Essay - Seven Conclusions Drawn from a Heated Debate

A few days ago I wrote and posted "ASSD: An Experience".  In it I 
indicated that I had no further interest in participating in ASSD.  
That has not changed.  I have thought about the debate that was 
generated when I wrote a bad review of "Janey's April".  I have come 
to several conclusions.

Number One: For the most part the debate was not about "Janey's 
April", but about my review.  I should probably feel honored.  I took
the spotlight away from someone who put considerably more time and 
effort into expressing themselves than I did.  I do not feel honored.
I did not intend to generate a discussion about my review.  I do not 
write reviews so that people will discuss them and review them in 
turn.  I consider that an unfortunate consequence.

Number Two: I write reviews to air my opinions and possibly generate 
discussions about stories.  I have no interest in discussing reviews,
mine or anyone else's.  That includes reviews, reviews of reviews, 
reviews of reviews of reviews, etc. 

Number Three: I am interested in discussing stories, both particular 
ones and story writing in general.  When a discussion moves from the 
story to a review of the story I lose interest.  The writers are the 
ones who should be placed on a pedestal, not the reviewers.

Number Four: Despite the fact that I do not want my reviews to 
generate discussion themselves, I did get a big ego boost from the 
fact that some people thought my review was worthy of discussion.  It
took several days (my review of "Janey's April" was posted on May 16)
before I realized that I had been put on a pedestal.  Despite the 
heated debate I mistakenly thought "Janey's April" was still the 
subject under discussion.  Even after I grasped that my review had 
become the topic of debate, I still had not noticed the position I 
had been elevated to.

Number Five: As I said in Number One, I do not feel honored to have 
taken the spotlight away from someone who put considerably more time 
and effort into expressing themselves.  My ego may have been boosted,
but I also feel sad.  ASSD should not be about discussing reviews, 
but about discussing stories and the craft of story writing.

Number Six: If you want to disagree with someone on their view of a 
story, fine, but please try and keep the story the topic of 
discussion.  Do not put the review in the spotlight.  The reviewer 
may deserve your ill will, but he or she certainly does not deserve 
the spotlight.

Number Seven: It should be clear by now that I have no interest in 
discussing reviews.  It should also be clear that I am still 
interested in discussing stories and story writing.  I may have 
dropped out of ASSD, but I will continue to lurk.  How long I will 
continue to be a topic of discussion on ASSD will be decided by those
who continue to discuss me and my review(s).

Note 1

I have started my own mailing list.  I have named it the Sex Stories 
Discussion List.  If you want to join, you will find a form on my 
home page [http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Cafe/3112/]. The Sex Stories 
Discussion List is intended for people who would like to discuss 
stories and story writing.  I will send my reviews and essays to the 
list individually, as I write them.  I will post my reviews and essays 
to Alt.Sex.Stories.Moderated weekly.  I invite others to send their 
reviews of stories and thoughts on story writing to the discussion 
list.

I will not tolerate discussions of reviews.  I will bounce people who 
insist on discussing reviews or who get nasty.  I will also bounce 
anyone who attempts to use the mailing list as a method of advertising
any product or service.

Note 2

I see my reviews and essays as just my thoughts on a particular story
or aspect of story writing [this essay and the last one are obviously 
exceptions].  If you are going to respond to my reviews and essays, on 
the mailing list, then please keep the topic I have written about the 
subject of discussion.  Do not make my thoughts, on the topic, the 
subject of discussion.  I wish that people on ASSD would do the same, 
but I do not have the ability to bounce people, who go against my 
policy for my mailing list, from ASSD.  If you want to discuss this 
topic then please e-mail me privately or discuss it on ASSD.  If choose
the latter route the odds are I'm not going to respond.

5/24/98