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life_wo_fanlib2007-06-17 05:38 pm
pfeffermuse.livejournal.com) wrote in life_wo_fanlib2007-06-17 05:38 pm
Entry tags:
FanLib: Contemporary vs Classic Fandom
One issue I haven't seen raised concerning FanLib -- though I haven't read all the meta, and it's doubtful I could -- is that it offers nothing for fans of classic media.
I can understand its attraction for fans of series/franchises like CSI, House, Stargate, Harry Potter, even Star Trek and Star Wars. But what does it offer for fans of series/franchises that are no longer exploitable, and will likely never have a feature film, television movie or novelization made?
The list of fandoms currently "supported" by FanLib appears to be a direct lift from all of FF.net's categories. (I'm basing that on looking at how In the Heat of the Night appears on both FF.net and FanLib: In the heat of the night -- lowercase "h" and lowercase "n" for both. Also, FanLib appears to have the same problem as FF.net, where a series is alphabetized under "a" or "t" if its title begins with "A" or "The".)
So, while not all fans of older series have ported their fic over, the following series have been: Alias Smith & Jones, Bible, Crossing Jordan, Darkwing Duck, Diagnosis: Murder, Dukes of Hazzard, Dungeons and Dragons, Early Edition, Emergency!, Forever Night, Goonies, Greatest American Hero, Happy Days, He-Man, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Judging Amy, Lois & Clark, M*A*S*H, Night Court, Quantum Leap, Operation Petticoat, SeaQuest, Sledge Hammer, Sue Thomas: FBeye, Third Watch, Titanic, UFO, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Voyagers!
The above isn't a complete list, but these were franchises that, at present, looked likely not to be resurrected in film, novelizations (Lee Goldberg apparently has finished the Diagnosis: Murder books) or any other type of media adaptation. Obviously, unless God is coming from on-high, we're not going to see any new sections added to the Bible.
So, what do fans -- and obviously they exist -- of these older commodities hope to gain by posting their fic there? And how would/could FanLib hope to profit from them? Some of these franchises are between 30-40 years old, and both the creators and (some of) the actors have passed on; so, short of a séance or offering a channelling session with Sylvia Browne, the likelihood of getting these fans in touch with the "talent" is slim to none.
In its current form, FanLib can't fulfill its current fannish PR mission of being all things to all fans. In order to provide its corporate sponsors with what they're seeking, FanLib would surely have to narrow its focus. They'd likely have to limit their window of fandoms accepted to within a certain time frame. And/or, they would be the marketing arm of creating buzz and fandomonium for a new series/franchise that fans have presently not been willing to embrace.
I can understand its attraction for fans of series/franchises like CSI, House, Stargate, Harry Potter, even Star Trek and Star Wars. But what does it offer for fans of series/franchises that are no longer exploitable, and will likely never have a feature film, television movie or novelization made?
The list of fandoms currently "supported" by FanLib appears to be a direct lift from all of FF.net's categories. (I'm basing that on looking at how In the Heat of the Night appears on both FF.net and FanLib: In the heat of the night -- lowercase "h" and lowercase "n" for both. Also, FanLib appears to have the same problem as FF.net, where a series is alphabetized under "a" or "t" if its title begins with "A" or "The".)
So, while not all fans of older series have ported their fic over, the following series have been: Alias Smith & Jones, Bible, Crossing Jordan, Darkwing Duck, Diagnosis: Murder, Dukes of Hazzard, Dungeons and Dragons, Early Edition, Emergency!, Forever Night, Goonies, Greatest American Hero, Happy Days, He-Man, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Judging Amy, Lois & Clark, M*A*S*H, Night Court, Quantum Leap, Operation Petticoat, SeaQuest, Sledge Hammer, Sue Thomas: FBeye, Third Watch, Titanic, UFO, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Voyagers!
The above isn't a complete list, but these were franchises that, at present, looked likely not to be resurrected in film, novelizations (Lee Goldberg apparently has finished the Diagnosis: Murder books) or any other type of media adaptation. Obviously, unless God is coming from on-high, we're not going to see any new sections added to the Bible.
So, what do fans -- and obviously they exist -- of these older commodities hope to gain by posting their fic there? And how would/could FanLib hope to profit from them? Some of these franchises are between 30-40 years old, and both the creators and (some of) the actors have passed on; so, short of a séance or offering a channelling session with Sylvia Browne, the likelihood of getting these fans in touch with the "talent" is slim to none.
In its current form, FanLib can't fulfill its current fannish PR mission of being all things to all fans. In order to provide its corporate sponsors with what they're seeking, FanLib would surely have to narrow its focus. They'd likely have to limit their window of fandoms accepted to within a certain time frame. And/or, they would be the marketing arm of creating buzz and fandomonium for a new series/franchise that fans have presently not been willing to embrace.