From: Andy Skuse <askuse@lonet.ca>
Okay, we have 900+ people on
this list, and some people have suggested that this is
part of the problem.   This doesn't make sense to me.
The more people we get here, the more discussion we
*should* be getting! But why not?

Err, some of us "regular" C&C'ers don't like being
publicly embarrassed or have the C&C attacked in
public.   I prefer to offer the C&C and receive a
email from the author saying thanks for the C&C in
private.    Once in awhile, I did post a C&C to FFML
just to help improve my own noise ratio, but that's
it.   I send almost all my C&C via private email.  It
keeps people who are having a bad hair day from picking
on it.

That's the biggie. Is it because pre-reader lists have
closed off certain fanfics to the membership here?

In my case yes.  I don't seek out fanfics to request
a pre-reader position.     It is more flexible
in my case to have the story sent to me via FFML and
then review it with a running line by line commentary
in a private email reply to the author.   If I don't
have the time, then the fanfic languishes without C&C.

As a prereader, I am STUCK with a task I cannot get
out of if I have something come up.  There would be
a deadline I'd have to meet.   For someone I knew,
the task is different.  But I don't know the fanfic
authors personally, so I don't seek out prereader
spots.   It seems that authors preread each others'
stories (especially since they meet each other at
the fanfic panels).

Or is it because alot of people are uncomfortable with
the idea of 899 other folks viewing ther C&C?

Yes.  In some cases, I don't know what will happen if I
post a C&C.  Actually in most cases.  I am confident I
do NOT write negative C&C's, and I try hard to write some
constructive and USEFUL ones, and alternate plot deviation
ideas, and to crack a weak pun or two here and there if
the storyline gives an opportunity.  Quite a few of you
who have received C&C from me may have noted that I tend
to suggest alternate wordings for sentences as well, and
even type out the alternate wording section for your own
convenience (or to make my point clearer).

It would be nice not to slam the C&C.  Whilst some
authors might boldly state that they have no respect
for people who are not confident enuf to post their
C&C publicly and be slammed for it, well, hmmm,
that is sure an arrogant comment.  I am happy enough
to make the detailed C&C, send it, hope for a thank
you note as encouragement for more C&C, and go on my
way.

Some other reason? I honestly don't know. I'm trying
to find out the old fashioned way - open discussion.
I honestly look forward to anyone's ideas on this topic
:)

I almost never get feedback or even acknowledgement on
my C&C.   Sometimes it makes me wonder if the running
line by line commentaries (it takes a long time to make
those types of C&C by the way) is worth doing.  In one
case, I had done a long C&C on someones long fanfic,
but I never finished C&C on the last 1/3 of it due to
disgust at the flames, trolling, and constant negative
feedback.

Then, there are authors of spamfics or shortfics that
always respond to my C&C email.  And I'd like to say
that I often read THOSE peoples' posts FIRST, even if
I have to go to the SPAM and other folders to find all
their postings (whereever my FFML filters have sprinkled
all their messages based upon subject lines).

Perhaps a little care and feeding of C&C'ers is worth
doing once in awhile.  It is nice to at least get a
one line message saying the "C&C is received - Thank
You, I will be reading it soon and thinking how it
fits into the fanfic."

Some people may confine themselves to BGC/AMG/ICZER 
fanfics, so that reduces their C&C.

On another topic.  There is just too much SPAM on the
FFML.  Also, a lot of people are on the list just to
be lurkers, not for the authoring or C&C aspect, so
the significance of having over 800 subscribers is
quite diluted.

Some mailing lists where one offers comments and
criticisms have an entrance fee.  The entrance fee
is to show "sincere active interest" in the purpose
of the mailing list.

Perhaps the FFML can be split into two lists where
one is the FFML proper, and the other one is the
FFML-PREREAD list where only known fanfic authors
and official prereaders are subscribed.  This way,
all the prereaders are together in one single place
under the assumption that they are providers of the
serious C&C that authors crave.

If that happens and the FFML becomes even more
spammy, I would have to either join the prereaders
or unsubscribe because the authors ran away from
the FFML and went to their more exclusive list.