[quote name='Emcy' post='273168' date='Jan 14 2010, 11:28 PM']Someone who if you read their app is clearly just generalizing and probably doesn't even know who the character is. I dunno.[/quote]
Actually, this isn't fully true. This somewhat addresses Isa's original question about how a staffer can tell if someone's a collector, but I have had plenty of situations with Collector's who send in apps. and definitely appear like they know the character and what they're talking about. Some of them, in fact, are quite good at manipulating the small snippets of information they do know, to send in otherwise wonderful applications. In those instances, it's experience more than anything else, that tips a staffer off. Things a collector will usually do in their applications: beg for an approval, suck up to the staffer/staffer army, make promises about forthcoming shrines that ultimately never come, and so on and so forth. They can be quite sneaky, in this regard, so it's definitely not wise to just assume someone is not a collector because they write ~*flowery*~ applications.
The unfortunate thing is, when one of them realizes that the Staff is fully aware of their tendencies, they typically resort to Adoptions to continue their habit, and because of this, there is little TAFL can do, but hope that other, more dedicated fans also apply. Really, though, my favorite part, as Shal mentioned, is the ever-changing Wishlist. :winkiss: That never gets old.
As to the rest of this discussion, I think this is really a personal definition that has a lot of variables. How big is the fandom? How popular is the series? What related fanlistings do they own? Are a lot of people applying? I own a rather large amount of One Piece listings (understatement), of which, one is the main character. The series is the most incredibly popular in Japan, but for online fandom? Not the case. It's unfortunate that there are so few of us in the fanlisting community building FLs for OP (please, more people apply!), because there are plenty of open subjects worthy of it. I feel guilty enough owning the amount that I do, but the fact of the matter is, no one else was applying for them until very recently. I was approved for Luffy and Ace without any competition, for lack of a better word, same with their relationship. A few years passed, Usopp opened for applications, and again, when applying, only those of us with other OP listings tried our hand for him. Brook was opened and closed/removed three times before I was finally sick of seeing that happen and applied - the staffer army had to decide this, since OP had become more popular; Luffy/Zoro were an adoption from a friend, prior to Usopp, and I still submitted an application. Does this make me a collector too, even though all that time had passed and I love them very dearly?
The thing about FLs and perceived "fairness" is restraint. You have to know when you're pushing your limits and if you're going about things the right way. Owning the series, main character, and relationship might not be a big deal in a huge fandom, but what about smaller ones with lots of new fans? It's all very personal, again, but as long as you're doing things "fairly" - applying at the network, responding to an adoption post, etc. - then who's to blame you if you're approved? What I can't stand (and drives me nuts as a staffer), is when people get so underhanded and rather deceitful about "getting" fanlistings. When a fanlistings is pending removal and you suddenly adopt it because you mailed the owner and asked them if you could have it, you lose about 200 points of respect with me. Why couldn't you wait for the fanlisting to be removed and try your hand at it fairly, along with every other fan who probably would have loved the opportunity? This trend has been happening a lot lately and it makes me quite sad to see such actions, especially with the more "popular" FLs. Private adoptions are great, don't get me wrong, but when an owner is on troubles and makes no indication that they're going to fix this, you're undermining everyone else by swooping in for easy-pickings.
/rant
Er... so, yes. Personal perception and responsibility and all that. That got really long, orz.
