Mod Post - Rules

[valtyr]

Hi all,

A quick reminder to you all - fics posted to the comm should have a 'beta' line in the header, where you thank your beta or just note you didn't use one. We do encourage authors to use a beta, and the comm maintains a beta list here. If you're quite new to ficcing, or haven't used a beta before, you can find a comm discussion post on betas and what they do here

Also, please be aware of our spamming policy - we have rules on posting frequency which can be found here. If you tend to write frequent, bite-size pieces, we ask you either save them up for a couple of days, or post them in your journal and then make a round-up post to the comm.

Thanks for your co-operation, guys!

Comments

[muccamukk]

The link to the spamming policy goes to the beta list.

[valtyr]

I, uh, don't know what you're talking about...

[muccamukk]

Nm. I'm clearly hallucinating. I swear I just pressed on the spamming policy and ended up with the beta list. Twice. Maybe my browser's flaking out? Idk.

[valtyr]

I changed it and then denied all knowledge in an attempt at humour. Don't worry, you're not crazy. :)

[muccamukk]

Oh, good. I thought a combination of white wine, oil spill research and Scottish Folk music had finally driven me over the edge.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

A mod's a mod, and rules are rules, and I respect both of those things a great deal. And let me say right now, that this comm is excellently modded. Thank you all for your efforts.

That said, I'd like to chuck in my two cents worth anyway. I didn't like this (new?) rule when it was posted last week, and on further reflection I still don't like it. More importantly, I don't think it meets your stated goals, which boil down to quality control if I read the main rules post correctly.

I don't always use a beta for short fic. And by short I mean anything up to a couple of thousand, not 500, words. All my stories are stringently edited and proof-read though, and I'd lay odds on my spelling, grammar and syntax anywhere. By contrast, there has been fic posted here recently that has thanked multiple betas, that has been, imho, really pretty dire. Presence of a beta credit is no guarantee of anything, other than the fact a friend read your story and said they liked it.

Explicit disavowal of a beta credit, however, which you suggest as an alternative, has always been, on every comm I've frequented, as good as an acknowledgment that you didn't take a lot of time, or invest a lot of effort, which is not the sort of disclaimer I'd want on any fic of mine.

[valtyr]

It's not a new rule; it actually predates our tenure as mods. As I recall, there was a flood of dire fic on the comm some eighteen months ago, and the spamming, abuse and beta rules were brought in. Requiring people to say whether they use a beta, well, it at least encourages writers to think about it - although I share your concerns about rubberstamp betas.

Quality control is a very tough row to hoe. There are complaints about dire fic; but there are plenty of people ready to protest if the mods filter out any fics.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I totally see your quandary. :-)

I only saw the light with regard to Steve/Tony in particular, and Marvel in general, about six months ago -- I'd always been a DC girl previously. I love this comm, and I'm sincere in my praise of the mod team, I think you're doing a great job, far better than those of many other comms I've been a member of.

Personally, this comm's low-traffic enough that the badfic doesn't bother me hugely. I either skip it based on summary -- amazing how much you can tell -- or read it for the lulz if I'm at a loose end. It's totally different to comms where there are thirty or forty posts a day and I grind my teeth wishing a mod would put us all out of our misery. That said, the spam and abuse policies are great, it's only the beta one that bothered me. A minuscule fly in my ointment, to be sure. :-D

[valtyr]

:) Glad you're having fun - the comm is, uh, mostly quiet and friendly...