fangrrl_squees: (tw - cast slices)
aka Britgeekgrrl ([personal profile] fangrrl_squees) wrote2008-07-29 05:48 pm
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More About The Proposed Torchwood Meta Community.

This post is to kick around some ideas for a new community and garner feedback, gauge interest, etc - so please don't hold back with thoughts, ideas, etc.

(I'm also going to make a point of plugging this to the [livejournal.com profile] torchwood_three mods, as I'm sure I've dropped off their radar)

Over the course of the past weekend, myself and a couple of Torchwood-mad acquaintances kicked around the idea of a community for ideas sharing, meta-chat and (possibly) occasional RP for Torchwood creative projects and, to a lesser degree, of the show itself. It would be a place to share plot-bunnies, kick around thoughts for character motivations (help for that fic that's driving you up the wall!), compare interpretations of characters (hence the mention of possible RP), use-'em-if-you-want-'em fic prompts, even ask for betas for works in progress, perhaps. Y'know that sort of thing. Some discussion of the show's episodes would, I think, be inevitable, but it would not be the focus of the community, as it seems to be in [livejournal.com profile] torchwood_meta which is a lovely community, btw, but not quite filling the niche that's being suggested, here.

What it wouldn't be is a place to mindlessly squee. There's lots of places for us to go squee about Torchwood already and, boyohboy, do we take advantage of them, already. Well, most of us do, I'm sure. There's a time and a place for squee, but this proposed community wouldn't be it - says the woman who oversees the 'ship-free fic archive...

There's also a question of how to determine membership. I've heard suggestions from "open membership, we'll risk the avalanche of squeeful fans who can't read a community profile" to "invite only" to "prospective members share a bit of their previous fic or meta (ideally the latter) with the mods and the mods decide" to "prospective members share a bit of their previous fic or meta (ideally the latter) with the members and the members decide".

I have my own thoughts on all of these options, but I'd like to hear from potential members - assuming there are any, of course.

EZ Questionnaire For LJers On The Go! (or something)

So, speak up. Would you want to join - and, more to the point participate in such a community?

What about the community would draw you to it?

What sort of things would you like to see in the community?

What would you not want to see in such a community?

What do you think you would contribute to it, and what would you want out of it?

[identity profile] rm.livejournal.com 2008-07-30 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
Oh yes please.

Just good solid discussion.. If peopel want to pst their essays fine, but I'd more more into it fo rthe dialogue. What I really don't want to see are the shipping wars. Because they're ugly and often coded discussion for other things. Which doesn't mean we can't disagree on what the fuck the deal is with Jack and Gwen or Jack and Ianto, but seriously? the 'ship drama over that makes me ill.

[identity profile] fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com 2008-07-30 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
Oh my "No Shipping Wars" is a very good suggestion for a community rule. As I generally avoid 'ship wars (fuckit, 'ship 'em all, I say) I tend to forget that they happen.

Thanks for the advice! Watch this space for further bulletins, etc, etc.

[identity profile] peterfairchild.livejournal.com 2008-07-30 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
So, speak up. Would you want to join - and, more to the point participate in such a community? I would be interested. I would have to see it when it is all set and ready to open, since my time is limited. But I'm piqued.

What about the community would draw you to it? Well I am already in a few torchwood comms and I'm not happy with them. They're missing something. So I'd be looking for that. Don't ask me what though, because I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Figures.

What sort of things would you like to see in the community? I like the idea you had about a little bit of everything. Some discussion, some rp.

What would you not want to see in such a community? I agree that I want shipping wars left at the door. They all have their own comms for that at this point. I am all for discussion, but sometimes the discussion borders on immature flaming that I've read. And that's not cool.

What do you think you would contribute to it, and what would you want out of it? I'm not sure I would contribute. But that's my own personality. I'm more of a lurker, I kind of question what I input to others.

[identity profile] jadesfire.livejournal.com 2008-07-30 08:09 am (UTC)(link)
I think that sounds like an awesome idea, and has elements of what [livejournal.com profile] torchwood_meta was meant to be like. We never really got the participation we wanted apart from in episode discussions, and then I dropped off the face of the planet with other stuff and RL insanity so it never got going again.

Anyway, if you wanted to hijack/claim/whatever [livejournal.com profile] torchwood_meta for these purposes, you'd be more than welcome to, if you want to avoid creating another comm to add to the multitude. If not, please to be pointing me in the direction of the comm when you create it :) Soemwhere to real dig into things, to pull characters/stories/ideas apart and see what makes them tick sounds great.

I'd love to see all the things you've listed, and like you, I wouldn't want to see mindless squee. Since I don't actually *get* shipping in any sense (that is, I know it exists but I can't wrap my head around it), I'd love to see somewhere safe to talk about these things. In terms of contributing, the problem is usually getting me to shut up, so apart from RP (which I've never got into), I'd be up for anything :)

[identity profile] fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com 2008-07-31 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
I wouldn't feel right hijacking someone else's comm, as silly as that sounds, although a sibling arrangement might be nice.

*thinks*

BTW, I loooooove that icon of yours. Do you know who made it and if it's pinchable? It'd be great for my!Jack. ;)

[identity profile] jadesfire.livejournal.com 2008-07-31 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
It doesn't sound silly at all - I'd feel the same, but thought it would be worth making the offer. Sibling arrangement would definitely work. I shall watch TW3 for news!

The icon is one of many by [livejournal.com profile] _wwsd, one of my favourite icon makers - definitely snaggable, and there's a bunch more at my icon page, most of which you can pinch :)

[identity profile] fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com 2008-07-31 06:18 am (UTC)(link)
Oooh, thank you for the icon link - I have a few fridge magnets in a similar style - all ironic and retro 50's and I luv them.

As for the comm... yeah, watch this space and the Tw update comm. Life being as shitty as it is, escapism becomes very important! VERY important. Like, will probably name and set the comm up in the 24 hours or so, even if all we have is four members. ;)
tencrush: (jackanto subtext)

[personal profile] tencrush 2008-07-31 06:35 am (UTC)(link)
Whatever did happen to [livejournal.com profile] torchwood_meta? There was some great stuff on there, and I think it would still serve as a great resource for the more serious ramblings people have written about our big gay show (if it were more meticulously tagged and findable). Are you guys still doing anything with it?

[identity profile] jadesfire.livejournal.com 2008-07-31 07:06 am (UTC)(link)
Real life happened, I'm afraid. It's been a horrendous few months for me, and my plans to get it off the ground again after the series finished had to be put on hold.

It's still on my list, though! I thought it was tagged, though, with everything collected in the memories too. Did we get behind on that? I'll go check...
tencrush: (Default)

[personal profile] tencrush 2008-07-31 07:22 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, it's tagged-ish, I just meant slightly more findable tags like per episode, per character so it becomes more of a searchable resource for people's thoughts about specific subjects. I've never really linked or crossposted any of my more serious meta there becuase I never really quite knew what to do with it or how to tag it or if it was in the right community oin the first place.

(Really I'm just wondering if you're still actively modding or you need help, it could be a great, insightful and squee and ship free community if it was pimped a bit and you got some of the ljers who do serious meta posts to crosspost their stuff there for discussion, that never seemed to really happen.)

[identity profile] jadesfire.livejournal.com 2008-07-31 07:59 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, that makes sense. During the last series we locked it to mods only, to avoid flare-ups while things were going nuts everywhere else. And since then, due an unfortunate conflation of circumstances, none of us have found time, energy or inclination to kick-start it. What we probably need is someone to come prod buttock and put some life into it.

All suggestions and prodding gratefully received! I'm on jadesfire2808[at]gmail.com if you're volunteering... :)

[identity profile] fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com 2008-07-31 08:10 am (UTC)(link)
*quietly cheers for helping a community, even inadvertantly*