I suppose this was to be expected.

[fpb]

Dear Cowards:
I understand that you have been making a fuss about a fic of mine being Niffled. You have made sure to do so where I could not answer or, if possible, even hear of it; but in such a way as to make as much trouble for the Niffler (who was simply exercising her own right to have an opinion) as possible. Is it not sad to live so wholly without honour, grace, dignity, or self-respect?

Heaven knows what purpose your existence has. I can't imagine. I would refer you to terrorism or organized crime, since your dishonesty and your methods seem suitable for that kind of work, but you are too gutless for anything violent. You crawl and twist and slither and grovel and hide away from the light and nurse your evil-smelling little feuds and your nasty passions as though they were something to be proud of.

Even worse, you make it hard for me to avoid pride. Enemies like you are a badge of honour; one does not feel any the worse about oneself when it is found that he is unpopular among moral slime. I would not even take notice of your filthy writhings, were it not that you have targeted, not me, but the Niffler in question - like the vermin that you are. Not being able to get at me, your putrid self-importance demands that someone should be made to suffer.

What is amazing about you is how true to form you run. You live and act according to the template of cowardice and immorality, every time.

Sincerely,

Fabio P.Barbieri.

P.S.: This post is locked against anonymous posters. Let's see whether I can force any of you to act, for once in her lifetime, like a human being.

Comments

[aphoenix2007.livejournal.com]

Most (if not all) of us Nifflers stand behind the Niffler in question. I say most because I'm not clear on whether it was Niffler or not who brought up the complaint, but the rest of us think that if the story is a quality fic, it should be Niffled.

~AP

[curia-regis.livejournal.com]

*blink*

Before I start, let me just say that I am on your side for this. Nifflers niffle fics, not the authors so whatever quarrels anybody has with you shouldn't be an issue. And frankly, even if they don't like the fic, it still shouldn't matter because different people have different opinions of what a good fic is.

However, ... um... is it really necessary for you to use the words "putrid", "filty", "vermin", etc?

Maybe it's just me but I feel really uncomfortable when anybody is labelled with those words.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Dear Ayla:
it is bad enough that these anonymous cowards have been attacking me behind my back for months if not years. When they attack a third person for doing nothing more than liking a fic, then all bets are off. It is the sort of thing I neither would do nor would imagine any human being doing. Like I said, their enmity is a badge of honour; but I do not see why someone else should be made to suffer on my account. This is rat-like, and as rats I shall treat them - severally or all together.

These are the dregs, the unteachables. You yourself had some issues with me, and we resolved them. So did Natalie. Narcissa Malfoy has made a remarkable public act of reconciliation, and one or two other people who had it in for me in the early days have more or less forgotten about it - one person, I know, has a strange habit of lurking in this LJ, but has not said anything nasty about me for months. Everyone has had plenty of time to calm down since GAY BAR and assorted other things. The people who, after all this time, insist on hating me for no reason except their own foul little self-regard deserve nothing except contempt.

[curia-regis.livejournal.com]

The people who, after all this time, insist on hating me for no reason except their own foul little self-regard deserve nothing except contempt.

I can understand how you are angry but I honestly can't see how calling people names solves anything. In any case, if you don't call them names, then you can show you're above their maliciousness. The moral high ground is a lovely place. :)

Anyway, I see a lot of people defending her on her Niffle, a fact I'm glad for. Sheesh, fandom is being childish on this issue.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I see a lot of people defending her on her Niffle

Thank God for that.

[agatha-s.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on the Niffle!

I'm just curious -- in what way is someone making a fuss about your story being Niffled?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I am not clear myself, all I know is that there was some kind of protest about her putting up my story. I don't even know on what grounds the protest was (I deliberately stay away from backstabber threads and places where people who dislike me hang out), but what made me see red was the business of making Theregoes... pay for liking my story. If you have something against me, deal with me. Leave third parties alone.

[agatha-s.livejournal.com]

I don't even know on what grounds the protest was

That's what I was curious about. A Niffle means that a Niffler liked your story. It doesn't mean that everyone has to like your story, let alone that everybody has to like you as a person. So what arguments can someone possibly use to dispute a Niffle?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

By all accounts, it is my popularity in some quarters. http://www.livejournal.com/users/fpb/82562.html

[avus.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on being Niffled! That's a delight. I'm sad that things came in to spoil what should be unalloyed pleasure.

The conflict will pass; the Niffle will remain. May you get Niffled again.

avus

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Thank you. And may I say that the friendship of people like you outweighs the unpleasantness of others by as much as a white dwarf star outweighs a penny.

[caprinus.livejournal.com]

*feels like he's stuck in some alternate universe*

Uh... sooo... is this (http://www.softpaw.org/goat.jpg) a Niffle?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

No, but he's cute. (Or is it a she?)

[jennilee.livejournal.com]

I'm reading the post... and all I'm seeing is that you were Niffled!

Congratulations! (Also, I want to thank you for spelling existence right, as I have seen it spelled with an "a" at least three times today and that hurts my brain.)

After rereading, I find that your writing has so much vividity and imagery. I'm distracted from what you're actually saying. I don't know. Your smooth and slippery writing makes it hard for me to take what you're saying seriously, though I know you are very serious.

I guess I am both praising your fluidity of writing and reprimanding (if I may) your harsh and perhaps unnecessary words. It's terrible for them to attack an uninvolved bystanding Niffler, yes. But as I understand it, you've said things like this time and again. What will more of the same accomplish?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Perhaps draw their attention to me and away from poor old Theregoes..., who deserved nothing of what seems to have been a fairly stressful experience. (I still have not seen the original thread, but she seems to have been quite upset.)

[gunderpants.livejournal.com]

It's stressed me not. I think I got worked up over something I originally took to be a personal attack on my taste and judgement, which it is not considering writing styles are so damn subjective.

I took down the original post I made and put up something in the niffler group. I think, as another niffler has said to me, it is hard to differentiate between an author and his works, and there is going to be a sizeable number within the HP community who do hold a great deal of animosity to you. There probably is against every fic author, I don't know.

I'll state it again for the record: I am not, and was never under attack.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Ok. But I do not want you or anybody fighting my battles for me, or, even worse, coming under fire as a surrogate for me. Sooner forget about Niffles or any other kind of acknowledgement.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Point 1: You're perfectly right in being pissed.
Point 2: You ruin, as Ayla has said, a perfectly good position of moral high ground by your usual dehumanising-the-enemy attack style.
Point 3: *tears hair* You frazzle my nerves. Can't you be right without being offensive for once?

Yours soon-to-be-deletedly,
KH

[fpb.livejournal.com]

They dehumanize themselves. Human beings do not attack third parties when they have a grudge against someone. For my money, human beings should not hold grudges, either.

[gunderpants.livejournal.com]

I dunno, man, I once heard this fine-sweetass lesson about turning the other cheek and loving your enemies.

It could've been Jesus who said that. Or Chuck Norris. You know how hazy my religious knowledge is.

People get over stuff, dude. It doesn't make you weak to ignore people and let them think what they want. At latest check of the nifflers forum, everyone is thus far standing behind the notion that it is the quality of the fic being niffled, and everyone seems to be concurring that I made a reasonable and decent choice with your work.

It will take time and effort from both parties to bite their tongues and try and maintain civility. I wouldn't involve myself in HP fandom if I didn't enjoy it or the people around. I enjoy talking to you, Fabio, because despite your almost criminal lack of humility you are smart, and you can be very funny. I like talking to everyone else too. I don't want to be embroiled and take sides, because we moderates tend to pretend that nothing wrong ever happens and just want to coast on in our happy little world of PC-ness and valium.

Thus far I've had a lot of people tell me I made the right choice. People are going to disagree with it, sure. If someone niffled my story where Sirius was an Avril Lavigne fan, I would be the first person to complain about it. Just calm down, and accept that out there, people do appreciate your writing, and if you take the chance to accept the apologies and humility of everyone else, you have the potential to mend some bridges. And shit.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Jesus also said a few things like: "you generation of vipers, who has taught you to flee from the wrath to come?" and "it is necessary for scandals to happen, but woe to the person through whom they happen! He would be better off if they had tied a millstone to his neck and thrown him in the depths of the sea". And it is perhaps not sufficiently noticed that the everlasting forgiveness He asked was restricted to "brothers", that is to members of the Church. They are the ones who are to be forgiven "not seven times, but seventy times seven" (Mt 18.21-22; the previous verses, Mt 18.15-17, show clearly that Jesus is talking about an issue for "the congregation", and that the final penalty is excommunication - "let him be to you as a pagan or a publican (i.e. criminal)"). At any rate, Jesus never said anything against reproaching those who behave immorally.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Zahlen Sie bitte alle Antworten am diesen Post. Es gibt nur eine Person, die mit mir uebereinstimmt. Nach Ihrer Andeuting, sollt ich nun allen diese leute "de-frienden".

Bitte, keine mehr Fabeln ueber meinem vermeintlichem "de-friendung" von alles, die mit mir nicht ueberinstimmen. Das ist mir eine Beleidigung, die meine F-list auch beleidigt, und damit tut Eurer Verstaendins keine Ehre.

[gunderpants.livejournal.com]

... my cat's breath smells like catfood.

[becomethesea.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about it. Most FAP posters are a bunch of self-righteous and stupid teenage sheep who can't tell their backend from a hole in the ground. The ones that aren't seem to be few and far betwene these days... :\

[privatemaladict.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

Congratulations on the Niffle. I was glad to see it. I wasn't so glad to see your response to the people who protested - like some of the other commentators, I wish you'd just let it be. And yes, yes, I know it was more on Theregoes' behalf that you're mad... but calling people names - I dunno, it just seems rather pointless. Well, that's my two cents, anyway.

Hope this blows over quickly. Thay can't cancel the Niffle, at least. :)

[fpb.livejournal.com]

If people don't want to be called names, they should try not to deserve them. I said it before, and I'll say it again; taking out one's grudges on third parties is one of the things I do not regard as part of the definition of a human being. And consider what I said to Ayla: these are the hardcore, the unteachables, the people who would do anything rather than just let their stupid grudge go. I am not saying that consideration and good manners are something one ought to deserve; or else, none of us would ever use them with people we don't know yet. But they are things that can and should be withdrawn from people who have un-deserved them. Treat them as I would treat an ordinary, unknown member of the public? Why should I insult the ordinary, unknown member of the public to that extent?

[slytherincesss.livejournal.com]

Hi,

I was directed to your post by one of the current Nifflers as an FYI; I hope I can provide some clarity. First, let me state for the record that none of the current Nifflers had any complaints about your fic being Niffled, nor was your fic being Niffled discussed on the Niffler mailing list by any of the current Nifflers. Secondly, when Gun brought up on the Niffler list that your Niffle was being questioned on LJ (she did not say by who) I, as the Niffler mod at FAP, posted the following (excerpted for relevancy) to the Niffler mailing list for all Nifflers and former Nifflers who remain on the list to consider:

Fic is subjective. If a fic speaks to you as a Niffler, Niffle it. I do not feel like all the Nifflers have to agree on a fic, or that a fic is Niffle-worthy. Nifflers have the right to like and dislike any fic they choose to -- Niffling is *not* what I consider a group effort. We are a group, but we are not required to all agree.

There are many stories that I have reviewed as the Niffler mod that I found mediocre at best. Likely there are tons of people out there who have read my own fics (two of which have been Niffled) and find them mediocre at best. There are some premises that, no matter how well-written, don't appeal to certain readers, and nothing will change that. Whether or not a given *author* is Niffled should be based solely upon that author's writing. If a given Niffler likes a given story . . . Niffle it.

The Niffler mods do not pull Niffles very often; in this round of Niffling, I have rejected only one story, and I got nine second opinions from nine separate people before making that decision. I do not reject stories for Niffling because of the author. Because FPB in particular is on a ban from FAP at present, I did check with Heidi about allowing him to be Niffled because of that; both of us agreed that he is eligible.

I do not feel that the group needs to automatically support each and every Niffle -- that quickly morphs into a Unimind dynamic, and it stifles honest dialogue about what we as individuals care about in fic. Anyone is free to express their opinions about any fic Niffled on FAP, and that includes giving honest feedback on the Niffler forum threads themselves, as well as posting to LJ. Flames and author bashing will not be tolerated on the Niffler threads themselves; however, dissention and con-crit is not banned or discouraged.

My motto? Ain't no one above con-crit. But also? Different strokes for
different folks.

You all were picked in the spirit of diversity in fic reading and recs -- I strongly feel that you all have the right to like what you like, and Niffle what you want (within reason; if it's a sucky fic, and it's obviously a sucky fic, I'm gonna call you out on that -- privately, of course -- especially if I think/find it is a nepotism Niffle. I am so NOT down with that). I myself am not comfortable with the idea we all have to think the same way about fic, and I'm not going to censor Niffles based on that premise alone.

Hope this helps. Gun, anyone has the right to hate a fic that you Niffle, but you are certainly not obligated to get the group's approval for a Niffle. It's your call -- if you want feedback, ask. If not, that's okay too. But you don't need to clarify or justify your choices, within reason.

Lastly, again to reiterate, when I saw your fic was slated to be Niffled, I did check with Heidi just to ensure Niffling a currently-banned author/FAP member wasn't against the *general* rules of FAP or the ToU; it is not against the rules to Niffle a banned author.

Congratulations on your Niffle -- most authors never get this kind of public nod, so it's always neat to be Niffled. Enjoy your Niffle, and know that none of the current Nifflers or Niffler mods attempted to stifle your Niffle. Theregoesmygun has proven herself to be a careful and thoughtful Niffler, and she felt your fic was deserving of the spotlight. If you have any further questions or wish to discuss this with me, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at slytherincess@gmail.com.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Who said that I ever charged any of the current Nifflers with anything? I think I am now clear about, if not who did the protesting (and I do not want to know unless she has the elementary self-respect to deal with me in person), then at least her reasons (in so far as brute prejudice can be called a reason) and her political purpose. Before you took the trouble to mail this, I had already been assured that all the Nifflers had taken what might for convenience be called my side, although it is not my side but the side of freedom of thought and expression; and I said, as you can check on this thread, "thank God for that". Which, however, does not improve my view of whoever stirred up the trouble.

As for those wonderful FA rules, I beg you not to stimulate my sarcasm any further. I am having to exercise restraint not to write down one of twenty different replies that occurred to me at that point.