Nahh, not even in the top ten dumbest internet episodes. In fact, I'd be surprised if it didn't turn out there was a young idiot doing something similar every month or so and becoming sadder but wiser people at the end of the day. What sets it apart, IMO, is that she calls herself an editor, and therefore, oughta know better.
Well, y'see, I really do think this is a case of, literally, one of the stupidest people imaginable who isn't a sitting US president. She writes a fanfic version of one of the most recognized properties in the world (not a problem), says she "took off [her] editor's cap" when writing it (big problem, from the reviews at Amazon), self-published the thing complete with launch party and distribution on the biggest booksellers on the web (oy), and then says it's not commercial (huge, stupid, reality-denying, what-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-your-brain-chemistry problem).
Parody is one thing. Satire is one thing. Fanfic not-for-profit is one thing. Coming up with an alternate version of a frickin' movie franchise and trying to make money off it without the blessings of the franchise creator... that's just dumb.
I agree that this is pretty stupid. However, I would guess that lots of people are confused by copyright law. (Granted, someone who works in the publishing industry should know better.)
Furthermore, I'd argue that she's far and away less stupid than this particular DHS official (http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/04/homeland.arrest/index.html). Not only does he have even less of an excuse for knowing that such behavior could get him in trouble--very few people in our society would guess that a 55-year-old couldn't get in trouble for trying to seduce a 14-year-old--but he told "her" that he worked for DHS. Even if a sting operation never occurred to him, did it cross his mind that telling her who he was and who he worked for might set him up for blackmail if things didn't go well? Plus, if he got caught, given his employer (and his profession!) he must have known just how high he'd get hung.
In both cases, though--since really what we're getting at is a total lack of wisdom coupled with what is presumably at least a moderate (if not high) intelligence--I am reminded of this quote from Spider Robinson's short story, "Distraction": "Man, you're no smarter than I am--you're just a fancier kind of stupid."
I could absolutely make a case for that doof being stupider. In a lot of ways, though, it's the exact same kind of stupid -- the "I won't get caught" flavor, that for whatever reason can't imagine that their inept blundering will be noticed.
Heh. Reminds me: I had a job for six hours once -- never made it out of the initial training session -- selling water softeners by phone. (That wasn't the job I'd signed up for, but that was what they were trying to direct me toward, which is one of the reasons I bailed.) The trainer was this big Austrailian guy, Jeff Hunter I believe his name was, who explained why the company's mascot was a rhino. A rhino, y'see, can't physically take a step backward. A rhino sets his sight on an obstacle, lets nothing come between the two of 'em, and BAM! Obstacle gone. The obvious counterpoints (that a rhino can't correct its mistakes if it takes the wrong path, has very bad eyesight so it can only react to the most obvious problems, has such thick skin that it doesn't notice what residual damage it might be inflicting as it stomps around, and can basically only break things) seemed to elude Jeff.
Oh, I agree that the stupidity is similar in kind; good point. I do think that it's just barely possible that the fanfic author might have been confused as to her position in re: IP law (and thus less stupid and more ignorant), but basically not really possible that the DHS official might have thought he was on the right side of the law. (It also seems very likely that the consequences of getting on the bad side of Lucas' lawyers are less...immediate...than the consequences of getting convicted as a sexual offender of children.)
Your "rhino" story reminds me of another: my wife and a friend of hers were judged to be "as subtle as a bulldozer" and "as subtle as a rhinoceros" respectively. This of course resulted in a discussion as to which was more subtle; eventually it was decided that my wife must be more subtle, as the discussion was taking place in Minnesota (lots of bulldozers, few rhinoceri). :)
Incidentally, if this article (http://szgdocent.org/resource/aa/ungulate/a-rhino.htm) is correct in its description of rhino dominance games, the assertion that rhinos can't go backward is actually not accurate. (Not that this makes Jeff look any better.)
I had that job for about the same amount of time. Answered an ad for "Water Tester" - thought it was some thing where you went around and got samples for actual LAB testing...
Well, yeah, dumb. Even really, really dumb. Probably people more into the fanfic realm than I am are better connosieurs of "copyright dumb" and can really appreciate the nuances of dumb there.
It's just, I guess my perspective is a tad different. In my line of work, I regularly encounter people who left stable 25-year marriages with still-minor children, to run off with someone they met on the internet, whose face they've never seen. Or who write public posts about crimes they commit, and wonder how they ever got caught. That's where I get my top ten dumb internet people lists.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-23 06:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-23 06:54 am (UTC)Parody is one thing. Satire is one thing. Fanfic not-for-profit is one thing. Coming up with an alternate version of a frickin' movie franchise and trying to make money off it without the blessings of the franchise creator... that's just dumb.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-23 07:34 am (UTC)Furthermore, I'd argue that she's far and away less stupid than this particular DHS official (http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/04/homeland.arrest/index.html). Not only does he have even less of an excuse for knowing that such behavior could get him in trouble--very few people in our society would guess that a 55-year-old couldn't get in trouble for trying to seduce a 14-year-old--but he told "her" that he worked for DHS. Even if a sting operation never occurred to him, did it cross his mind that telling her who he was and who he worked for might set him up for blackmail if things didn't go well? Plus, if he got caught, given his employer (and his profession!) he must have known just how high he'd get hung.
In both cases, though--since really what we're getting at is a total lack of wisdom coupled with what is presumably at least a moderate (if not high) intelligence--I am reminded of this quote from Spider Robinson's short story, "Distraction": "Man, you're no smarter than I am--you're just a fancier kind of stupid."
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-23 07:46 am (UTC)Heh. Reminds me: I had a job for six hours once -- never made it out of the initial training session -- selling water softeners by phone. (That wasn't the job I'd signed up for, but that was what they were trying to direct me toward, which is one of the reasons I bailed.) The trainer was this big Austrailian guy, Jeff Hunter I believe his name was, who explained why the company's mascot was a rhino. A rhino, y'see, can't physically take a step backward. A rhino sets his sight on an obstacle, lets nothing come between the two of 'em, and BAM! Obstacle gone. The obvious counterpoints (that a rhino can't correct its mistakes if it takes the wrong path, has very bad eyesight so it can only react to the most obvious problems, has such thick skin that it doesn't notice what residual damage it might be inflicting as it stomps around, and can basically only break things) seemed to elude Jeff.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-23 08:30 am (UTC)Your "rhino" story reminds me of another: my wife and a friend of hers were judged to be "as subtle as a bulldozer" and "as subtle as a rhinoceros" respectively. This of course resulted in a discussion as to which was more subtle; eventually it was decided that my wife must be more subtle, as the discussion was taking place in Minnesota (lots of bulldozers, few rhinoceri). :)
Incidentally, if this article (http://szgdocent.org/resource/aa/ungulate/a-rhino.htm) is correct in its description of rhino dominance games, the assertion that rhinos can't go backward is actually not accurate. (Not that this makes Jeff look any better.)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-23 01:59 pm (UTC)Until they tried to rent me their little kit.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-23 05:28 pm (UTC)It's just, I guess my perspective is a tad different. In my line of work, I regularly encounter people who left stable 25-year marriages with still-minor children, to run off with someone they met on the internet, whose face they've never seen. Or who write public posts about crimes they commit, and wonder how they ever got caught. That's where I get my top ten dumb internet people lists.