to whom it may concern (apology) · 6:36pm Sep 15th, 2013
it's no secret that i'm a completely stuck up asshole.
wait, let me start over.
it's no secret that i take writing—including fanfiction especially—way too seriously. for most people, writing words about cartoon horses is a hobby, a minor creative outlet, a way to have fun. to me, it's been a way of life. i guess that's the side effect of making it my sole means of creativity for a while.
as such, it's not uncommon that i've espoused a volatile opinion here or there, or said something that stepped on someone's toes in some way or another. i don't mean to imply any inflated sense of worth or importance on myself here—but people have gotten mad at me for various reasons, i've gotten mad at them for just as many, and there have been times where fanfiction, something that's supposed to be wonderful and cheerful, has been miserable.
one of those instances (or several of them, really) has been in regards to 'riffing'. i have to say, as i've said before, that i don't have anything inherently against the concept of a 'riff'—in the same way that i can look at something dumb on the internet or tv and laugh at it with friends, i think sharing in the communal mockery of something in good spirits can be fun. i've never really enjoyed Mystery Science Theater 3000, or Rifftracks, but i understand why people would, and am ready to accept they're just not for me.
what i have a problem with, however, are riffs that constitute little more than personal attacks, or even just reductive, repeated commentary about quality. when people riff something, the idea is to make jokes about the content; references, allusions, or taking the absurd qualities of the content and using them as a launching point for observations. it's not to relentlessly mock the perceived quality of something. watching a movie and saying 'holy cow this is shitty' isn't funny—it's just simple-minded and uninteresting, and the same can be said of writing. that's why i had a problem when reading 'riffs' on some of my stories; repeated things like 'wow look at these big words this guy sure is full of himself', mocking the quality of the writing, word-choice, sentence structure—all of those things should be separate from the premise, which is kind of the point of making fun of something in that way. i don't feel like people 'got it'.
that said, this isn't me giving a dissertation on what comedy is. it's meant to be an apology. for as much as i can say i have justifiable reason to have lashed out at the people who have 'riffed' my stuff in the past, i don't want to hold a grudge anymore. i feel like a creator lashing out because of a perceived insult against themselves or their work is a lot more justifiable than personal attacks over a perceived grandiloquence—but that's not really the issue.
i want to say i'm sorry. i take myself too seriously. i take writing, and especially fanfiction, too seriously. i don't want to harbour any ill will to people who were using my stories as a vessel to have fun, or to make other people laugh. while i fully believe my reactions were not entirely unreasonable, the extent to which i construed mockings of my work as a personal attack is not acceptable. while things turned into legitimate personal attacks later, i feel if i had started out on the right foot and not blown up by being overly sensitive in the first place, things would have gone much better in the long run.
to that end: people reading this who i've pissed off in this fashion—i'm sorry. consider this a wholesale apology. i'd like very much to bury the hatchet and go to bed knowing i'm bowing my head and wishing to make amends to anyone i've wronged in this fashion.
if there are any people from this group that i have blocked, please find some way to let me know and i will be happy to unblock you. please take full license to make fun of my stories as much as you want in whatever fashion, though again i will say that i feel the difference between mocking the content and mocking the author is what makes a good joke.
if you're unwilling to accept my apology, i understand, but would like to extend it regardless.
and, to anyone who has no idea what the fuck i'm talking about, is wondering why i'm not posting more porn, or who just wants me to shut up—sorry to you guys too. i'll stop typing here.
this is why you're awesome darf ;_;
Butt I like it when you act like an asshole!
You know, I like your blogs more than your stories. They aren't filled with pony sex and silly capitalization.
Good on ya, man. Hope you feel happier soon!
I can understand where you're coming from. You're still awesome, though.
1352061 Basically my feelings.
No.
Accurate.
Dear Knighty,
Why can't I favorite blog posts yet?
Sincerely,
-Bronystories
PS: Darf is awesome.
(Seriously, man. Thanks for writing this. The line between 'riffing' and 'verbal abuse' is nonexistent for some people on this site.)
I love it when you act how you feel, and not how people want you to act. Do what seems best, we all love you even if you come of badly
Is this going to be the same situation as that other great writer who eventually left because he was being harassed, or his job found his account's name, or something like that? Because I found out about him actually leaving too late to save anything he wrote.
...either way I guess I'll go ahead and download all of your stories preemptively.
Hmmm, I've never heard of people riffing pony fiction. While some stories (probably mine included) could use a good light-hearted riff, the way you say people have approached your stories would make me feel like I was stuck back in jr high school fighting off mean-spirited little twelve year old bullies. Seriously, this is the kind of mental maturity it equates to for me.
It's very easy to forget - or ignore - the fact that behind every story and message post here, there's an actual person who has feelings. The kind of people who thoughtlessly run around stabbing people in the feels for their own enjoyment might not - in my book - deserve the kind of apology you've made, but that's your choice. If you feel it needs to be done, then good on ya for doing it.
You've got every right to be pissed
1352061 I agree. Way to be the bigger man, Darf. You continue to earn our respect.
Jeez. What a pretentious douche. GOD, I hate you so much.
Everyone has their limits and problems. At least you came clean about it and to move on, so many props to ya laddie. Much respect.
Didn't really expect something like this, honestly. But good on you, darf. I'm sorry as well, since my riffing could've been a lot better.
Don't be sorry, they're ignorant blowhards who don't care about apologies from you in the first place.
1352061
I wouldn't have the moxie to say it.
I forgive you darf.
1352342
i don't suppose you happen to have a list of the people who hate me/that i blocked so i can unblock them in the spirit of forgiveness?
1352542
Not a complete list, can't see your block list, after all. Atlas_Nebula comes to mind, Draklox as well. Something888, I think... likely others as well.
Should ask them.
1352343
I refer you to 1352342. I'm not an ignorant blowhard, thank you very much.
Nicely said, chief.
Nicely said.
~Skeeter The Lurker
I just realized that your stories tend to be spot-on with punctuation, but all your comments and blogs always lack capitalization. Why? I'm not against it or anything, I just find it kind of odd. At the very least it's not the other way way around. Wouldn't be able to stand it.
Darf legitimately apologizing to the masses about his personality? What dimension did I get sucked into?
Not sure what this riffing is but you sir are the bigger man....human...person thing. I lost count honestly.
1352332 Not sure if joking or serious...
1352074 Whut.
Jolly good show.
1353793
Go double check who edits a good chunk of his stories, then get back to me.
1352603
IIRC, you weren't an ignorant blowhard. That group of people that flamed the shit out of Alektrona at coincidentally the same time were. I'm specifically referring to those people and the people like them.
That was a very mature thing of you to do. I accept your apology for less writing, but it wasn't really a problem.
Hopefully things will be a lot better from here on out.
What gets under my skin is that some riffers often forget a fundamental rule of Riffing 101: "Refrain from any personal attacks/threats toward the author or creator of a work." Riffs may target a work of writing directly, but that is as far as they should go. Never further. Yes, I am aware of a few riffers on our end that are prone to this, and I think a few stern talking-tos are in order (sue me, I'm Canadian :P). In fact, I might need to be somewhat tighter on our Archive standards in regards to this issue, because I KNOW that a few like that have slipped on by...
You also raise a few good points about repetitive comments on the "degrading quality" of fanfiction, and pointing out more-than-obvious issues with a story. While this may be sometimes justified, other times it just makes a riff rather boring. But riffers, human as they are, usually play to their own opinions; and as we all know, opinions are subjective. Personal attacks and threats, however, are not acceptable. At all. We're there to mock the story... not the guy who happened to write it. We are here, essentially, to make fun of fanfiction. Make fun of. Fun.
Fun fun funI'll stop now.For what it's worth, I accept your apology on behalf of my fellow riffers, and I highly respect your maturity on this matter in coming forward. I can at least say that I know what it's like to have been on the end of backlash before. Even so, I hope that we don't have any further issues from this point onward. Let's leave tasteless jokes and insults to the common trolls and try to be somewhat professional about this, shall we?
...That's all I can say, really. I've never been that great at getting the right words out, or not straying into tangents. :/ But have a nice day, regardless.
-TheAuthorGl1m0
PonyRiffs Founder
your writings never came off as arrogant of full of it's self. In fact I am wildly jealous of your abilities as a writer. If you used the words when clearly lacking the skill to use them it would be a different story entirely. I just hope you don't mind my analyzing of some of your pieces to improve my own writing!
I must admit, this is wonderful timing on both our parts.
I say that because I just saw this post today, despite it being over a month old, and a few days ago I talked with a friend of mine to start a riff on a fic of yours that I genuinely like, which would be "Pieces of a Grey Cloud" in this case.
I'm not exactly sure what brought on this drastic change in character for you, and I'm assuming it has to do with your personal life, so I'll stop right there.
I've chilled out quite a bit since our last encounter, and I've recently come back to riffing with a fresh set of eyes and a far more casual look at things.
Consider it a rebirth for both of us.
While I do forgive you for all the times you've screwed over me and my friends, I won't forget that, but I will move on from my early days as an annoying teen and try to stay out of your way if you wish.
Of course, if time allows it, and if the odds are in our favor, this may or may not be the beginning of an unlikely friendship.
This is Atlas Nebula signing off.
So you're not coming back?
1636260
He'll never be back! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
i.imgur.com/is80FaY.jpg
Well
...
Fuck.
You didn't have to mean it literally!
I weep for those who will no longer see you're stories...Faba Romba, Darf.
Ever since he left, I've gotten depressed. His stories would help cheer me up. Without him, the dark clouds roll in once again.
Thanks a lot, assholes. You made my happiness go away.
Dammit darf you were the best porn author
Why do the good people always leave?
1654179 ...and then he comes back.
You know, you're actually a decent author when you're not writing smut.