>"I can't change the world by myself but I can either die trying or not bother at all."

Well folks, I choose the former. When I believe in something, nothing gets in my way, plain and simple. Well allow me to rephrase that. A hell of a lot of things get in my way but they usually do more good than harm because it gives me more of a drive to keep on fighting.

You see the issue here isn't just about sex. In the case of fan fics, people tend to forget that by putting your thoughts on paper, you're exercising your right to freedom of speech at the expense of other people's feelings, privacy and a whole whack load of other stuff. I'm saying that in a sense, fan fic is a selfish outlet that some people choose to partake. It has been said over and over again these people DO go online they DO surf the web and people they HAVE read fanfics. They ARE aware of the stuff people are writing.

Imagine that your biggest dream came true and you got to meet Brian. (Yes, some people will tell you that this IS their biggest dream). You planned out what you wanted to say. You want him to know how big of a fan you are. Could you look him in the eye and tell him of all of the private things about him you have, um explored? If so, you have a heart of stone.

Famous people make sacrifices. It's a fact that one has to let in all the bad with the good. But why should people make it harder for them? Folks like the Backstreet Boys have already given up a lot more than you may think. Their job is their life, plain and simple. What would happen if Nick decided he wanted to "call in sick?" Nuh uh not gonna happen. Not unless he wants to create a riot among all the 13 year olds that go to the concert just to see him. Can you imagine having all that responsibility riding on your back? I certainly can't. To be blunt, life is tough enough for them. It's bad enough to know that you can't simply drive to a mall and walk around without being recognized, to know that there are people who know as much about your life as your mother, people who seem to, at times know your best friend better than you but to go on the Internet and find that people are now even thinking about our * private * life?!! Come ON people come ON! You must know what is right Yes you deserve freedom of press and freedom of speech but why must you contribute to taking away what little privacy these people have? Why? They deserve better.

Here's how "What Would They Think" came to be. It was actually a slow, gradual process.Well, about a year ago I began reading a work of Backstreet Boys fiction that had been placed on the web.At the time, I didn't have a fan fic sight...but I did have a regular fan site (since then I have taken the thing down). BSB fan fic was still in its infant stages back then. Well, at first I liked this story. Soon, however I became bored with its predicatable plot. Since I was on the updates list, I was sent an e-mail, informing me of a new site, created in part by the author to this story. I checked it out, and was, to say the least... shocked! I was shocked to find a BSB fan fic site devoted specifically to stories with sexual themes.

Some of the stories were done with a little taste at best...while others were downright revolting. I didn't know what to do...so I signed the guestbook, stating my position. What happened? I received an e-mail later on...thanking me for signing to guestbook.You see...the people at this site want to be known for their "openness toward criticism." That was my first step. I visited the site several monthes later to find an abundance of stories, as well links to similar sites.

I was shocked to find out that there was not only a ton more BSB fan fic sites...but a new type of fan fic had developed. The world of BSB sex stories was growing.

I decided to send another e-mail to the site. Promptly I was written to, and though the e-mails weren't downright rude, it was quite evident that these people weren't open to criticism. I was handed several excuses. One of which was just downright lame: "these stories could be about anyone named Nick, Kevin, Howie, AJ, and Brian." Uh huh...not only does the title of the page incorporate the "Backstreet," but the page is covered with pics. Fortunatly, I did make a difference. One of the writers decided to leave the page...progress was being made!

I decided that I wanted to create a banner or a button to protest exploitive sites...not just for the BSB...but for anyone. You see, we are all entitled to some privacy...I feel it's a right everyone ought to enjoy. By posting exploitive stories, you are indirectly embracing the nurturing of rumors. We all know the average Backstreet Boys fan is young...so we all know that many fan fic readers are bound to be young. Some people, depite disclaimers, will jump to their own conclusions, and assume what you write is sacred.

Finally, the concept of WWTT was finalized because we were able to imagine ourselves in their shoes. Would we want someone to write exploitive things about us? Of course not. Please take the time to take the What Would They Think challange.

Thank you,

Mel

(originally posted: 8/2/1999)