Signal to noise on mailing lists

[justalurkr]

Honestly, is there anyone out there who actually enjoys a list that is about 80% one-line response to fanfiction? Mostly of the "so good give me more!" variety?

I used to think that the great SenAd/SXF divide was a little artificial, then started joining lists in Stargate and NCIS fandoms that allowed stories with the discussion and feedback onlist. It's simply astonishing how inane people are willing to be in public simply because they're too damned lazy to change the To: line from the group address to the author's.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the authors who reply to one-line solicitations for more offlist and drop a gentle hint to all those who responds on-list with one-line thanks of their own.

Two spams don't make a real post, kids.

To all those sitting there thinking, "Don't be such a bitch...your delete key is made for magic moments like this!" I say "when I spend more time deleting than reading by a factor of, like, 10 to 1, it's over and how the hell much time do you have on your hands?"

Anyway...I now need links to any good fanfiction that catches y'all's attention from the inpenetrably dense underbrush of "feedback" on the NavyNCISslash mailing list.

Thanks.

Comments

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

I find it annoying on forums and lists. I have to dredge through everything just to get to a fic or a discussion.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

I feel like a creep for saying anything, because I know feedback is the writer's heroin and, frankly, a lot better drug of choice than the real stuff. ;)

If a comment is of interest to the writer only, is it so very difficult to point it to the writer only? I don't think it should even have to be a forum or list rule; common courtesy should dictate that one-line feedback is in the same not-of-general-interest category as the dreaded "me, too!" post.

Now, feedback that does more than give a thumbs-up (or down, for that matter,) but explains why carries a price above rubies for me. This is why, were I Queen For A Day, I wouldn't ban onlist feedback altogether.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

I enjoy a critical look at a fic or whatever. it adds to the conversation.

But you're right. The one liners in a public area are difficult to deal with, especially since you feel bad since authors really like to hear what people think eve if it's "This was great!"

[ducks-in-a-row.livejournal.com]

That's why I always go no-mail on lists--so I don't spend 90% of my time deleting. Tho, I'm still left with having to wade thru the list traffic to find fics :-( Frankly, I don't bother much anymore. I just watch for updates at major archives. Or rely on others who've braved the spammage to recommend the fics I'd actually be interested in ;-)

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

I join you, then, in the thickets of lurkerdom offsides, finally living up to my name.

nialla42 takes pretty good care of me in the fic rec department. See for reference my very next post if you're into Stargate Atlantis angst porn.

[ducks-in-a-row.livejournal.com]

Lurkerdom is a good and noble thing.

Not really into SGA, show or fic, which is unfortunate because most of the rec lists as well as the good authors seems to have migrated to SGA.

I'm having some real abandonment issues ;-P

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

House fic is picking up pretty well, thanks in part to your sterling self.

I have every confidence in your skills a balcony sex. ;)

[ducks-in-a-row.livejournal.com]

"I have every confidence in your skills a balcony sex"

How did you know? :-0

Oh, you mean House/Wilson balcony sex ;-P Well, they are apparently heading into summer on the show so the time's about right for some al fresco nookie.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

:D It was a hunch.

[nialla]

What's really odd for me is I'm into the show because of the fic. Well, that and David Hewlett is totally adorkable. ;)

Even though I know it's the same TPTB that royally screwed fandom over with their petty antics on SG1, I can ignore that somewhat and go with SGA not having eight years worth of baggage.

I also don't discuss behind-the-scenes SGA stuff much, since the show itself doesn't attract me that way. I can have a bit of plausible denial, though sometimes my conversations with those who are following that stuff gives me the shakes. I expect the other shoe to drop in the second half of the season, but until it drops, ignorance is my bliss.

[ducks-in-a-row.livejournal.com]

The bottom line for me is that most of the characters just don't grab me. I adore McKay and have since he first appeared on SG-1. And I like Beckett and Zelenka. It just hasn't been enough to hold my interest. The fact that it's the same PTB that gutted SG-1...well, that doesn't exactly motivate me to try very hard.

Now if there's some decent McKay/Beckett or McKay/Zelenka slash out there, that I might try ;-)

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

I think Wraithbait will let one sort by pairing.

I'm such a McShep Whore I haven't really looked for anything else.

[nialla]

I know what you mean about not being motivated, but I finally got to a place where can keep the good fic separate from the nasty machinations of TPTB.

Wraithbait has a great search engine if you're looking for a particular pairing, or even a McKay/Beckett/Zelenka threesome. ;)

http://www.wraithbait.com/search.php

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

threeesommmes mmm

[nialla]

I have mixed feelings about onlist feedback. Sometimes I can use it as gauge for whether or not there's something I should check out, but if the feedback is nothing but "Kewl!" it doesn't really help a lot.

I try to send responses to fb I get onlist privately to take it out of the list's stream of consciousness. I've also changed the bit in the headers to take out the request for fb onlist or off and just made it to offlist.

I've also got some wonderful filters in Eudora that sorts all my mail into boxes according to the list it's from and then sorts it by subject heading, so I can tell at a glance what's a message and what's fb.

I think a lot of people who're sending one-liner feedback message to a list either don't understand why they shouldn't, or else they're on a handful of lists and/or have a lot of time to read them, and don't understand what it's like sorting through hundreds of messages a day, separating the wheat from the chaff.

[webbgirl.livejournal.com]

Sadly, can't help you on the recs for the NCIS slash. I've pretty much stopped reading anyone except on LJ, and then it's usually just folks I know.

I've more or less stopped reading the Yahoo list for the exact reasons you listed. It's just annoying when you get to the 5th response to a response.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

I would totally take recs from LJ.

[kaleecat]

er, hi. I surfed by via superbadgirl's flist, and ended up seeing this post which I know is from Nov but it is still valid.
I'm on that ncis mailing list, and the way people do feedback is my biggest complaint. I don't care if it's one line feedback emails (there are several people who do excellent substantive feedback on list). But what does drive me crazy is everyone's inability to take 1/2 a second to change the subject line to "FB name that fic" or something similar thereby making it easier to go through hitting the delete key. I've sent several emails to the mods about that to no avail. I don't feel its my place, especially as I mostly lurk and send feedback off list, to say anything on list so I just grit my teeth and wade through.
I shall return to my random surfing now, hope the commenting out of the blue is okay with you.