User:SOTO/Forum Archive/Inclusion debates/@comment-1432718-20200505204802/@comment-45692830-20200708235811

Let's consider our four little rules shall we?

Rule 1
Both these and some (probably most) fan made stories pass.

Rule 2
Both these and all fan made stories pass.

Rule 3
Only these pass. Perhaps, if Connor's memory is correct, it could be argued that the "comic of the week" might also count, but that's very, very tenuous. Especially if the comic of the week wasn't archived, but was just rotated each week, we might have precedent for ruling them all invalid, see near the bottom of Burning with Optimism's Flames (anthology)? (tbh I really don't understand the Wallowing in Pessimism's Mire ruling, I understand the situation, but not the ruling and how to apply it to "unpublished" work)

Rule 4
Arguable that neither grouping of these pass, but if either one passes, the writers comics do and the "comic of week" does not, as it wasn't commissioned by the copyright holder and they're obviously just promoting it to get people engaged.

Okay, so, four little rules, arguable that neither group passes all four, but it's clear that fan comics don't pass all four. Is there anything else relevant? Yes. Yes there is. Note that T:VALID does not begin and end with the four little rules. They are a shortcut, a rule of thumb. There is something else that makes all fan comics invalid.

And what is that?
T:NO FANFIC

Technically it says that fanfic is an example of violating rule 2, which isn't always the case, as we see in this instance. But we are explicitly told "Fan fiction isn't allowed." And given this, no matter the outcome of the four little rules, the fan comics cannot be ruled as valid.