The internet is closed for repairs, please find an alternative route

[lynsangelic1]

 The internet sucks.  Or more accurately, MY internet sucks.  I have the dodgiest connection ever courtesy of AOL and all of diligent efforts to reset, reinstall,  blah blah are in vain.

So.  Suck internet clashing with RL = away for a wee bit.  So uncharacteristic.  /snark/

Crawling out of my own skin with irritation, in fact.  Urgh.

There’s been quite a few things I’ve wanted to post about in the past few weeks actually and having to refresh a webpage 8 or 9 times with varying beats and rhythms pretty much ruled out that option.  So I’ll try to remember…

 

• New job.  New good job.  Haven’t started yet as waiting for clearance to check I’m not a murderer.

• Really good quote couple of weeks ago in the Scotsman by Vicky Featherstone, artistic director of NTS on how she sees Scottish national identity and how NTS can further explore that.  Can’t find it ATM, which is slightly annoying. 

• Continued Buffy watching in lieu of internet.  Just finished season 6.  Which I don’t hate, which I suppose is against the grain.  There are things I disagree with – sure – but I don’t enjoy it any less.

• My team’s doing well though now stumbling towards the finish line of the season.  Fingers are crossed. 

• IOY16 is still in the works.  Two rubbishy pesky but kinda vital scenes that I want to slap around until they write themselves.  I’ve just not been in the headspace.

• “Internet Porn ‘encourages teenagers to have sex early’” from Sunday Herald.  Giggle.  Because any sensible person girl (because let’s face it, teenage boys don’t need porn to want to have sex) with a proper sex education (from family, school, friends or own morality) would be swayed by looking at the vast recesses of utter crap online.  The study is conclusive but I just don’t know if I can believe it when you factor in variables such as individual upbringing and personality.  Which as far as the article goes, it doesn’t seem to.
   

Finally: The whole Lexicon v Rowling thing…  I’m afraid I’m on the side of the Lexicon here although when it first happened I was on JK’s as a knee-jerk reaction and was looking at the HP Lexicon like a faithful, beloved puppy that just mauled my child.  However, I quickly changed my mind as I delved further in.

The published Lexicon would not impact, change or decrease her sales of the original series in ANY way.  None at all.  No one’s going to buy the Lexicon to read the scant passages throughout and put together the story themselves.  No one.  And as for her encyclopaedia: I believe that the hardcore percentage of fans who buy the varied volumes of unauthorised non-fiction books out there dedicated to analysis of themes, characters etc, will be some of the first in line for her encyclopaedia.  They buy all they can get their hands on.  JK’s being the ‘definitive’ version with added shiny new information makes it a must buy for the fans of varying degrees of hardcore-ness.  I don’t think anyone in the world, years after JK’s encyclopaedia is published will pick up her book and the Lexicon and having only enough pennies for one, would buy Steve Vander Ark’s.  No chance.  This book would be a stop-gap until the official encyclopaedia shows up, not jumping the gun and stealing her potential sales (And I know she’s stated that the proceeds of her collected work will go to charity so it’s not money that’s her issue but SVA is certainly not taking bread out of orphans’ mouths here.) 

I was quite appalled by her testimony, tbh.  The whole ‘can’t sleep, impacted my creative work’.  And I’m saying that as a writer who detests plagiarism and can’t help but fanfic.

One of the things that swayed me to SVA’s side was considering how much work he’d undertaken to publish, update and maintain the Lexicon site.  I use it frequently for checking facts or finding a random background character’s name from Ravenclaw house or whatever, so anyone I do mention in fic should have been mentioned in the books at least once.  It’s nice I have that option.  There’s a ridiculous amount of information on that site across character, spells, places, houses – whatever.  You name it, he’s catalogued it.  And it’s been immensely helpful.

In my opinion, no one would start out to do such work (And I’m guessing that he didn’t start the Lexicon many years ago to publish it) unless they loved the books.  Now if you still don’t think he deserves to make money from all this effort, then consider this:  Both JK herself (it has been quoted) and the official movie producers and directors use/used the Lexicon.  I remember JK saying something about it’s helpful to check when she’s out writing so she’s doesn’t have to buy her own book to check a fact.  So from that I deduce she used it sparingly – but still.  As for the movies, their use was far more extensive.  (I wish I could remember the freaking quote and my internet is far too suck to delve in and get it.) But I do remember them saying they had all or most pages printed out and referred to it every day on set.  I believe they even flew SVA out to the set.

So his work hugely aided/contributed to the production of the HP movies (and I’m speculating whether Kloves etc used it as well), which make oodles or money which in returns makes JK oodles of money to add to her oodles of money.  (I’ve also idly wondered whether she would refer to the Lexicon when writing her own encyclopaedia rather than trolling through her books for some minor things that could be found at the click of a mouse on his site)

When the case was first brought to my attention, I admit I was a little worried about the ramifications of such a trial.  Because legal issues and rulings *always* have ramifications and long past cases used as legal precedent etc etc (So not a lawyer).  And I was worried about this might affect fandom, fansites, fanfic… Basically the very elements that ensure or largely contribute a writers/actors/films/TV shows/books success.  I remember when the WB went after Buffy fansites using official promo shots or screencaps from the series, issuing C&D like they were in heat and pissing off a very valuable core group of people that elevates a product from watchable to cult.  The very element that laps up the various merchandising spinoffs.  The damn element that makes the money.  *facepalm*  Do.  Not.  Understand.

Anyway.  Off point slightly, I suppose.

So that’s why I’m on the Lexicon’s side.  I don’t know *everything* about the case because AOL and I aren’t friends anymore but from what I have read and understood, that is my position.  I’m a little annoyed by 13year olds fangirling around JK (e.g. JK rulez, SVA sux!!!111eleventy) when they don’t really know what’s going on.  But I’m also aware that there are a huge number of intelligent people out there whose opinions differ from mine because either they know more than me (very possible) and/or they look at the issue of fan-based reference work differently.

Hm.  Whatever.  Bored now *grin*

Comments

[redbeargrl.livejournal.com]

Well, first let me say that I'm very glad to see that you're still alive and kicking! (And not just because of IOY dammit. I really do miss your snark.)
And a few odd points none of which I'm going to bother to try and keep straight.

SVA...go for it. He's never plagiarized and given credit for every quote. More power to him. JKR? After that epilogue, she deserves whatever she gets.

13yo fangirls squeeing over Jo. Just shoot me. Please! Now! Preferably with a small caliber so that I suffer a great deal before expiring.

AOL = “Almost on Line.” I have no words to describe my attitude towards AOL. Suckage comes close.

Buffy Season Six. Dunno why a lot of people hated it. It’s Buffy fer chrissakes! What’s not to love? Well, there is that Tara thing....sigh.

New Job. Much Whoopie and Hoo Ha’s! Good luck with that background check though.

I’ll STFU now...
::Bear scratches something and waits for next chappie::

[redbeargrl.livejournal.com]

And by the way....
(snark) Thanks ever so for giving me the bug to write in first person! (/snark)

I took a pledge frakking ages ago never to do that again.
So, umm, yeah. It's all your fault.

::pouts::

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

JKR? After that epilogue, she deserves whatever she gets.

No.Mercy. lmao. She's lucky I'm not copy-pasting my little heart out to re-publish Deathly Hallows with a shiny new 'every-fucking-one dies in retaliation for the super shit, super happy epilogue the first time around' ending. Then she may have a reason to bitch about plagiarism ;) I would obviously jam in a lot of G/Hr. Maybe kill Ron off early on so they *have* to bring Ginny along to hunt for Horcruxes and leave G/Hr to dirty romp in the tent while Harry's outside skipping after doe patronus' and dying in the freezing water because he was fucking stupid enough to go in there with no one around when a suspicious and anonymous creature led him to it and with a dangerous fucking Horcrux (read: little piece of Voldie) around his neck. Moron. He deserved to die then for utter stupidity and in my DH he would have because G/Hr would be too busy shagging to care for his desperate pleas for help and he would not be heard.

*takes deep breath*

Was that the kinda snark you missed? ;) It wasn't intentional but you know how I love to spew this crap out. Damnit. Now I have ridiculously amusing but utterly silly plot bunnies hopping about...

Buffy Season Six. Dunno why a lot of people hated it. It’s Buffy fer chrissakes! What’s not to love? Well, there is that Tara thing....sigh.

*whimpers* I watched Seeing Red today and thus am on my periodic fortnight of mourning. That scene fucking kills me. I'm actually tearing up as I remember... I'm too much of a geek it hurts.

Once I'm finished season 7, I'm going to do a look back entry on it all. I had *planned* to do this as I went along but bloody AOL stole my online life from me... Of course there was nothing stopping me writing it in Word or something and posting when able. But. You know. Suckage.

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

I see that! I see that you not only finished one but started *and* finished another while I was pissing about bashing my hands on the keyboard hoping for that thousand monkeys, thousand years effect. At least I have reading ready for me on my return.

I love 1st person POV. It gives good mind fuckage. And that, my friend, is nothing to snark at *maniacal, taking over world type laugh*

One down, 5.999999 billion to go.

[redbeargrl.livejournal.com]

"Was that the kinda snark you missed? ;)"

Ummm, pretty much, yeah! Oh plot bunnies! They have all migrated to "somewhere" else for the nonce. I think I really just need to do a smut piece to wring out my brain.

[redbeargrl.livejournal.com]

"At least I have reading ready for me on my return."

Erm, vacation? Mental health break? Detox clinic? Little side trip to the Home for the Bewildered?

(Bears are terribly inquisitive critters)

"I see that you not only finished one but started *and* finished another.."

Yes. ::nods:: Yes I did. And now my mind is gone. Srsly!

[marie-j-granger.livejournal.com]

I know this is an old post and we know the ruling now, but I just wanted to say I agree with you about Jo's and WB's stupidity in this matter. They used his freely available resource and then they turned around and sued him for trying to make a few quid on it? Nice. Really nice. At least the judge didn't find completely in their favor; he may be able to publish at some point in the future if he trims the lengthy quotes from things like the sorting hat songs.

And there's no way Jo will be able to write her own encyclopedia without using the Lexicon. No. Bloody. Way. The woman is horrid at maths and timelines and such. She changes people's names, ages, personalities etc. because she couldn't be bothered to re-read her own frakking books. I'll be endlessly amused when her own encyclopedia does eventually come out if SVA turns around and counter-sues... and wins. It would be such sweet irony and totally what the selfish egomaniac deserves.

[lynsangelic1.livejournal.com]

Glad you agree! It is a dodgy subject with "intellectual property" and "creative licence" and all and on the face of it you think JK would be justified in suing someone for trying to glob onto the money train. But years down the line with so many unofficial books etc it's just ridiculous to single one guy out. Especially when the massive amount of work that guy has done has aided the writing of books later in the series and the production of movies.

Her testimony was just very embarrassing IMO. I don't know if it's because the UK does not have the lawsuit culture that the US has and that her courtroom theatrics were just beneath my perceived line of honesty and dignity. *shrugs*

I feel the same way about her inability to keep track of her own universe. If I didn't enjoy have the Lexicon as a great, free and searchable online resource, I'd urge SVA to take it down just to spite her. Though she may then just employ research monkeys to comb through the books so she doesn't have to. But then think of the shame, oh the shame!

Good to see you hopping about on LJ again!