lj stats question

[marguerite_26]

I updated my Merlin rec lists today and I was going into LJ my stats thingy looking to see if more people clicked the 'Modern AU' or the 'Canon Era' rec list - because, you know, curious and I noticed the RSS tab.

Can anyone tell me what those numbers mean? I know what an RSS is, I'm just curious if the numbers that lj is showing is accumulative or new followers? Not that it is exactly high numbers we are talking about. LOL. But I'm curious how exactly to read a number from one day to the next?


Oh, and if you are interested: Today (so far) more people checking out the Modern AU recs than the Canon recs (despite the fact that the canon rec list appeared first in the list when I posted them).

Comments

[groolover.livejournal.com]

I don't understand the modern AU thing. I can't see the point. It's like non-magic AUs in HP. To me, if there's no magic, then why bother writing about Harry Potter? And if there are no knights etc (and, for that matter, no magic), why bother writing about Merlin?

Obviously there are many people who disagree with me, just as there are many people who like non-magic HP stories. Maybe I'm just weird - but I've read thousands of HP stories (literally - I have almost 4000 bookmarked, and I haven't bookmarked all the ones I've read) and I've never yet enjoyed any non-magic ones. Not even a little bit. (I've only tried a few, but those were all ones that everyone RAVES about, and I hated them all!) So I have no wish to try modern AU Arthur/Merlin.

(The fact that I imagine there's far less likelihood of Arthur doing that swishy thing with his sword is only ONE reason! Honest!)

[linnet-melody.livejournal.com]

I can see your point, if all the modern AU's were non-magic. Fortunately, that's not the case! Hooray! *throws confetti*

[groolover.livejournal.com]

But do they all have KNIGHTS and SWORDS and CAMELOT?

[linnet-melody.livejournal.com]

...No.

*shifty-eyed* One out of four? :D

[groolover.livejournal.com]

If the 'one' is the sword... I like swords :p

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

I'm not fond of non-magical au in HP. I think the only two I read were both femme's Black Coffee and that Snape is a priest one? both AMAZING but ymmv. but as a rule, I didn't read AUs that were not based in the HP 'verse. They do nothing for me and I just 'don't see the point'. I like HP verse and want to stay in it! LOL.

However I feel completely differently about Merlin. For one thing, there is the whole reincarnation thing that is part of legend. So there is a whole chunk of modern au that are reincarnations of M/A where they remember themselves from back then. Great reads. Very epic.

Then even without the reincarnation thing, the legend is really wrapped up in the whole Merlin is immortal and Arthur will return so even a fic that does not actually have 'reincarnation' in it, part of me as I'm reading is thinking yes - this them, their second chance.

It really works for me.

You don't necessarily have knights and swords, but you can have Arthur as the prince of wales, surrounded by his bodyguards and Merlin the commoner. fab. trope.

Or Arthur the 'movie star' and Merlin his PA.

Or Arthur the CEO and Merlin his secretary.

But Modern AUs are tricky. Characterisation is key, otherwise - what's the point, right?

Anyway - I could talk about this for hours because I was very much like you 'why would anyone want these modern aus?' I love canon!!!! LOL.

[groolover.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I'd forgotten about the reincarnation. That makes a bit more sense. Although I have to say that I haven't yet seen a summary (of a modern one) that made me go "ooh, actually that DOES sound interesting!" Maybe one will turn up and I'll get converted.

(I haven't read Snape being a priest, but I have read Black Coffee OALN, and although I can see that it's beautifully written (of course!), it just didn't feel like Harry and Draco to me, due to the lack of magic.)

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Well, certainly Modern AU's aren't for everyone. Just like creature fics or epilogue compliant fics or whatever are just not to people's tastes. So if it doesn't tempt you now, it may never. :)

And there's nothing wrong with that.

[groolover.livejournal.com]

Well, I won't rule it out - you never know :-)

[hollys_tree]

*jumping in here too* :)
For me it's like this: in HP I'm fascinated with the world. I love it to pieces and without the magical world Harry Potter wouldn't be Harry Potter, it just doesn't work.

But with Merlin it's different. What hooks me are the Arthur/Merlin interactions, that's the most important thing. Tbh, a lot of the canon in that series isn't very logical and many characterizations aren't all that consistent. I'm still watching for the banter and the slashiness and the feel-good feeling the series gives me. But that works just as well (and for me personally even better) in a modern AU, where Arthur isn't destined to marry Gwen and be betrayed and killed.

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

But that works just as well (and for me personally even better) in a modern AU, where Arthur isn't destined to marry Gwen and be betrayed and killed.

LOL - yeah - there is that. :)

[groolover.livejournal.com]

Hmm. With HP, although I'm fascinated with the world, it's the interactions (H/D mainly) that hooks me.

I wonder if one problem with Merlin, for me, is that I've read and watched every Merlin-related thing EVER (The Once and Future King, Excalibur, etc) so the current series is not really what I think of as canon.

But your point about the Gwen problem is a very good one. My attitude to her tends to be "LA LA LA! NOT LISTENING!" :-)

[frogspace.livejournal.com]

I've always loved AUs but Merlin turns out to be the one fandom where I feel really meh about them. I've never seen a fandom with so many AUs where they have boring office jobs. What's the point? Usually an AU puts the characters in situations that are *more* interesting than the canon setting. In Merlin fandom it's the other way around. *sigh*

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

that's interesting. I agree that when canon is already so interesting, picking an AU that is 'mundane' is sorta backwards. :)