FanLib

[aricadavidson]

I've gotten a few responses from people questioning why I'm so against Fanlib. Yes, they appear to have changed because they're oh so sorry about how things have been handled. And yes, this may be an inocuous as it sounds. And if so, I'll likely eventually jump on the bandwagon.

My thing is - be cautious. There are people involved who aren't trustworthy. The former CEO of yahoo? A former member of the RIAA responsible for all the current DCMA regulations and such...

Yes, they employ tactics such as selling advertising space to people, which IS VERY common. But unlike most of the other archives I've heard of... they approached this ALL WRONG. Any anthropologist will tell you that even in researching cultures, you may make social gaffes but when you DO make such mistakes, it can take a lot to correct the situation. An "I'm Sorry" is not always enough. And they rode through fandom as if it were a singular entity rather than a collection of "tribes" so to speak, with different cultures. Big cultural no-no.

If you take a glance at the latest interview that Dr. Jenkins did with Mr. Williams, you will note that Chris Williams side steps several of the questions and doesn't directly answer them.

But they changed the FAQ and TOS and Everything!

Yes, they did. After much pressure and they still make contradictory claims.

Like I said, if they are indeed inocuous as they claim, I will eventually come around. Until then, you will see the banner on my userinfo and no story of mine will appear there. Like they admit, they have mishandled the situation. And that will take time to repair.

And hey I'm still waiting on that invitation to the fan advisory board! C'mon, ask an outsider to this FanLib culture ;) lol