An open letter

[holzman_tweed]

Dear people at fandom_scruples,

Your words and your deeds do not match. You claim:

We are asking those listed below to please lock down their fic. Nothing else.

Yet you maintain a black list headed with the words, Please don't read these author's works.

Blacklists and boycotts go well beyond "asking." "Asking" involves being willing to accept "no" for an answer. More accurate terms would be "demanding," "pressuring," and "attempting to force."

You say,

It's not about censorship.

yet you also say

There was some controversy about ivyblossom being on the list as she locks down her fics on her website. While we applaud her doing this, we've browsed several fics on her LJ containing what we consider to be adult content and she will remain on the list until those things are locked down.

You have set yourself up as the arbiter of what "ought" be locked away from minors. That makes you a censor, and what you are doing censorship.

Regards,

Dan

Comments

[krikket.livejournal.com]

Well, that's one community I won't be checking out...

[holzman.livejournal.com]

Oh, do check them out. Make a point of noting in your journal -- you won't be permitted to post in theirs -- that you will be using their blacklist as a recommended reading resource.

[krikket.livejournal.com]

Point!

[wednesday]

theblacklist and fandomscruples (note lack of underscore) are also handy.

I maintain that, if fandom_scruples are going to be censorious pricks, they should have firmer and clearer guidelines going than "NC-17." Like, say, the CAP ratings system.