Fan Performance, Is It Authoring?

In looking at Coppa's piece, I see a real disruption in the idea of fan fiction being authored.  I realize the distinction between writing and performing; however, if a fan performs, say within a message board, and that performance becomes a textual story, than how can that not be authored.  And, each performer/contributer should be counted as authoring the text.

An old friend of mine was a huge "L Word" fan.  She joined the website, well actually she joined two fan sites, one sanctioned by Showtime, the other not.  She participated in the message board.  She mostly posted and followed a string (room) called Betteville (named after the character played by Jennifer Beal).  She had a character name, she went to the gym, the coffee shop, the bar and met with many other citizens of Betteville in creating a story, a text, placed within the world of "L World" but with unique characters.  I found all of this fascinating and enjoyed reading the posts to see what they could create next.  My friend and her online friends created stories, narratives, with unique characters in a setting separate from "L Word" settings.  This was a created world, existing because of a copyrighted television show.  Is their collective story not authored?  I think it is.

Of course taste distinctions seem to take precedence in much of these discussions.  If several art students made a collage for display at the ODU Gallery, I am sure that would be called art.  Say it was of Shakespearean characters, even better.  I don't see the distinction.  I think both groups are equally authored.  One may appeal to people, while the other does not, but both are authored.  I think we all have our taste distinctions, I love opera and loathe ballet.  Both are thought of as high art (which is an antiquated bullshit term) by those who make those distinctions, but while opera moves me and is beautiful, ballet is full of snobby, uberskinny attention whores that seem to have no expressions.  That is a taste distinction within me.  However, I believe that both opera and ballet are authored by the musicians, producers, choreographers and even the participants.  No distinction.  Except that you would have to pay me to go to any ballet (except maybe nude and lewd) but I would gladly pay to see even the crappiest of operas.