@KiraEllion Don't get me wrong; I totally get your frustration. There's a lot about the nature of scanlation that's unsatisfactory, and the concept of "sniping" is definitely one of them. But the problem is, you really only have two options:
Option A: Learn to read another language and do your own translating/scanlating, as many users are fond of retorting with.
or
Option B: Accept that there's really no good way to police scanlation, nor should there be, in all honesty.
Putting aside issues of legality or morality (which so many people are fond of bringing up, as if we all aren't here for the same thing), scanlating is--for the most part--a voluntary service. No one
has to scanlate. So those who choose to do so, do so knowing that there's some sort of value in it for them, whether it be monetary, educational, or ego value. They do what others can't or won't, and many of them
know that, which leads to some occasionally unpleasant or unscrupulous behavior. Yes, there are some things you, as a reader, can do to mitigate those kinds of behaviors, but for the most part, it really boils down to just learning to tolerate/ignore the bad and support the good, in the hopes that supporting the good will encourage them to keep on keeping on.
That's the "human element" of scanlation: people/groups who want to be shitty, are going to be shitty. People/groups who want to be helpful, are going to be helpful. Both sides are going to continue doing whatever it is they want to do, however it is they want to do it, no matter what rules or incentives are put in place. If anything, putting more rules and policies in place will actively make things worse because the groups that do quality scanlations are going to feel as though they're being limited/punished for something they had no hand in, while the troll groups and snipers will simply find some new and inventive way to bend/break those rules, or leave, and continue their antics elsewhere. It could even result in some of those quality scanlators becoming part of the problem in their own way: you've no doubt probably seen some scanlation groups already who believe they, and only they, have claim on a given series, and as such, think they can define when, how, and
if it gets released to the reader. That issue would only be exacerbated if the ability to compete with such groups became limited in any meaningful fashion. That's why every post calling for regulating the process of scanlation is doomed to fail--that human element is both the strong point and the weakness of this whole "trade": it only exists, good or bad, because people are allowed to approach it how they want.
Now, if this was just to vent, that's cool. I routinely have to stop myself from making E/N posts complaining about manga tropes I don't like, or scanlator group decisions I don't agree with. But I figured I would try to actually add some constructive explanation of why nothing gets done about sniping, since these threads often devolve into miniature flame wars or collective mocking of the OP.
If you read all the way to this point, thank you for your time, and patience. (Hopefully) Happy reading to you.
EDIT: Grammar clean-up.
