Further thoughts on FanLib
Over on 
life_wo_fanlib, 
angiepen has written a smart, reasonable, realistic post on the life of screenwriters in Hollywood and how FanLib intersects (or not) with that situation. You can find it here.
She also makes a good point that FanLib's contests are quite a bit different than the archive. I could even see the contests as serving a reasonable purpose ---again, sort of like an American Idol for fanfic writers ---and I don't mind seeing an opportunity open up in which fan ideas might leach into the pro side. I'm already convinced that, despite all the sturm and drang, the two influence one another anyway. And y'know, I really don't have the time or inclination to contribute to a Trek contest, but if they were doing MFU, I'd be there. Why not? I'm not going to leave the field to the guy fans and I could really use a vacation :)
On the other hand, I could see the guy fans going for the contests while the women fans end up ghettoized in the archive and that does disturb me. After all, most of the guys have nothing to contribute to an archive, while I would expect that the ideas contributed by the guys in the contest will fit better into the expectations of the pros. Rather than unite the gendered spaces of fandom, FanLib would be creating new ones.
As far as choosing ST: TOS as the subject of this big contest, it makes perfect sense. Trek is a fandom in which pros and fans have been the most integrated. As for why Takei and Wheaton would participate, I believe they think they're doing a good thing for the fans. After all, Takei has guest starred in the fan project Star Trek: New Voyages (Although I went there today and the page is all black. Did Paramount finally stomp on them? Anyone know?)
So, if the contests are so great for marketing, why does FanLib have an archive? Simply to capture and count eyeballs for the ads.
Judging by the stats posted every day or so onlife_wo_fanlib, the archive may end up unsuccessful and shrivel up, and it's the contests that will be continue, which will do less damage to fandom.
I must admit what I find the most fascinating about FanLib as an academic is collision of two very different cultures with similar a similar interest in status and creativity but with very different expectations and economies. It really does remind me of the Europeans landing on the shores of America and discovering the native tribes who live there.
And we all know how that turned out.
life_wo_fanlib, angiepen has written a smart, reasonable, realistic post on the life of screenwriters in Hollywood and how FanLib intersects (or not) with that situation. You can find it here.She also makes a good point that FanLib's contests are quite a bit different than the archive. I could even see the contests as serving a reasonable purpose ---again, sort of like an American Idol for fanfic writers ---and I don't mind seeing an opportunity open up in which fan ideas might leach into the pro side. I'm already convinced that, despite all the sturm and drang, the two influence one another anyway. And y'know, I really don't have the time or inclination to contribute to a Trek contest, but if they were doing MFU, I'd be there. Why not? I'm not going to leave the field to the guy fans and I could really use a vacation :)
On the other hand, I could see the guy fans going for the contests while the women fans end up ghettoized in the archive and that does disturb me. After all, most of the guys have nothing to contribute to an archive, while I would expect that the ideas contributed by the guys in the contest will fit better into the expectations of the pros. Rather than unite the gendered spaces of fandom, FanLib would be creating new ones.
As far as choosing ST: TOS as the subject of this big contest, it makes perfect sense. Trek is a fandom in which pros and fans have been the most integrated. As for why Takei and Wheaton would participate, I believe they think they're doing a good thing for the fans. After all, Takei has guest starred in the fan project Star Trek: New Voyages (Although I went there today and the page is all black. Did Paramount finally stomp on them? Anyone know?)
So, if the contests are so great for marketing, why does FanLib have an archive? Simply to capture and count eyeballs for the ads.
Judging by the stats posted every day or so on
life_wo_fanlib, the archive may end up unsuccessful and shrivel up, and it's the contests that will be continue, which will do less damage to fandom.I must admit what I find the most fascinating about FanLib as an academic is collision of two very different cultures with similar a similar interest in status and creativity but with very different expectations and economies. It really does remind me of the Europeans landing on the shores of America and discovering the native tribes who live there.
And we all know how that turned out.