FAQ: Reading221b
Jun. 2nd, 2017 10:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reading221b_mod posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
reading221b please note that this FAQ has been cut and pasted from our old LJ site, which means that the embedded links will still send you there. We hope to update the links in the coming weeks.
This FAQ will no doubt grow, and undergo minor adjustments, as the community finds its feet. If you have a question or a concern that you don't see addressed here, leave us a comment on the Ask-A-Mod post, or drop a message to the mod account.
How do I join? Do I need to wait for approval before joining a conversation?
Joining is super easy! Just hover your mouse above that little icon next to the group name, and when the textbox appears, click "Join Community". (You'll also want to click on "watch community" to add it to your friends list.) There's no queue or further approval needed before you join the fun!
You will need an DW account, if you don't have one already, but they are free and easy to set up. You can even import your old LJ over here, although it can take several days for the import to complete.
Why are there so many discussion streams? How can I find the conversations I want?
We run about 6-7 streams per round, based on a much longer list of possible genres and pairings. We try to mix them up from round to round in order to keep things interesting and fresh. You can always find links to current nomination threads or the discussion calendar in the sticky post, or go to our main journal page and check the sidebar for links to recent conversations.
How did you choose the streams that we have? There are important things that are missing, and then there’s this other category I don’t think should even be here.
Current streams were chosen with a) great angst, consternation and regret and b) a very clear intention to leave them open to revision. The mods had to pick some things to get started with, and we tried to pick streams that reflected what’s being written, but we are thinking of these categories – and we hope you will, too – as a kind of working template.
Far from being set in stone, these different streams are intended to be a way to get us started, to help us figure out, as a community, what kinds of stories people are most interested in discussing, and what kinds of divisions are most helpful. So even if you're not keen on the current arrangement, we ask that you give them a shot for these first few weeks. The mods are hoping that, once we've all had a chance to try them on for size, we will all be better equipped to revise the streams to suit our needs as a community.
Who chooses the stories that we read?
We have two different models, a community-based voting system (described in detail here) and a Leader's Choice stream, in which a single member is given free reign to bring up a fic of their choice for discussion, with no prior voting or nomination procedure. Most rounds will include a mix.
How do the discussions happen?
On the day that discussion is scheduled to start, one person – the person who originally nominated the fic or the appointed Leader of the stream – will make a post describing some of the noteworthy things about the fic and raising some questions for discussion. After that, everyone in the community will be able to join in, by commenting on that original post. Folks should feel free either to respond directly to points raised in the initial post, or to bring up some other aspect of the story.
The conversations will be lightly moderated, to ensure that nobody is being savage in their criticism or hostile toward other participants.
Please read (or at least skim) the extant comments before commenting yourself, so that you can situate your contribution as a response to others who may have already taken up the topic you want to talk about.
Why is there only one post per week? I want to talk about more stories than that!
We are delighted to hear that! We are limiting things to one new conversation a week for this initial phase only, while we try to get our protocols in place; but our plan for the long term is to have several conversations going at once. (Keep in mind that you can continue to discuss a story even after another conversation has been launched!)
I volunteered to open the discussion for [nominated fic]. When and how should I post?
If you’re unsure when to post, check the calendar to find out which week your fic is scheduled to go live.
Presumably, you’re already familiar with the fic (if you nominated it), so before you post, spend some time coming up with discussion questions/comments for any aspects of the story you would like to discuss. If you'd like some help with this, drop the mods a note, and we will send you a general template for writing a launch post and coming up with questions. You may find it helpful to use the category designation (e.g. angst, Mystrade, crossover) as a starting point, but please don't feel limited to that: you can approach the story from any angle you find interesting!
When you do post to the comm, please use Discussion Post: [Title of fic] as the subject. Please use the following header at the top before starting your discussion:
Title:
Author:
Rating:
Warnings:
Links:
Summary: (you can use the author's summary, or add your own if you prefer)
*
Discussion: (Please use an LJ-cut for the majority of the discussion; you can leave a paragraph or two above the cut if you want.)
This is an awfully long FAQ.
Yes, we are aware this is very detailed! Because there aren't a lot of precedents for this kind of in-depth discussion community in fandom, we're trying both to be as transparent as possible and to leave things open to revision, so we can re-calibrate as as we go along. We’re glad to have all of you around right now to take part in this initial stage as we figure out how to make this a lively, welcoming and satisfying place for discussion, and we hope you'll join us in the efforts to tinker and adjust until we find a comfortable stasis.
If you're feeling overwhelmed or intimidated, here are some things to keep in mind:
FAQ
How do I join? Do I need to wait for approval before joining a conversation?
Joining is super easy! Just hover your mouse above that little icon next to the group name, and when the textbox appears, click "Join Community". (You'll also want to click on "watch community" to add it to your friends list.) There's no queue or further approval needed before you join the fun!
You will need an DW account, if you don't have one already, but they are free and easy to set up. You can even import your old LJ over here, although it can take several days for the import to complete.
Why are there so many discussion streams? How can I find the conversations I want?
We run about 6-7 streams per round, based on a much longer list of possible genres and pairings. We try to mix them up from round to round in order to keep things interesting and fresh. You can always find links to current nomination threads or the discussion calendar in the sticky post, or go to our main journal page and check the sidebar for links to recent conversations.
How did you choose the streams that we have? There are important things that are missing, and then there’s this other category I don’t think should even be here.
Current streams were chosen with a) great angst, consternation and regret and b) a very clear intention to leave them open to revision. The mods had to pick some things to get started with, and we tried to pick streams that reflected what’s being written, but we are thinking of these categories – and we hope you will, too – as a kind of working template.
Far from being set in stone, these different streams are intended to be a way to get us started, to help us figure out, as a community, what kinds of stories people are most interested in discussing, and what kinds of divisions are most helpful. So even if you're not keen on the current arrangement, we ask that you give them a shot for these first few weeks. The mods are hoping that, once we've all had a chance to try them on for size, we will all be better equipped to revise the streams to suit our needs as a community.
Who chooses the stories that we read?
We have two different models, a community-based voting system (described in detail here) and a Leader's Choice stream, in which a single member is given free reign to bring up a fic of their choice for discussion, with no prior voting or nomination procedure. Most rounds will include a mix.
How do the discussions happen?
On the day that discussion is scheduled to start, one person – the person who originally nominated the fic or the appointed Leader of the stream – will make a post describing some of the noteworthy things about the fic and raising some questions for discussion. After that, everyone in the community will be able to join in, by commenting on that original post. Folks should feel free either to respond directly to points raised in the initial post, or to bring up some other aspect of the story.
The conversations will be lightly moderated, to ensure that nobody is being savage in their criticism or hostile toward other participants.
Please read (or at least skim) the extant comments before commenting yourself, so that you can situate your contribution as a response to others who may have already taken up the topic you want to talk about.
Why is there only one post per week? I want to talk about more stories than that!
We are delighted to hear that! We are limiting things to one new conversation a week for this initial phase only, while we try to get our protocols in place; but our plan for the long term is to have several conversations going at once. (Keep in mind that you can continue to discuss a story even after another conversation has been launched!)
I volunteered to open the discussion for [nominated fic]. When and how should I post?
If you’re unsure when to post, check the calendar to find out which week your fic is scheduled to go live.
Presumably, you’re already familiar with the fic (if you nominated it), so before you post, spend some time coming up with discussion questions/comments for any aspects of the story you would like to discuss. If you'd like some help with this, drop the mods a note, and we will send you a general template for writing a launch post and coming up with questions. You may find it helpful to use the category designation (e.g. angst, Mystrade, crossover) as a starting point, but please don't feel limited to that: you can approach the story from any angle you find interesting!
When you do post to the comm, please use Discussion Post: [Title of fic] as the subject. Please use the following header at the top before starting your discussion:
Title:
Author:
Rating:
Warnings:
Links:
Summary: (you can use the author's summary, or add your own if you prefer)
*
Discussion: (Please use an LJ-cut for the majority of the discussion; you can leave a paragraph or two above the cut if you want.)
This is an awfully long FAQ.
Yes, we are aware this is very detailed! Because there aren't a lot of precedents for this kind of in-depth discussion community in fandom, we're trying both to be as transparent as possible and to leave things open to revision, so we can re-calibrate as as we go along. We’re glad to have all of you around right now to take part in this initial stage as we figure out how to make this a lively, welcoming and satisfying place for discussion, and we hope you'll join us in the efforts to tinker and adjust until we find a comfortable stasis.
If you're feeling overwhelmed or intimidated, here are some things to keep in mind:
As long as you're not attacking anybody or being rude, there's no wrong way to post.
The mods are very happy to hear from you! If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, you can leave a comment on the Ask-A-Mod post; alternately, you can message the main mod account, and you will receive a response within a few days. If for whatever reason you’re uncomfortable messaging all three of us, you’re welcome to message any one of us directly and we will handle it discreetly. Messaging the main mod account,
reading221b_mod, is preferred.Finally, please remember that, at its root, this community is for you. We're trying to juggle a lot of details, but the focus of our entire existence as a community is based on expressing our love for Sherlock, interacting with fandom (perhaps in ways that can be somewhat difficult to find online), appreciating the hard work and dedication fanfiction authors put forth, and enjoy great stories. We hope to avoid getting bogged down in details to be able to create an organized space for discussion.
