Should the fanfic forum be split up?

Excellent decision! It'll be much easier now to find stories that really interest the reader. Great job!

 

Splitting up by era sounds good.

But I'd like to propose a "wildcard" section as well...comedy.

My Mr. T comedy story is loosely based during the Episode II timeline, but is really intended to just flat out make people laugh. Maybe in addition to the timelines, have a second directory which would include stuff like action, romance, comedy, *angst* (which so many people seem to love ). I think having it broken by timeline and by genre would ensure those who are looking for a specific story will find it.

 

I think most of us have agreed that sorting-by-genre would be too hard to maintain.

May I make a suggestion, though?

If we split the forum into three era-fora, perhaps each forum would have official sticky-thread indices sorted by genre?

 

Haven't posted before now, just watching everyone else discuss, since the majority hold my opinion, but i just had a question and then a comment.

First- Is it fairly simple to cut and paste a thread onto the new board, that is if it's only a couple pages as of yet? Personally, having just started something I wouldn't mind making the effort to move it, along with the few replies I have so far, but only if it's not THAT difficult to do. Can someone offer instructions how to do this?

Second- I think that sticky indices for the individual boards sorted by genre is a great idea. It was thoght of before to avoid a split, but now the idea should be recycled as I think it would serve an even better purpose in the way it was just suggested. Leave it up to the authors to be responsible for placing their link and a brief summary in the correct sticky thread- eleiminated the work for mods or whoever was doing that before. Plus, in general, I htink that that might please the people who were for the genre split in the first place as well- maybe not completely, but it's up the ally of compromise.

-Rogue

 

Is it fairly simple to cut and paste a thread onto the new board, that is if it's only a couple pages as of yet?
If you've already started a thread and want to copy it, you can move the markups as well as the text by clicking "edit" and copying the text from the box.

And I like the "sticky sorted by genres" idea as well.

 

why don't you split it up into:

Post New Jedi Order Era
New Jedi Order Era
New Republic Era (post OT but pre-Njo)
Original Trilogy Era
Prequel Trilogy Era
Pre-prequel trilogy era
Infinities (stories that take place in multiple times)

 

That will cause more problems than not, I'm afraid . . . I'm writing a story right now that is post-ROTJ and will extend into the NJO era . . . where would it go?

And what about intertrilogy?

 

The Standmaiden is right; extended fics would cause problems because they'd fit into more than one. Besides, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the idea of the three-era split was to have as few fora as possible. Perhaps it was agreed that more were needed to keep fics from being buried, but we've gotten along thus far with just one; why would more than three be needed? It would be impossible to monitor NINE fanfic boards (The seven your just suggested, the current fanfic board, and the resource forum). I know we just got two more mods, but let's be a little more understanding of their human limitations!

 

Before the Saga, The Saga, and Beyond the Saga

Those catagories are perfect I reckon everything will fit perfectly

Question: will there be information on what goes where for newbies in a sticky thread in ALL fan fiction forums? I'm just thinking of that because a newbie might not know where to post what and may post it in the old forum and not get as much feedback.

 

Question: will there be information on what goes where for newbies in a sticky thread in ALL fan fiction forums? I'm just thinking of that because a newbie might not know where to post what and may post it in the old forum and not get as much feedback.

There will be a sticky thread giving information out and hopefully a thread in each of the forums too explaining the purpose.

They actually won't be able to post new stories in the old forum. The old forum will (on March 15th) become a reply only forum and so people won't be able to post new threads, although they will still be able to post replies to current stories.

*

The only problem that I've got with having sticky indexes by genre is that it would lead to a plethora of sticky indexes at the top of the page. You'd have to scroll down through several lists before you even got to the fanfic. It'd look something like this.

* What's this forum about?
* Pre-Saga Index
* Saga Index
* Post Saga Index
* Genre Index - comedy
* Genre Index - angst
* Genre Index - romance
* Genre Index - action
* Genre Index - adventure

That's nine sticky thread's you'd have to go through before you got to any stories. I don't know what other people think, but I feel that's too many threads. Now imagine you had a story with comedy and romance that was set in the foundations of the Old Republic. You'd have to put it in the Pre-Saga index and then into the comedy and romance indexes. I doubt authors would want to go that far.

However, as a compromise, I'd be willing to start an index thread (like Juli's old index thread) with the new stories by month or even if people submitted it, having a floating thread where the stories were editted into category boxes as the author so wished.

Kithera

 

I agree, that's a lot of sticky threads to get through every time you go onto another page.

Can't you only have the different catagory indexes in their proper forum? It'd get rid of two sticky threads.

As for indexing by genre, is that necessary? I mean, can't you just indicate in a normal index the genre of the story? Seems easier to me.

 

Ginger_Jedi:

I thought that having the index for the other boards might be useful to some readers wanting to know what was in the other boards, but I can take those out to.

As for the genre ones I'd like to see them just put into the category index under the title. Example...

Forum: PreSaga

In the Pre-Saga index.

Flying Lessons
Author: Kit'
Genre: Angst
Description: Juli finally stands at the cross-roads but this time there is no-one to catch her

That gives the genre right there rather then having to post it in another index as well.

Kithera

 

I thought that having the index for the other boards might be useful to some readers wanting to know what was in the other boards, but I can take those out to.

I totally understand why you would put the other indexes there but I was just thinking of ways you could perhaps cut down on sticky threads

I also personally prefer having the genre listed under the title of the story. I'm all for everything being nicely organised but not if it's going to take up a lot of sticky threads

So perhaps there only need be two sticky threads per catagory - the index of all the fan fiction in the catagory itself and the "Welcome New Users" section?

 

If we're talking about restarting the New Stories Index, I'd be willing to take it over. I ran it in the summer while Julie was on hiatus, so I know what's involved.

If we were to restart this, though, I think there should be a floating thread like Julie had in each forum, and then a master sticky thread in WR. Does that make sense?

 

If we were to restart this, though, I think there should be a floating thread like Julie had in each forum, and then a master sticky thread in WR. Does that make sense?

Ooh that's a really good idea Melyanna It would cut down on sticky threads too

I'd be willing to help out if you need someone

 

Time frame? I personally don't care about what time what I want to read takes place in. I care more about what type of story it is. It would be much easier to find stuff if it was organized by Action, Romance, Comedy, etc.

 

So perhaps there only need be two sticky threads per catagory - the index of all the fan fiction in the catagory itself and the "Welcome New Users" section?

I like that idea. If we get too complicated we?ll have sticky threads galore, and then we?ll have to scroll halfway down the first page before we even come to the stories. I would like to see us using the same format we currently have in the original forum ? there seems to be no qualms with how it?s operating. Once the board turns into reply-only, we won?t need to use them.

Julie?s idea is a good compromise, but also sounds like a lot of work compared to the other options.

So just to demonstrate, we would have a ?Welcome New Users/Welcome to _______ forum? and then an index, which would have entries like this under it:

Title (linked)
Author
Date began
Summary (25 words or less)
Sequel? (list previous entries, title only, if applicable)
Notes (major genre, major characters, alternate universe, any major relationships if applicable, EU noncompliant, etc--list of common abbreviations below)

That?s the current sticky index system we have going.

Am

 

I have a question...If you had written a story, would you repost it in the new split up forum, or would it be moved? ?

 

You can repost it *if* you want to. There is no complusion on reposting it or anything like that. The original boards and stories will stay and so only repost a story if you want to.

I'd love to see the index start up again and your idea Mely is great

Kithera

 

Okay, everyone, here?s an important question:

Do you think we need sticky threads? What is your preference?


If you could answer that, we would be very grateful. Thanks .

Am

 

Yes, I think so. What has been suggested - a Welcome/Whatever else sticky and an Index - seems a like a good idea to me.

 

I agree with obaona on the subject of sticky threads.

If the forum is split up into pre-saga, saga and post-saga, the pre-saga forum will probably get a lot less traffic than the other two - for example page 1 currently has:

2 pre-saga fics
10 saga fics
13 post-saga fics

On the basis of this I would suggest splitting into only 2 boards - pre-saga/saga and post-saga.

I understand that what's on the page 1 may not be a typical selection as in America it is early morning, so I'm off to count some other pages.

 

I agree with obaona as well, having the two sticky threads would be fine.

 

crystal rain -

Six months ago there would have been more traffic into the pre-Saga forum then into the Saga forum. The stories are always changing on the fanfic board (or rather, what is popular is always changing) and pre-saga fics may become popular again which is why a pre-saga forum seperate from the saga forum is a good idea.

Kithera

 

Okay, thanks Kit!

A welcome sticky would be good...and an index? You mean of the stories that would be in that forum right? That'd be cool!


God bless!

-Malz