why do people write things like this to complete strangers anyway?

[edenfalling]

A few months ago I got, out of the blue, a weird private message over on ff.net from someone I don't know, who has never reviewed any of my stories, nor commented on my journal, nor made any effort at opening contact through normal means. I deleted it. Now this person is trying again, slightly more elaborately (i.e., asking about drawing as well as writing).

The text of the message is as follows:

Subject: Ideas related to fanfiction...

Hello there? You seem to be a fan-fiction writer in the United States, and well, I just wanted to tell you that I have some ideas that are somehow related to fan-fiction, and I wonder if you would like to discuss with me about them. I just wanted to ask someone in the United States about these ideas - could you perhaps give me some additional thoughts about them?

Also, just wondering - just how much interest do you have in drawing?

...

This is not quite spam, but it's definitely unwanted. It's also counterproductive -- this is really, really not the way to make me want to talk to a person. There are hundreds of thousands of people who have "ideas that are somehow related to fanfiction." And you know what? I don't care. If you give me specifics and your topic seems interesting, I might go read what you've written. Otherwise? Hell no. I don't want to get dragged into interaction with a person who tries to open a relationship this way.

Also, what does my level of interest in drawing have to do with anything? If you are trying to advertise your own art, again, this is really not the way to make me want to see it.

I wonder if ff.net has a way to ban users from messaging the way LJ and DW let you ban people from commenting...

Comments

[esther_asphodel]

It is pretty much spam. That person has been sending random people on ff.net the same general message for months. People have mentioned it on fanficrants two or three times that I've seen. The drawing thing is new, though.

[edenfalling]

Okay, that is messed up. Seriously, what makes a person do that?

[(Anonymous)]

I've heard of this person from fanficrants way back when; he/she periodically spams a nearly identical message to fic authors all over the net. You will find nothing of value if you continue correspondence. I believe that it is possible to block people from commenting or messaging you on FF.net but I'll be damned if I know how.

[askerian]

Oh man, this person is FAMOUS. I've seen him/her being ranted about on fanficrants several times and every time there will be several people in the comments going "me too!" I suspect this person is spamming dozens of people dayly because even if 99% of the answers are "hell no" there's still a chance some well-meaning nice person will accept. It's a copypaste spam.

[lynati-1.livejournal.com]

...And nobody has, perhaps out of a combination of boredom and passive-aggressive malicious intent, taken him up on his offer just for the opportunity to mess with him?

[edenfalling]

I have neither the time nor the interest to do anything like that, but if someone else does, I totally want a transcript. :-)

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Under your account settings on ff.net, you can ban users by name from accessing your account. Then they cannot PM you or review.

Hope that helps!

[edenfalling]

Aha! Thank you, I have banned the person.

[deralte.livejournal.com]

Oh, her. I didn't realize she was still going. I actually did send her a quick message saying her message was too vague and asking her if English was her first language. She replied to say she wanted to set up groups across the country to make 'fan comics' (and that English was the only language she spoke, which made me laugh). I pointed out this had been done a million times over in fanzines and doujinshi then washed my hands of the matter.

[edenfalling]

So basically ze wants to reinvent the doujinshi circle and thinks this is a useful way to go about doing so? *headdesk* I just don't get some people.

[deralte.livejournal.com]

At the time, I had this image of her as a lonely, preteen girl who didn't have any fandom friends and came up with this great idea that no one had ever thought of before so she could make some!! But now that I see she kept spamming, I'm leaning towards middle aged and crazy, or possibly just stupid.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

I don't know how anything that purports to be communication could be any vaguer than that...

[edenfalling]

It would indeed be difficult to be less informative. *sigh*