Writers.net

I noticed that too John. Hope nothing's happened with Hamish. Maybe one of their in-the-know folks will drop by here with some scuttlebutt.

I used to frequent WN before I found AW, then I totally defected.

The "straw that broke the camel's back" was when a poster wanted to know why publishers weren't interested in his book about how a man "found love" with a ten year old boy. The thread was both sickening and disturbing, but it was never deleted or anything. That's about when I completely stopped going there.

That and some of the membes got on my last nerve.

allen

Just a gentle reminder: please, no insults about other boards (or their members) here.

underthecity said:

I used to frequent WN before I found AW, then I totally defected.

The "straw that broke the camel's back" was when a poster wanted to know why publishers weren't interested in his book about how a man "found love" with a ten year old boy. The thread was both sickening and disturbing, but it was never deleted or anything. That's about when I completely stopped going there.

That and some of the membes got on my last nerve.

allen

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LMAO! Wow. This is seriously funny and disturbing. And I thought my book was controversial.

Gone?

I know from this thread that they have a history of going down. I've rarely gone to the site, but remembered an old discussion there someone had once pointed out that I wanted to find.

The url now directs to a Bluehost holding page, and when I googled to make sure I had the address right, there's now a note below the site link on Google that reads, "This site may harm your computer."

Anyone know what's going on?

Thanks Cao! It was actually a link I believe you posted somewhere back in the day that led me there this morning (pertinent to another discussion over in B&BC). No surprise, here, that you'd show up with helpful information. You always do.

Problems at WritersNet

Has anyone been over there recently? They have this dreadful new software that's impossible to navigate and the new moderator has alienated many long time members with her actions -- selective censorship, etc. It used to be a thriving site, but there is very little activity there now.

http://www.writers.net/

An example of censorship at WN

A thread that was started on WN re this call for submissions at AW, was deleted as being in poor taste and against their TOS.

"Seeking humorous non-fiction about poop. Yes poop. [token advance, royalties]

This Book is Sh*t!

A Collection of Hilarious True-life Stories and Essays About Shit, Complete with Corn

Edited by Garrett Calcaterra

Seeking humorous essays, articles, and true-life stories having to do with shit. Shitting at work, pants shitting, shitting etiquette, philosophical musings on shit... if it's funny submit it. No coprophilia or sexual content please. Poop is funny, not sexy. Terms to be negotiated once we have a publisher lined up. Agents are currently reviewing the proposal. In all likelihood, contributors will receive a token advance, and royalties if/when the book sells well."

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213224

WN members subsequently started up another thread titled: Why was the poop thread removed?

Clementine B said:

A thread that was started on WN yesterday re this call for submissions at AW was deleted as being in poor taste and against their TOS.

"Seeking humorous non-fiction about poop. Yes poop. [token advance, royalties]

This Book is Sh*t!

A Collection of Hilarious True-life Stories and Essays About Shit, Complete with Corn

Edited by Garrett Calcaterra

Seeking humorous essays, articles, and true-life stories having to do with shit. Shitting at work, pants shitting, shitting etiquette, philosophical musings on shit... if it's funny submit it. No coprophilia or sexual content please. Poop is funny, not sexy. Terms to be negotiated once we have a publisher lined up. Agents are currently reviewing the proposal. In all likelihood, contributors will receive a token advance, and royalties if/when the book sells well."

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=213224

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*Sarcasm alert*

It looks like they've achieved the pinacle of literary achievement. We might as well all give up now, guys.

A whole thread was deleted, and a senior member banned because of this image, which the moderator claimed was "nudity," and "obscene." It isn't nudity. The underwear is painted onto the fabric. It's the latest fashion craze from Japan.



Yet threads started up to attack other members, with titles such as "Is Martin’s enormous penis straight or curved?" which are really crude, are allowed to remain.

I've never been a member at WN. The site just never appealed to me. But I do surf around it now and then to see if there's anything new. And there is a huge brouhaha going on at the moment over the issues previously mentioned. They have definitely lost a lot of their membership. You don't see many of the old names popping up any more, and very few new ones, either.

The new software has been in place for months, but it still continues to be a vexing problem. Apparently, it's even difficult to register, or log in. I don't know why they're not fixing it. There has been ample time to do so. And then there's the moderation, which can at best, only be described as inconsistent.

And I agree that if you don't like it leave. Makes sense. However, some of these people have been members for ages, and have contributed a lot to the site, over the years, in terms of their time and expertise. Some of them have started up their own forum, and I wish them every success.

Clementine B said:

The new software has been in place for months, but it still continues to be a vexing problem. Apparently, it's even difficult to register, or log in. I don't know why they're not fixing it.

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To be fair, vbulletin is non trivial to set up or admin. Moreover the next 4.x version is way different, and if you don't know a lot about how forums and Content Management Systems work, it's awfully easy to trip over yourself.

Have some patience regarding the software stuff; it's not easy. Really, it's not--I've been doing this stuff for mumbledy-mumbledy years, and I've got shawkins and other peeps to bail AW out, and it's still not trivial. Just give them a while to get the kinks figured out.

Clementine B said:

...The underwear is painted onto the fabric. It's the latest fashion craze from Japan.

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Ohhh, I ought to try and wear that to work. Think I can get away with it?

Clementine B said:

I've never been a member at WN.

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Just a little heads up, WN is also an abbreviation of a UK writers magazine [Writers News] called Writing Magazine and also run a forum for writers. Just so there's no confusion.

I just came across this on my travels.

http://www.writersinternetcafe.blogspot.com/