Questions under consideration

[dhampyresa]

Following last year's exchange, I have two questions for the participants.

1. Last year, matching was done on an OR basis (matching on a minimum of one (1) requested character) in contrast to the year before where it was AND matching (matching on all requested characters). OR makes matching and pinch-hitting easier, but some people prefer AND matching. If you have a preference either way, please let me know. Anonymous commenting is on, but please sign your comments.

2. I was asked last year if the exchange could be open to art. It happened too close to sign-up for me to take it into account last year, but I can take it into account this year. Would people like me to include art in this year's exchange? If yes, what kind of art and what would the equivalent to the 1000 words minimum requirement for fic be?

Dates for this year's exchange will be coming soon. They will be similar to the dates from last year.

Comments

[senmut]

I am a mad proponent of "OR" because while I will always be able to write all the characters I offer, in some fandoms it does not make SENSE to have them all show up.

And Art is wonderful as an option. I truly want more artists to come play with all the exchanges I am in.

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I've got you down as "OR" and "yes for art".

[batman]

I prefer AND if only because anecdotally I see a lot of requests essentially treating the request prompt as AND anyway, so we might as well align with that?

I am all for art! I'd prefer it to be of the "original illustration" rather than "manip" variety though.

[batman]

Actually, I went back and checked all the prompts from last year and ... well I can see why I saw a lot of requests treating the signup as AND.

Here's how the stats worked out by prompt:
Number of prompts where only one character is requested: 57
Number of prompts where AND prompting was used: 113*
Number of prompts where the prompt asks the writer to choose a combination of characters: 10**
Number of prompts that prompt for each character: 46***
"ANY" used: 61
Unknown (such as letter not unlocked or no prompt in signup): 25

* This means both circumstances where all characters must be used or when the prompts for two or more characters are solely shippy with one another.
** This is when a prompt says "pick any characters you like to write this particular relationship dynamic" or something similar
*** This includes both specific prompts for each character requested and a generic prompt that can apply to all characters.

If OR is done this year, then it looks like you're going to have to stress it to participants that OR means that a participant only has to write (or create art for) one character. AND might be easier simply from a modding perspective.

[dhampyresa]

Thanks for answering and looking through the sign-ups. AND and OR both have advantages from a modding PoV, so I'll go with whatever has the most votes.

I have you down as "AND matching" and "yes" for art.

[rubylily]

I prefer AND matching, but I can work with either way.

[dhampyresa]

Thanks for answering. I have you down as "AND" matching and "no pinion" for art.

[themisto]

I'd love if the exchange would open to art as main gift, and my preference is for AND matchings.

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "AND" matching and "yes" for art.

[taichara]

OR. Always, always, always, forever OR.

I don't like being trapped into writing potentially hordes of characters; I don't like having to plan to be matched to someone else who may be wanting/expecting just one particular combination. Sweating bullets that I'll be unmatchable just because of not having the magic character combination in a fandom is also miserable.

AND is a terrible thing. OR, please.


On art, I have no opinion really.

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "OR" matching and "no opinion" for art.

[saturnofthemoon]

Not sure if I'm doing this exchange or not but I prefer "and." Art sounds lovely.

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "AND" matching and "yes" for art.

[(Anonymous)]

I strongly prefer AND matching and will probably not participate if it's OR matching. I'm interested in relationships (whether romantic or platonic) between characters, so if I request A and B and get matched on someone who can't stand B and writes me a fic about only A (or about A and other characters I'm not really interested in), I will probably not receive a fic I'll enjoy.

A good compromise, in my opinion, is to let people request the same fandom several times (while still having to request the minimum of fandoms). That way someone who wants to request six characters for one fandom can split up their requests so they won't only get matched with someone who offered to write all six of those characters. I'd much rather be able to request A&B together and C&D together than request A, B, C and D and match on someone who only offered to write C.

Another alternative would be to do OR matching, but let people nominate relationships as well as characters. That way someone could match on "A/B" or "A&B" rather than only on A.

- rrrealm on AO3

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "AND" matching and "no opinion" on art.

I have thought about your alternatives; see the lastest post in this comm.

[kalloway]

Interested in participating this year and would prefer OR matching. No preference on allowing in groups.

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "OR" matching and "no opinion" for art.

[(Anonymous)]

I personally hate matching on single characters. So I'd vastly prefer AND matching or group nominations for characters. Repeat fandom requests and offers are also great.

I wouldn't produce art, but I like receiving it.
Clean sketch on unlined paper it'd digital equivalent. No manips please.

Kim

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "OR" matching and "yes" for art.

[dolorosa_12]

I would prefer AND matching if possible. I'm unlikely to participate if it's OR matching, as I tend to have very specific characters or relationships in mind when requesting fic in exchanges, and also prefer to make offers knowing exactly which characters or relationships I'm likely to be writing.

Happy for the exchange to include art, as long as participants are allowed to choose what form (art or fic) that their gift takes.

[dhampyresa]

Thank you answering. I have you down as "AND" matching and "yes" for art. Participants woul of course be able to choose what form their gift would take.

[sirvalkyrie]

I'd love for art to be included as long as there is a minimum requirement of some type.

I prefer OR.

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "OR" matching and "yes" for art.

[gwydinn]

I understand why small requests like OR matching, but I think this one's big enough that AND matching works, and I think AND (if used properly) leads to better-tailored matching. So I prefer AND.

I don't care about art one way or the other; I'm not an artist and never request it.

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "AND" matching and "no opinion" for art.

[roseargent]

I strongly prefer AND matching. OR matching really only works for me if groups/relationships are possible nominations.

I'm neutral on art--I don't request it, generally, but certainly have no objection to the option being there for other people.

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "AND" matching and "no opinion" for art.

[lynndyre]

I prefer AND matching, because I don't want fic about one character alone - I like all sorts of gen and ships and combinations, but I want *interaction*.

Including art would be nice!

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "AND" matching and "yes" for art.

[schlitzie_ramone]

I'd prefer AND matching myself - for example, if I wanted to see characters A and B interacting, and A is the favorite character although I also like B a lot, and I matched only on character B, I could end up with a character study fic all about B with no mention of A at all, which would be rather disappointing.

Art would be a welcome addition in my opinion, though! :)

[dhampyresa]

Thank you for answering. I have you down as "AND" matching and "yes" for art.

[silverr]

Initially I was going to say OR matching, because it seems as though any strong Do / Do Not Want could be addressed in the author letter, but having read the other comments I suppose AND has advantages.

I think art is great, but I have no idea as to "kind" (if this means sketch, colored, background/no background).

[gehayi]

1. Last year, matching was done on an OR basis (matching on a minimum of one (1) requested character) in contrast to the year before where it was AND matching (matching on all requested characters). OR makes matching and pinch-hitting easier, but some people prefer AND matching. If you have a preference either way, please let me know. Anonymous commenting is on, but please sign your comments.

I prefer OR. I tend to toss in characters that I like to widen the available range of stories, not to narrow them. And it would be far easier if the story did not have to include characters who don't always naturally fit in the same fic, setting, genre or time period.

2. I was asked last year if the exchange could be open to art. It happened too close to sign-up for me to take it into account last year, but I can take it into account this year. Would people like me to include art in this year's exchange? If yes, what kind of art and what would the equivalent to the 1000 words minimum requirement for fic be?

I'm not an artist and would not request it, but I would think that sketches, pen and ink drawings, paintings, portraits, cartoons/comics, animation, sculptures (clay, stone, wood, etc.), printed designs, videos, photography, audio and/or visual performances (including Sign), needlework, dollmaking, short films, etc. would all count as visual arts, provided that there was a photo or a vid of them so that the recipient could see them. It would have to be a GOOD picture or pictures so that the recipient could see all the details.

I think that the work would have to be detailed and well-developed. I mean, you couldn't just dash off a lopsided circle with MS Paint. And it would have to be a complete work, not a partially finished one.