Fan Fiction Friday FEELS

Right. For obvious reasons, people have directed me to both of these:

http://io9.com/5962913/fan-fiction-friday-iron-man-and-captain-america-in-hungry

http://io9.com/5964738/fan-fiction-friday-harry-potter-and-lucius-malfoy-really-have-to-go-in-rain-of-gold?popular=true

I admit, I laughed. It was, however, a guilty sort of laugh, because I'm really not sure I'm okay with what's happening here. There is, in point of fact, a reason that there are warnings posted on slash. Porn is very, very personal. It actually takes a lot of courage to write slash, particularly when things start getting hot-and-heavy, because as a writer you're VERY AWARE of your shortcomings. What if I'm the only person who finds this hot? What if I actually really suck at writing the hot? What if the physics of the hot _don't actually work_? What if I'm showing off my complete and utter lack of knowledge about male/female/trans/other anatomy?? WTF, OMG I'M HITTING "POST"!! (And then you either cower in the corner nervously awaiting comments/kudos or you alternately do that while also hitting "refresh.")

Fic and slash communities are supposed to be safe places for you to try out your kink and maybe, with luck, find people who appreciate it and share your interest. Our community is also very young, which means it ought to be forgiving and supportive.

Now there's a troll in our midst. Someone who is intentionally ripping open sensitive, raw, vulnerable things in a public forum AS ENTERTAINMENT. I have nothing but sympathy for the fan writers who have been targets so far. I only hope that they have good friends, loyal readers, and the number of an excellent therapist.

Something like this would ruin me. Not only does Mr. Brinken poke at the porny bits, he also mercilessly attacks the prose. I would never be able to write again if one of my pieces were skewered in this way. Not just porn, but anything, ever. I'd probably be hard pressed to write my grocery list after treatment like this because I'd be thinking, "Oh god, this is probably laughable and stupid."

Reviews are hard on professional writers.  Crap like this could kill an amateur. And, yeah, you can point fingers and say, maybe that's a public service, but I say no. I say this isn't cool.

I also want to know if io9/Mr. Brinken are asking for permission before they publish excerpts of these writers' works. When the Pioneer Press did an article on blogs, they called me to ask to make sure it was okay to reprint A SINGLE LINE. I want to know that io9 is doing these writers the same courtesy. I bet not. I bet they feel free because we're a vulnerable community. I bet they don't even consider it for a second because what we write technically violates copyright in a way that makes us feel we have no redress, no rights, no sense that we DESERVE to be treated fairly.

Also, I had always imagined io9 as a fan ally.  This may very well destroy the fan fic/slash community.  Why the hell would I ever post anywhere io9 could find me if I knew I could become a target of such cruelty?

So much so wrong. I am actually now incoherent with rage.