artist prefers to keep the fans at one more stage of remove, it would be nice if there were forums for webcomics that didn't have/want artist moderation or any official attachment. In the 80s and the 90s, this need would've been fulfilled with USENET and the creation of the alt.comics.questionable-content. Sadly, USENET is all but dead now, so the only real hope would be to have one of those legacy forums, like certain comics who still keep their old KeenSpot forums, in addition to their newer official forums. Maybe he could secure a forum space in the old Dumbrella boards for a forum that is about his work, yet not his responsibility to oversee. Someone's got to have spare server capacity for this sticky blob of shipping and spec.
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: bunnyThor on 02 Feb 2011, 07:07 ---forum guests who expect to act like they act in any other forum
--- End quote ---
There seem to be plenty of people who don't want to treat forums the way that you suggest is usual, and I've had messages of support from some. We are happy to welcome anyone who is prepared to fit in; and my feeling is that the current traffic level is a fair bit higher than it was last summer (this is, of course, partly because forum registration was broken for quite a while).
--- Quote ---you guys have to do quite the dance to keep this place bearable by both parties, knowing that it takes only one egregious kerfuffle to shut down the whole enterprise.
--- End quote ---
I think we're doing OK; I've no idea what Jeph thinks...
--- Quote ---Maybe he could secure a forum space in the old Dumbrella boards for a forum that is about his work, yet not his responsibility to oversee. Someone's got to have spare server capacity for this sticky blob of shipping and spec.
--- End quote ---
I believe the old guard in the rest of the forum came from Dumbrella in the first place - but that was long before my time. Of course, anyone can set up a forum if they're prepared to pay for hosting and traffic - but I see no likelihood of Jeph paying for a forum he doesn't want.
Is it cold in here?:
Speaking only for myself, and based only on osmosis from things that have been said, it seems like there are two important distinctions to draw.
One is between what people say about QC on the tvtropes forum and other wilder places, versus what they say and do in Jeph's guesthouse. If your host wants you to take off your shoes at the door or refrain from smoking, you would do so even if you wouldn't when out in public.
The other is between speculation and creativity. Extrapolating from themes Jeph set forth doesn't drive him crazy, according to his own statements. Fanfic, and groundless shipping, are creative. Creativity with your own characters is good, but creativity with someone else's characters risks being rudeness and plagiarism.
Nick and Maria, thank you for asking. I want the moderation to be transparent. In practice most of the shipping has been meant to be humorous, but nonetheless Jeph has called it out in a public post as being something he hates.
(/moderator)
Faye isn't doing anything to sabotage it! She is being sassy without being abusive and even took the initiative about moving to the next level. This relationship may actually work. It doesn't have the damaging problems underneath that she had with Marten and with Sven.
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