Three days ago, a person on my subscription list, whom I met online in 2007 through the FanLib fiasco, asked the world at large, "OK what *is* the thing going on with OTW right now? I keep seeing people going 'I'm not going to comment on this' but I have no idea what's going on. Help?"
Because I like to write summaries, I decided to answer.
The short answer: nothing particularly new or different is going on with the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW). What has changed is that the people involved are finally talking about it openly.
This summary isn't about what, however, but how and why the situation developed. If you are looking for what, rydra_wong posted a concise summary today, and every link she included is worth exploring.
Spoiler: my conclusion is optimistic.
So: the long answer, beginning with the necessary background for folks who know little about the OTW, and its largest project, an Archive Of Our Own (AO3).
The OTW was formed in 2007 by a group of fans in response to FanLib. The best known fan involved was Naomi N., a fanfiction writer whose "day jobs" were web development and professional fiction writing.
FanLib, with an all-male board of directors and clueless advertising, was one of the more obnoxious (and ultimately unsuccessful) attempts to "monetize" fanfiction.
( Group social dynamics and Age of Sail metaphors ahead.Collapse )