Have you ever wondered how they really start? And how they get out of hand? Well, there's one going on right now and, oddly enough, it's very easy to track - to find out the truth. Very easy.

Before I start - I have to tell you - I'm naming names (I also took screenshots). I'm not pulling any punches. I expect fall-out and negativity. Maybe even some defriending - but I think this is important and I'm too old to worry about it. So here we go with the Great Beta Wank!

This particular wank stared with this post by pinkyridz. She was upset with herself about her writing and shared that she'd decided not to write anymore. She took full blame , admitted to some bad habits, etc. even mentioned how she, "...received a lovely, supportive email, out lining where thing's were going wrong...." with a particular fic. As a result, she received over 50 comments to her post, including the first one which came from the infamous "Anonymous" - and turned out to be a rather 'pointed' response (I thought it was pretty harsh myself and have my suspicions about it) - which several others took offense to  (and of course some considered a flame). 

Following several supportive comments, someone stepped forward and claimed to be the individual who wrote the "....lovely, supportative email, out lining where things were going wrong...." - and that person was annieb1955.

Admitting to being the beta seemed strange, especially considering the fact that pinkyridz mentioned the "supportive email" only once and in passing. But annieb1955 apparently felt the need to identify herself as the author of the 'supportive' email and said, "I don;t think anyone I've ever betaed for could ever say I've been mean or nasty when I've sent their corrections back and if this one disheartened you, I'm sorry about that. But writers really do need a thick skin."

Since no one had even mentioned being mean or nasty - or that she'd done anything wrong, this post struck me as very odd indeed.

Mostly, in pinkyridz original post, she talked about how her son had problems in school translating their imagination to the written word and they were diagnosed as being mildly dsylexic. She went on to say that might have the same problem transferring her imagination to the written word as well. She never said she was dsylexic, only that she had all these ideas that couldn't transfer to paper.

The anonymous post got a bit huffy about that so annieb1955 added yet another post where she said, oh, so thoughtfully, "Can I just point out that AM hasn't said she's been diagnosed with dyslexia? Just that she wonders if that might be the case. As the person who betaed her story I have to say that none of the errors struck me as those of a person with dyslexia so I'm hoping AM will feel relieved by that."

I'm sure AM (pinkyridz) was, indeed, relieved at that expert opinion. And I know it was very nice of Annie when she added, "And can I just point out again, no one flamed AM. She was just overwhelmed by the beta I sent her back so if anyone's to blame it's me."

It was nice of her, because of course, pinkyridz  never claimed to have been flamed. So of course, that statement got pinkyridz all upset again because she thought she might have hurt Annie, so she responded with a lengthy post about how wonderful Annie was, ending with, "You are one of the nicest people in the fandomn and I am just so sorry that my decission has conincided with you looking at one of my stories :( Sending you tons of Love my friend."

To which Annie wrote - oddly, "Honey, I did offer to do the corrections for the grammar and typos for you and only highlight any phrasing changes. Unfortunately, what happened here is that people jumped to the conclusion that you said you are dyslexic and that you were being flamed or over criticized for your stories. However, it's done and behind us now. I'm moving on. Keep writing."

Actually - there was only one anonymous commentor and most of the posts were supportive and understanding and continually referred to that anonymous post as the problem post.  pinkyridz took full responsibility for her writing faults. She never mentioned the beta by name, heck, she never mentioned the word 'Beta' - she said only that they'd tried to help her.

No, the only person who outed Annie as a beta, was Annie (she also repeated numerous times that pinkyridz was never flamed - even to posts that mentioned nothing about flames and even after pinkyridz said the same thing herself - over and over again.) Then Annie pointed out again, in no less than TWO posts (or more?) that she was the beta - in spite of the fact that she was NEVER the object of the original post!

So what happened next?

annieb1955 posted on her own journal (even as she was still posting comments over at pinkyridz journal) :   PAUSE:   I originally posted the actual wording, which was very bad of me - since it was a flocked post, so now you only get the gist: Which was that she expected gratitude instead of stating that you're leaving due to your beta. It was a very strange post coming on the heels of reading the other one.

Where on earth had that come from? Why would she post such a thing when NOTHING had been said against her? Of course, it did accomplish one thing, I suppose. It gave her a lot of sympathy and started a pretty nice wank. She soon had over 100 comments (most offering sympathy) but it was also apparent most of them didn't have knowledge of the facts or of the post that started it all. But isn't that normal? Unfortunately - yes. :( 

Then, over at pinkyridz , she posted, one day later, as a comment to her original post, this heartwrenching comment: "Thank you my friend - but I think the time has come for me to bow out complettly. Lyn has kindly just sent me over Annie's LJ of replies and now I see that I have caused all sorts of upset that was so not my intention.
Some of the replies have been very hurtful. I don't consider myself to be an ungrateful bitch but am obviously considered on in the fandom. I want you,especially to know that this was nothing to do with Annie or the beta - it was me - just me, no one else and I am truly devestated that I am portrayed as such. You were right in your comment my friend - I am not in a good place at the momment and I really want you to understand that none of what happened had anything to do with how she feels about the incident. I am so not like the person they are talking about over there. I've had such a great time but now, as Lyn kindly pointed out, I have had some home truths that have hurt, especially from people I admire and think so highly of - so now I shall leave. I will post one more story here and then go. Bless you and good luck."

How thoughtful of Lyn (I have to assume it's Annie's sister, Lyn, who is alynt on LJ - even though she's said she's not on LJ) to pass comments from a flocked post over to pinkyridz . Truly the friendly thing to do, eh? Of course, alynt managed more than a few comments on pinkyridz post, starting, I believe, after the above 'farewell' post - including her own opinion that the Anonymous post wasn't bad at all, and of course, reminding pinkyridz that, "Annie does an awesome job for me these days..." and, "gratefully accept the help your betas give you - and remember they graciously do this in their own time..."

Any chance to support the sister, eh? Not to mention reminding pinkyridz how 'graciously' betas do their work. *knife digs in a bit deeper*

alynt didn't stop there, oh, no. She furthered the whole misconception that was being perpetrated over on annieb1955 's journal with this: "I think the problem for me was that you felt you had to announce you would no longer be writing and said it was due to the story you'd just got back, which was full of corrections. People then chose to read your comments as being that your betas had treated you badly and assured you that spelling and grammar don't matter. I'm sorry but as a fairly long-term writer, beta and reader, I have to say they do. It's fine for friends to be supportive, to tell you not to give up, but to tell you not to worry about trying to improve, is not, IMO, good advice."

Can we say - WTF? Sure we can. And pinkyridz ? She just kept apologizing, like with a comment to the above: "Ah well *sigh* - I never viewed is as an announcement - I thougth I was being polite, didn't want to just disappear - ah well *sigh* - like I said - lesson learn't. I've read back the comments and don't see where people say that the beta's treated me badly at all?"

And alynt 's response? "The very way you worded your comment was an announcement and you know it was. You're attempting to be coy and not pulling it off at all well in my book."

Well, that finally got an impassioned response from pinkyridz : "You know - you and I have alway's butted heads over the years - I always expect you to totaly disagree with everything I say or do - never comes as a surprise - In fact I kinda would not be surprised if you left the first comment. Funny - I have never met you,commented about you in any way, would never dream of it.

The only person who knows the reason behind my post is - me. I'm not attempting to be anything - I never, never, ever said anything against Annie or her beta - you have created something that was not there and carried it on. I adore your sister and have been extremely grateful for her help and guidance.

You and I will always clash - but that's fine - it takes all sorts to make a world, we will always disagree - I say black - you say white - it will make no difference what we talk about - I don't know why? I know straight away when you post by your tone.
I adore your writing and passion and you have made such a wonderful contribution to the fandom and are so talented.

It is sad - never mind - we agree we disagree - I hope we agree that getting personal is not the way forward - we are grown women and I think we should try and curb our comments to each other as we trully don't know what it is like to walk in each other's shoes."

And what about the comments over at annieb1955 's journal? Well, annieb1955 thought it would have been nice if she'd just given, "...a simple thanks instead of a dramatic exposition...."

Annie's sister thought, "Her comments and posts were a self-serving cry for attention and nothing more. Having seen - and helped - with the fic in question, I'm amazed at your perseverence and tact."

And when pinkyridz  posted a comment to that - apologizing yet again, alynt  wrote:
"I suggest you go read the first rant you wrote on your LJ, AM. You obviously have a short memory. It was that first post that had your friends up in arms over the nasty beta on your behalf. It was only a couple of days later that you hastened to assure them that your beta had been nothing but kind and helpful. Geez, despite the snarking going on at her, Annie still offered to beta more for you. It's a little late to protest that you said nothing wrong, were nothing but gracious after your original comments have stirred up a hornet's nest because your friends were so incensed on your behalf *because* of what you told them."

Amazing twisting of the facts.

And so it went, with friends weighing in because they believed annieb1955  and her version.

It was like a high school experiment done in a philosophy class.

But this wank didn't end there - oh, no.

This post showed up - and while the individual has every right to tear a story apart in her own journal - the reason for it wasn't so hot. It was based on what she knew from - you guessed it - annieb1955 - she even thanks her in the opening of her post and adds, "After betaing the unposted story, the writer had a hissy fit because she received a real beta instead of a soppy, cheerleading, ass-kissing response. She then pulled a Pepe and threatened to leave fandom because she got a "bad" beta."

Isn't that amazing? pinkyridz  never ONCE said anything about a 'bad beta' - or had a hissy fit over the beta she received. No, she actually bent over backwards to state repeatedly how wonderful Annie was.

BTW: This isn't about whether pinkyridz  can write - this isn't even about betas. This is about how we can so easily be manipulated - how wanks get started and take on lives of their own. It's the internet but we still expect our friends to tell the truth, don't we? Even if we've never met them in our lives.

So, take the above with a grain of salt - after all, who am I? Read the posts yourselves. And all the comments. Heck, you may come to a completely different interpretation that I did but the difference will be that we can then say that we actually READ everything - and THEN made up our own minds.  :) 

The truth is out  there - find it.

 

Tags: meta/rants