I think you hit on it, Di. I was vaguely thinking that as I read Irene's post, thinking I always kind of thought because we were more mature we'd be, well, more mature. But is it that a lot of MFU fen have been in it and at it for so long that they've got that fossilized old-fart narrow minded superior thing going on, much more so than in a fandom that is mostly teens or 20-somethings? And if so, bummer. To be sure there are fanfics I don't care for because they're WAY too far from how I see the guys (and I'm not sure that having a firm view of the guys is a bad thing in itself. Discipline is a good thing in writing, and it's possible that if we didn't have some general guidelines there'd be a lot more crap out there, a lot more stuff that really just is any two guys, without characterization at all) but hell, people shouldn't get slapped down for it. Or if they do get slapped down for it, I hope they won't let someone else's opinion stop them having some darn fun. That reads like I'm of two minds. I guess I am. People should be able to play in the sandbox in whatever way they choose, yes. But I also will defend people's right to observe "Uh, you're not even IN the sandbox any more, pal."
Re: Touchy Fen
And if so, bummer. To be sure there are fanfics I don't care for because they're WAY too far from how I see the guys (and I'm not sure that having a firm view of the guys is a bad thing in itself. Discipline is a good thing in writing, and it's possible that if we didn't have some general guidelines there'd be a lot more crap out there, a lot more stuff that really just is any two guys, without characterization at all) but hell, people shouldn't get slapped down for it. Or if they do get slapped down for it, I hope they won't let someone else's opinion stop them having some darn fun.
That reads like I'm of two minds. I guess I am. People should be able to play in the sandbox in whatever way they choose, yes. But I also will defend people's right to observe "Uh, you're not even IN the sandbox any more, pal."