Posted

Jun 10th 2007

Mood

Sorry

Okay, I know what it's like to be 'flamed' for my art and because of the characters I fangirl over (I don't think I'll classify them as that any more though; when you compare it to what the following group does, it's more like I've been sparked), and it's not a nice thing to go through. However (thank, Christ) I have yet to be flamed for my writing. Though I can only expect that it can't be any better than being so for art.

This is a warning for all those writers that post things on Fanfiction.net. I got this little entry from Murof who found this little warning posted by "Snow Falling" in every section of the site. I stress that you read it from the beginning to the end, do not skim read it, EXAMINE it. Here it is:

"Why Flame Rising will flame you:

Firstly, you have my humblest apologies. This is not a story, or a poem, and I am well aware that as such I am breaking several of the Terms Of Service of this site. But, I beg of you, rather than simply disregard this document, or report it for abuse, read it. Learn from it. It contains important information that can help to make this site a better place; as melodramatic as that may sound. So please, have patience, and I will tell you why I am here…

Flamers. You may have heard of them, you may not. If you have heard of them, then you have most likely either been a victim of one, or know someone who has. You may even be a flamer yourself. If you have not been the victim of one of these individuals, then you are a lucky person indeed.

For those who are not aware, a flamer is a bully. They write abusive, degrading comments or reviews to stories that they do not like. Whilst everyone has an opinion, and is entitled to such, these ‘flamers’ go too far. All too often, these twisted individuals harass their victim to the point of distraction, often forcing them to leave this site just to make it all stop. This can not be allowed to continue, for reasons I should not have to state here. Does that then mean that every bad review is a ‘flame‘? No. If someone genuinely does not like an author’s story, then they have a right to express that opinion. If we are only ever told about the good points about our writing, then we can never grow, or learn, or better ourselves. By hearing about the points that need work, the reviewer is pointing out something that we might not have noticed and need to work on.

Appreciate that honesty. Thank them where possible. Ask the reviewer what you can do to improve. If you can’t do this, ask a friend. At the end of the day, no person is perfect. We all make mistakes. If you can not face that fact, then life, my friend, is going to be very sad for you.

A flame, however, is something else entirely. A flame is written in a deliberately abusive manner, using terminology ranging from ‘You Suck!’ to swearing. The whole point of a flame is to put down the author for the gratification of the flamer. Like any bully, they get a kick out of putting other people down, because for a few brief moments, someone is more miserable than them. They don’t want to help you to improve; they just want to have good laugh at your expense.

On the FanFiction site, there is a growing movement of flamers, who have started working their way through the various fandoms, attacking anyone who they view as an inferior author. There is even a forum named The Fireplace, run by an individual named Flame Rising, designed to be a meeting place for these bullies; a place where they can run down, deride and generally destroy whoever they choose.

Ironically, the majority of the flamers that frequent this forum have posted no stories of their own. This just reinforces the point that these people are not criticising your work because they are interested in furthering the talent on this site. They are doing it because they have nothing better to do than make peoples lives a misery. If the flamers would only attempt to write something creative themselves, they would find it a more challenging prospect than they currently believe it to be. Then they may not be so eager to judge.

Flame Rising is probably the worst culprit of this activity, even holding awards for the so-called ‘worst’ authors he has chosen to be his latest victims. The reasons he has given for this, as listed on his own profile page, are as follows:
1: You can’t f?!?!?g spell and / or you know less grammar than a six year old.
2: You try to blind your readers by bolding or italicising EVERY F?!?!?G WORD.
3: You are too f?!?!?g retarded to use the enter key.
4: Your story isn’t fan fiction (usually instead about some f?!?!d up wet dream involving a boy band then posted in the ‘Musicals’ category or poet wannabes who’ve never heard of FICTIONPRESS.
5: You Whore for reviews.
6: You enjoy letting your f?!?!d up OC’s/inserts rape canon on a regular basis.
7: You have A/N’s longer than the story, and they include conversations with your other f?!?!d-up personalities that no-one gives two s?!?s about anyway.
8: you’re a/N’s include some f?!?!tastic seizure you had over someone trying to leave you criticism.
9: Your pen-name lOoKsLiKeThIsXxxXxxXxX and/or includes “Mrs.” Canon Character name.
10: Someone associated with you caught me on a bad, bad day.
(Edited for language, other than that this is a word for word copy.)

So there you have it. Maybe he didn’t receive enough attention as a child, maybe he just forgot to take his pills before he began his bizarre little crusade, and has been too embarrassed to stop. That’s not for me to say. One thing I can say, though, is that Flame Rising, and others like him, need to be stopped. They must not be allowed to keep putting people down. And there are several ways this can be achieved, without stooping to their level.

First, report them to the site admin. By flaming you, these persons have broken several of the site’s Terms of Service. If as many people as possible complain as often as possible, then the offending individuals may be removed from the site. If this is done enough times, they will eventually get fed up with the situation and leave for good.

Failing that, ignore them. Do not reply to any flames, do not even acknowledge their existence. Where possible, erase anonymous reviews that contain hurtful comments, block pen-names that leave such comments. Report them, then get on with your life as though they don’t exist. This lack of attention tends to be anathema to bullies; after all, attention is all they are after. And if you feel that there may be some small truth in what the flamers say, ask someone you trust. Most authors on this site will be only too happy to help you out, and help you toward becoming a better author.

Thank you again for your patience. Now spread the word. Tell everyone that you know to read this document. If we work together, we can end flaming for good.

Yours Sincerely,
Snow Falling"

You read every single word written right? I hope so.

Now, I've seen this cult known as the 'Flamers' in action. Just as I've seen and been to the C2 Flame Rising has created (known as The Fireplace). It is not a pretty sight. I cringed and almost cried for many of the authors they victimized.

However, I urge you to do these following things if you are flamed by anyone. First, try to find some truth in it. Some flamers actually do this to help you, so always assume that that is their purpose. Ask a trusted friend if anything rings true, should you not find anything (instruct them to not contact the flamer) that may. Second, if you find none, do not retaliate with yelling and screaming and abuse; you're sinking down to their level. Either a) ignore them, b) block them or c) report them. Or perhaps you could do all three? Do not contact them. Full Stop. Yes, I know I repeated what's already been said by Snow Falling, but seriously, take notice.

I've seen them about the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter fandoms, though Murof has found that they like the cartoon's section as well.

If you are a flamer (which I am sincerely hoping you're not), please remember that no one is perfect and that great writers all started out with stories with bad spelling and grammar and OCs we all (or most of us) hate to itty-bitty bits. Instead of flaming them, offer critique and tell them to keep trying. It's the only way to improve after all, and your being rude isn't going to help them.

Anyway, as I stated before, this is a warning. Please take notice of it and the actions in dealing with flamers. I don't want a war.

- - - - -

** School Work **

#1 - Anc. History Ass. - Hatshepsut - Completed! Mark: ?
#2 - Hospitality Ass. - Smoke-Free Legislation 2002 Pamphet - Due: 05/06
#3 - Visual Design Ass. - Movie: ..Plosion - Due: Week 8 (3 weeks)
#4 - English Ass. - Listening Task + Creative Writing - To be done: Week 9 (4 weeks)
#5 - TAFE - Animation - Sometime Next Term (5+ Weeks)

__

--REQUESTS/OWINGS--
#1 - LadyoftheKeys - Teenage Ling and Gou
#2 - xMarinx - Her OC, Dani and her teddy
#3 - Weingummidrop - Prize, Cenotaph in Moses' shepherd's clothes
#4 - kakashi-iruka-hot - Her OC: Serenity Hatake - blond, thin, blue eyes, pink shirt, blue jeans, 16, Kohona ninja
#5 - yaoi-yuri-club13 - Kakashi/Sasuke at the Academy
#6 - Leviticus Lied - Her OC: Jata - blonde hair, blue/purple eyes, no expression, purple shirt + leggings, sendon needle or kunai =

If you'd like to request a picture or fic, please send a note or email me. It'll make finding you and your request a whole lot easier.