Why Write?

[Stella_Omega]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

This guy seems to be taking this entirely too seriously.

[Bramblethorn]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Do you see anything in that long ramble disowning the questions themselves, Ogg? I didn't, and it would influence my thinking about the study if it's there in one of those posts.

"...let alone the phrasing of the questions, which were a concern to both the committee and myself... they certainly do not reflect my perspective."

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Not that my thinking matters, of course. Which is another point. This guy seems to be taking this entirely too seriously.

Taking informed-consent issues seriously is his job, not just as an academic, but as chair of the IRB.

[sr71plt]

Thanks for the tiny quote from that War and Peace tome.

I think, in terms of his job, he really screws that up. And I, at least, have given his study more consideration than I think it deserves, so I'll leave it there. Speaking of perspective, he isn't exactly academically distant from any partisan perspective in what he's given us here. He's so "on our side" (not that we have a collective side) that he, again, doesn't sound academic and gives me the impression of just saying what he thinks we want to hear--with what he gives us being far, far more than I care to hear about his project.

It's just all so, so weird--but this has been a pretty weird place of late.

[topolski]

1) The student’s postings were bothersome on all accounts. I apologize if that did not come across strongly enough.
2) My reply was long winded because part of the student’s punishment was to write it up from a tape recorded monologue. One hour of talking equals four hours of typing.
3) The goal of the research was to study the stories, not the writers. If its ok with Brablethorn, I will email him/her the powerpoint presentation so he/she can share it with whoever wants it. You can also get it from me if you want at rtopolsk@aug.edu Hopefully, you will find the methodology sound. I believe a sample 800 of stories, which is rather large for a content analysis is large enough to draw valid conclusions. However, any suggestions to improve the methodology are welcome.
4) If anyone cares to read them, I will also forward the final manuscripts to Brablethorn or anyone else once they are written. Personally, I think reading your stories is time better spent.
5) No tax payers dollars went toward the research, everyone volunteered to do the research.

[MistressLynn]

Originally Posted by topolski

1) The student’s postings were bothersome on all accounts. I apologize if that did not come across strongly enough.
2) My reply was long winded because part of the student’s punishment was to write it up from a tape recorded monologue. One hour of talking equals four hours of typing.
3) The goal of the research was to study the stories, not the writers. If its ok with Brablethorn, I will email him/her the powerpoint presentation so he/she can share it with whoever wants it. You can also get it from me if you want at xxx Hopefully, you will find the methodology sound. I believe a sample 800 of stories, which is rather large for a content analysis is large enough to draw valid conclusions. However, any suggestions to improve the methodology are welcome.
4) If anyone cares to read them, I will also forward the final manuscripts to Brablethorn or anyone else once they are written. Personally, I think reading your stories is time better spent.
5) No tax payers dollars went toward the research, everyone volunteered to do the research.

You spelled Bramblethorn's name wrong.

[topolski]

No offense meant.

[Stella_Omega]

Originally Posted by MistressLynn

You spelled Bramblethorn's name wrong.

Originally Posted by topolski

No offense meant.

Welcome to the internet, Professor-- where people can be arrogant assholes for absolutely no reason.

Whatever the fuck, folks.

The man has taken the time to apologise, explain, and then-- explain again. You all can't even muster one quarter of that effort? Well, I guess not.

As I said earlier, I appreciate the time and effort, and also the cleverness of the discipline. And I would genuinely appreciate a copy of the presentation.

[Bramblethorn]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Speaking of perspective, he isn't exactly academically distant from any partisan perspective in what he's given us here. He's so "on our side" (not that we have a collective side) that he, again, doesn't sound academic and gives me the impression of just saying what he thinks we want to hear--with what he gives us being far, far more than I care to hear about his project.

If you want an unbiased academic, you'll be waiting a long time. Nobody completes a PhD without having a strong interest in their field, and it's hard to have an interest without having opinions. That's why experiments are designed to minimise the influence of the researcher's views (at least, when done properly).

Originally Posted by topolski

3) The goal of the research was to study the stories, not the writers. If its ok with Brablethorn, I will email him/her the powerpoint presentation so he/she can share it with whoever wants it. You can also get it from me if you want at [deleted] Hopefully, you will find the methodology sound. I believe a sample 800 of stories, which is rather large for a content analysis is large enough to draw valid conclusions. However, any suggestions to improve the methodology are welcome.

I'm a survey-design wonk, so I'd be happy to look at the methodology. Though I won't post my thoughts on it here unless other posters are interested.

BTW, you might find that email gets edited out because site rules prohibit disclosing personal info of that sort in forum posts.

[sr71plt]

Well, yeah, if we had asked to have our motivations for writing whatever we wrote studied [this was in reference to Stella' post]. I didn't. Didn't ask for that long glop of explanation either (I can understand punishing the student by making him write it out--but why punish us by plopping it here?) I think the interest in any of this for most of us is being grossly overrated. Stella, yes, she does more talking about writing than actually writing, so I can see that she's interested--especially if it agrees with her agenda about something. She doesn't seem to care about the validity of a study is as long as it bolsters her agenda. Some of the rest of us are just busy doing it--the writing of stories--for our own satisfaction or to link with a perceived target audience, and aren't that interested in being introspective. Most anything close to rape/nonconsent I write is for variety's sake and because there's an audience for it--and I write within publisher's limitations rather than what I'd write if unfettered. I can actually write stronger rape stories in the mainstream than for the erotica publishers. Perhaps that's what should be studied.

And just because I haven't posted an acceptance of an apology in the first ten minutes after it was posted (you recently point out that it isn't up to me to accept anything, Stella. ), it doesn't mean that's not fine with me that an apology was given. I didn't post a rejection of the apology either.

In actuality, I didn't see the need for an apology--just for the folks to trot off and leave us alone. Because I don't see anything necessary or meaningful in the study itself. There are a huge variations in why/how rape/nonconsent stories are written and it pretty much comes down to a "so what" anyway, as far as I'm concerned.

My response probably would have been "buzz off, I don't want to be studied," even if the OP had been professionally cast.

[Bramblethorn]

Originally Posted by topolski

No offense meant.

None taken.

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by Bramblethorn

If you want an unbiased academic, you'll be waiting a long time.

No, as noted in the post I was composing as you were posting this, my bottom line "want" was for them to just buzz off--from the getgo. The OP's construct was appalling in academic terms, and I had no interest in the study anyway--more interest in not being studied than in some university study making judgments that I considered would be constructed on quicksand.

I have taught and occasionally still teach in a university too--and headed a major research office for the government. I know how an unbiased academic sets up and pursues a study. I just don't see enough solid base in this topic to study--and in all that was posted, I don't see the burning question that needs to be answered--while also seeing that there are too many variables and people hiding true motivations behind cutouts in this business for there to be anything meaningful to say about it.

I posed what I think would be a better question. Why can I write rape more unfettered in the mainstream than I can for erotica publishers?

And I'm not interested enough to continue this conversation either. It's a done deal, so I'll get back to my writing of dirty stories as I please for readers I'm targeting. (And very few of them will be about rape.)

[TxRad]

Originally Posted by MistressLynn

You spelled Bramblethorn's name wrong.

Originally Posted by topolski

No offense meant.

Academia meet a writer/editor with OCD.

Stella,