about plagiarism and unknown unknowns

Maybe it paranoia or proper paranoia, but with how many thumbs down Red eye the blood shot has I feel like I have stepped into a fan war. Again, I never read Fallout Equestra nor its side stories. And even then TV tropes notes the Red Eye I have plagiarized was a EARTH PONY...not a DIAMOND DOG. Just to be clear, ya know? Still does me no favors, if anything its got my depression back to an old low I did not think I would see again. I imagine thanks and gratitude are in order.

One reason I kept this show at arms length was due to the worry that some of its fan base would resemble cult mentality. And seeing as I already had a bad case of depression, I kind of feared I too might be pulled in to such a mind set. So distance I mostly kept, as such most mythos is alien to me or I can not tell what is fan made and what is canon. Also things like the Alicorn amulet and Princess Twilight are not helping, just saying. Good news is I was never wrong on what this it. Its a cartoon. A positive one, but a cartoon. And its taken too seriously.

If I had been simply called a hack it would be no big deal, mostly. Ego takes a hit as it is and what not, maybe skulk for a few days and what not. The problem is I now have to contend with the real or imagined bias that most are making judgement based on a name alone. Its like Conversion Bureau again, only with a different kind of outrage. More of a fan outrage than moral or measure of human outrage. And even then...play Infamous 2 for crumbs sake. It can at least soften the blow, ya know? Do you see what I mean of being too serious? Well, pony boy?

And what is the big problem-o anyway? If Red Eye, the pony of FOE, is copyrighted by whomever wrote it the holders of MLP in general would likely have a word on that. Seeing as this is fan works anyway it's not quite got a law for it. And if there was, Anuvis help us all. The god of rouge angles of satin...and death.

Simply put, now I don't have just the worry of making a good story someone might like but now I have to worry about angering devoted fans of a fan verse I may not have know about getting mad about misuse of characters or names that were made up for said verse. A new reason not to bother, thanks guys!

Did you know I have been scribbling in a notebook ideas for Bad Joke? My hard drive failed so I had no computer for a week. I have 49 notebook pages (give or take one) of a story I felt like continuing. But I had my usual doubts, no one to proof read, and I'm not even sure if its any good...I used to being called a moron after all. No matter what I read. Now this! It would be enough if I was a hack, you know, but now I seem to severely underestimated some aspects of Brony culture. Are you trying to give me better reasons to have never bothered? We never needed old chicken scratch, were all mad here.

My Red Eye was a crazy dog with a crazy vision, he is the ineffective villain I find myself rooting for at times in stories. He speaks of gods that only exist in his head and wants to make a kingdom of his own, even if he doesn't know how. Not quite evil, but never thinking things through...and thinks ponies have litters. He is a loveable joke character, more or less, who never understood why the Rainbow of Darkness was meant to be scary.

Rainbow=good/friendship. Darkness Rainbow=dragon...? Do you see what I mean about taking things seriously? "And what will you do with those dragons?" "Pull a chariot of darkness!" "Oh..."

So the idea of Red Eye using dragons to get gems, and only gems, will have the same effect of...oh....its kind of silly. Still threatening, but you might have a giggle or two. In the end ponies decide at best they can keep him and his boys out of trouble. Not exactly forgiven completely, but he won't try it ever again or have a reason to do so when he bothers to learn something. Sam and Lassie would approve of his actions to live and let live too. Maybe it's been done, maybe better even for all I know. But with the attempted mind screw I wanted to put in Bad Joke it was a nice change of pace to have a funny story.

Sadly It seems to incur back draft on just a name. As of this point the only complaint I have is the name, no one gave me another. As if it was worse than a hack job by name alone if the dislike thumbs down judges well.

Gives one a flat "What?" to be sure. Gives a shut-in who honestly fears people a reason to stop trying to bother. I have had no one to hang out with for a year as I am afraid of real or imagined bad stuff. Did you think that fan cult business was empty talk?! I didn't just see the mail bag brawl, I lived thru it. Every friend I had was mad a hell that Yahtzee bad mouthed a game they loved. And I was the guy who wondered what was the big deal.

I came to understand how lots of people will take anything and make it deadly serious. Out of necessity or principal, even if its in there head. "The law is just. Just a whisper away, who is to wonder, wonder whom. Who know how to measure rules? With a ruler! Cruel rules." Well put Hatter, well put. It will make sense in time.

Why bother to continue Bad Joke, or Nesting Instinct? Speaking of which, do you see Pegacorn Ondacob angry about misuse of his story verse? Some say a part three is coming, so should he be mad if I "could" steal his idea? Or ruin it? Take names, take places? Reference the Saw game, rather than the movies? I saw no one angry about that, just poor grammar. I have tried to come to terms on that, spell check often as I can and make it fun sized to read. Not perfect, but I try. Now I rip-off people I don't even know about on name only...what the blip?

Did the makers of Invader Zim go after Call of Duty Modern Warfare over people named Gaz? It would make a fun story to watch, I mean why not? Go on, tell me.

So, why I'm asking? Why write something that can makes people angry for reasons I could never foresee? Not an eye gouge, not rape, not even pedophilia, not human extinction, just a name I didn't know in the first place. It's petty all round! Not sure if ranting is going to have an effect, but it feels needed to be said. Why so serious, Pony boy? Why so serious?!

I invest it them, yes. I would like to see something I write get remembered, sure.

Heck, the art offer wasn't just advertising. But it was more a desire to see Lassie the wise, Sam the devourer, and his buddy Max the Destroyer together in Red Eye's head. To the confusion of others. Maybe a picture of an awkward Gilda with Cross eyes the suspiciously unnamed. Maybe the dragon forms of Diamond and Silver. Just to giggle at mostly, seeing as humor has not left me yet and I can't draw.

In closing, your mindset has given me more reason than before that this is a waste. This show seems even less appealing to me now with your guidance. It's fan verses defended from monsters such as me, a vile beast of ignorance and confusion of the written and unwritten rules. No matter what, I will always feel hated, like I'm the problem, and I will have no one I can connect with. Just worry.

Thank you, thank you so much. Thank you for helping me learn I will never escape contempt. We're just too serious...that's why were all mad here...and why I'll always be sad and mad too. Thank you for your hate, I just need to find something to do with it. After all, sadness makes it hard to do things...even to get out of bed.

Comments

[Cabensis]

I didn't read "The story of Red Eye the Blood Shot" , I just glanced through it because I was curious why it was rated so poorly. Normally I can get from the
description if the author's grammar sucks, but since it didn't I had to find out where all the hate came from.

I don't think this fic is bad. You were just unlucky with the naming of a character. A lot of users on this site seems to get butthurt because of this.

My sister once posted a fic here that was similar to Cupcakes. Like you she hadn't read it before but were still hated upon, and because of all the hate she removed her account.

If there's one thing I hate about this site it's how people wail on you for doing something similar to another work, whether intentional or not.

It makes me so sad that it has to be like this, people seems to forget what this fandom is all about. I ask of you:

Do not let these comments or bad ratings get to you!
Do not feel sad or hated! Some on this site are idiots that can't think for themselves and just follows the stream.