New Fanfic Up!

[WarpGirl]

What do I know? What I do know is they've been cleaning things up for more than a year and it's still a bloody mess. I don't want that here.

[Kotik]

What do I know? What I do know is they've been cleaning things up for more than a year and it's still a bloody mess. I don't want that here.

Dunno where you collected that unpleasant experiences, dear, but every programmer with half a brain knows how to create a stats-page immune to SQL-injection these days.

[justTripn]

I am very sad about Alelou's decision, but she is telling you the absolute truth. There is no other "real reason." As for the counting function, it can be done easily, and was implemented on a test basis. However, at Triaxian Silk, the only way to check if you have new comments is to click, so I would think most of the clicks here would be people checking their own and others comments. I know that, here, I compulsively check my own newly posted stories and even those of other people, checking for comments. So to me the "counting clicks" function should go with a "email notification of a comment" function. And all that seemed a little ambitous, but I'm not an IT person. At fanfiction.net, you can check your stats and your comments without adding to the count of clicks.

[justTripn]

Also, of course we still want the stories, as soon as we can get them. For the record, and to hell with whose feelings get hurt, I think she is the best female Trip and T'Pol writer and possibly the best Trip and T'Pol writer period. We did not have a falling out.

[Aquarius]

And the fact that it's ff.net with no quality control whatsoever is a bit stinging. If you said you were going to post them first at Aquarius and Honeybee's new site. That would make sense, since we all know they have extremely high standards of quality. You can't blame us for being confused.

WG, what (by my impression) Alelou wants is some sort of measure, how many people do read her stories. Neither TriS nor Aquarius's Delphic Expanse have that. Only ff.net gives you a detailled statistic. Not counting that it takes no longer than 3 days to implement, ff.net is the only fanfiction site to provide such service.

Yes, we have stats. And yes, we enforce our quality standards. "Extremely high?" I don't know about that. Adhering to the stuff anyone with a high school education should know? Yes.

Seriously, though, people--in recent weeks, there have been a lot of jumping to conclusions around here, on various subjects, by people who don't know what they're talking about and don't have all the relevant information, and a demand for that information for people who aren't really entitled to it. I feel for Alelou here. She shouldn't have to defend her decision to anybody. They're her stories. I'll be doing something similar once "Body and Katra" is finished; my site will get first crack at my stuff, and after it's had a run there, I'll submit it here and at the other outlets I use. But that's my decision, and I don't owe anyone an explanation for that--any more than Alelou owes anyone an explanation here.

[Elessar]

I'd rather publish first in a place with no pretense of quality standards and more author control and user stats than in a place that has quality standards it doesn't live up to coupled with less control and no user stats. Consider, Kotik, that since you seldom leave comments I would not know if you've read my story here. At fanfiction.net I would at least see you counted as someone who read it, and I would even know what country you were from, which for whatever reason I find really entertaining.

You are welcome to consider that bullshit if you wish, since I have no control over what goes on in your mind.

The stuff will still run here eventually, assuming the admins don't want to ban me from the site at this point. That's their right, too. It would probably be good for me, since I already waste too much time on this stuff.

So you're basically po'ed about the same things as many others here. We post our stuff and don't know if it'll appear next week or next year and we have no idea, who reads it. But I still think it'd be better to push for improvements for this site rather than running for ff.net. I've stopped counting how often I offered help with the programming, but once we settle for what is, nothing will change. I'd prefer that some of the more veteran members spoke up, rather than just leaving for some anarchic site that's even worse. (where's the damn 'up in arms' smiley)

Kotik, there's no programming that "needs help with". I don't even know what you're referring to but you've probably told me *once* that you'd volunteer. There's nothing to do right now programmatically. Mike designed the site and since nothing's being redone or rebuilt or redesigned, it would just take a whole bunch of time to train somebody how it works under the hood all for a lot of nothing. There's nothing wrong with it, it doesn't need modification.

As far as posting speed - things have been rough around the edges lately. That happens when admins quit, and guess what? It's a week from finals week. It's... about 3 days and 22 hours from when I have an 8 week semester fluid dynamics project due. You know, for folks who have quit moderating or administrating because their priorities changed, I'm hearing an awful lot of intolerance when it comes to posting schedules. How fast did work go up at HoT? Anybody remember? I do - I remember waiting anywhere from 3-5 days for stuff to go up, and let me tell you something - HoT didn't get NEAR the traffic we do. Not even CLOSE to what we've seen lately. So take a little time to gain some perspective and have a little understanding.

If folks have their own sites, I don't begrudge them the desire to post their work on their own personal site first. That's quite understandable. In fact, in HoT's last months when I had stuff I was putting up, I didn't eve put it up at HoT, so I can understand where that comes from.

If you all have issues - whether it's with how fast stuff goes up (we know about that, we're working on it), or with technical capabilities the site should have that it doesn't have, just say something to me, not in some obscure thread in General Chat where you just expect one of us to stumble over it. Please. Try to remember I don't have as much time to spend here on a daily basis as most of you, and not nearly as much as I used to.

If you have quality standard issues, well. That's your issues. You think somebody else's stories shouldn't go up, I don't really have anything to say to you. Somebody else could walk up to me and tell me your stories are no good and I'm not going to just railroad your work off the site because someone thinks it's bad. I think it goes without saying that if you want to have a say in what goes up and what doesn't, you should be making a case to me as to why you should be a posting admin. Not complaining about it and taking your toys elsewhere. That's just how I feel about it.

As far as "things the site could use" - nobody has any right to say "I've proposed this and nobody listened" because there is nobody to propose things to except ME and I haven't heard a peep lately about this stats stuff. Guys, I'm a full time graduate student in aerospace engineering, I don't have time to just cruise the threads so thoroughly anymore that I pick up on every little suggestion and quibble. If you want something, if you think we need something, you have to say it TO ME, and even then I'm not guaranteeing I'll have time to address it like now.

About 2 or 3 years ago we addressed the possibility of 'views' and user stats. To be completely honest we didn't explore it because there wasn't much interest. It's my impression that the code for that sort of thing is not difficult. In fact if I recall, Mike worked up a test case on the beta site back end of TriS to show me what it would look like.

I'll talk to him. May be easy to get something like that going, but I don't want to hear anything about "Oh I've been asking for this, I've been asking for that". I've made it clear for years that if you want to see something, you have to come to ME. I'll fully admit that I'm having a hard time responding in a timely manner to community concerns and requests - it took a few weeks for me to even get wind of the Drabble Section discussion and from what I gathered by the poll, it's desired. I know we need it, I just haven't had time to implement it yet. I will fully accept the fault with things moving slowly around here, but I don't think that's justification enough for leaving. Folks who have been here 2, 3, 4 years, I think know that we will keep going and that you shouldn't worry about 1 or 2 people posting their work elsewhere or what-have-you. I certainly don't mean to make any specific claims or anything but I'll tell you that in the 4 years we've been around, since the schism with HoT, there have been like 3 or 4 offshoot fanfiction websites and you know maybe they are still around - but I certainly don't see any effect of it on our numbers. I don't see fewer posters, or fewer stories going up. Those guys were around for a little bit but you know what, it's really hard to built a sustainable fanfiction community, you gotta start with a really big base - like we did from HoT and TrekBBS when HoT closed. I (we) had the tremendous advantage of being pretty much sponsored by Bucky and Mist as the successor home of TnT fanfic. Now, we had a bit of a rough start with some archival issues as a few may recall, but I think it was pretty clear to everyone that TriS was the next place to go - and that is what gave us the momentum we needed to keep going. It's very hard to get a fanfic site up and going and keep it going, and to build a base. I can tell you we've done it based on the names I see here. You all who make up the fanfic writing and reading base today aren't even close to the same folks we had 4 years ago. That right there tells you we've had a complete turnover, we've recruited so many people we've been able to do that - and that's not easy to do.

And on the issue of fanfiction.net - it may be argued that they have a billion and one ways to track usage and views, but a person sure as hell can't argue that they're leaving TriS on quality control grounds if they're moving to FF.net. FF.net exercises absolutely no editorial control or quality assurance whatsoever, which anyone who posts there knows - you post YOUR OWN WORK for God's sake, pretty much anything can go up over there.

[Silverbullet]

I agree that Alelou is a great TnT writer. She has set the standard for writing on this board. she has set the bar high. She is the meter of quality on this board. She should be proud of her stories and her effect on others who try to write nearly as well as she dies.

Like all writers she cannot please everyone and at times even her most devoted fans will find a story that doesn't appeal to them. Happens to the best of writers. So a comment or two that is not so nice can be expected as long as it is directed at the writing and not the writer.
Unfortunaely some writers bristle at any comment that is not laudetory. Alelou is not one of those. She accepts all comments with grace.

Again, she has set the tandard and the bar. It is high but not unattainable (sp) just difficult. but a worthy goal.

SB

[Elessar]

I agree, SB. I'd be sad to see her stop posting here if that's what she decides to do. There are something like 3 or 4 names at the very top of the list when it comes to the best of the best, and Alelou's most definitely one of them. I hope she changes her mind and continues to post here even if she posts at FF.net also.

[Silverbullet]

Okay Alelou, Ellesar has not yet designated anyone to fill the vacancies left by the two other admins who have left for their own board.

He also said that he would enteratain arequest to be designated as a new Admin to fill one of those vacanices.

You could do a lot for the site and perhaps suggest some modifications or changes that would improve quality or other issues.

I would ike to see you as a moderator.

So, step up to the plate.

SB

[Alelou]

Wow, an evil mind could look at all this and decide this has really just been some kind of diabolical publicity stunt.

First, thanks for the kind words.

And now ... Elessar, I never said I wouldn't post here. I just won't be posting stuff FIRST here. (An exception might be decon stories.) I know some people only read or comment on fic here, and wouldn't want to lose that readership.

SB, I was an admin here in the past, and it is time-consuming work, especially if done with the speed and thoroughness that I feel the job deserves. Also, the admins really need to be on the same page about what kind of work should be posted. That wouldn't be the case if I rejoined. I also have little free time during my semesters and frankly I'd rather use it for writing.

However, I still support Triaxian Silk (literally, I am a contributing member), and I fully intend to continue doing so. It's not like I'm taking my toys and going to play somewhere else. This is especially true if, as it appears, I haven't mortally offended anyone today, for which I am thankful.

[WarpGirl]

Of course, you haven't offended anyone. Worried us yes, but like I said it's because we care. You inspire so many people. We're selfish, we don't want to lose that.

[justTripn]

And a Mistletoe challenge story, from Linda! In the Library of P'Jem section:

Over the Mistletoe

[Elessar]

Chapter 6 of Unexpected Too by Misplaced is up!

[Elessar]

Just thought I would alert everyone to the stats up on stories now Mike and I decided to install it awhile ago but never made them visible... just never came up I guess

[WarpGirl]

Another hug. Here's hoping it won't get hacked.