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MacAllister

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So here are a couple of things I've been thinking about quite a lot.

Absolute Write will be twenty years old, in 2019. That's practically prehistoric, for any site. But...

It's getting harder every year to keep the lights on and the doors open.

We also have some forum areas that, while once vigorous, are now largely silent, due either to markets changing (buy magazines much, anyone? Chances are the content is churned out mostly by staff writers or even volunteers)-- or perhaps due to cultural and technological shifts.

What do YOU want to see happen here?
What do you think keeps you here or brought you here?
How can we give everyone more of what we all love most about the AW community?

I'm glad you're here. I'm hoping we find a way to go right on ahead for another twenty years, too.
 
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Enlightened

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Not certain, but I think the post requests ways to streamline the forum. If this is true....

Paying it forward (writers/publishers/editors/agents/other helping writers) is a huge benefit. SYW is a huge plus. Sticky topics are extremely helpful. Info pages on Agents and what not, invaluable. General Writing Interest, Publishing, Freelance, and Discussion sections, invaluable.

I think Writing Exercises, Prompts & Movies/TV/Theater... might be resource killers. Maybe limit avatar image size.
 
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MacAllister

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Not necessarily streamlining. Every room has it's own sub-community, as well, and those can be powerful bonds. I'm mostly looking to touch base with folks, and get a feel for what matters most to people.
 

Enlightened

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For me, I visit a lot of the forums, but some a lot heavier than others. I like the helping writers forums the best. There are a lot of fantastic people who take the time to help new and still-learning writers. This is a huge draw, at least for me.

Coming on 20 years? Wow. Thanks for keeping the community up-and-running so long. Wonderful environment.
 

mrsmig

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Wow. Nearly twenty years old. That's a huge accomplishment, Mac - congratulations!

The single sub-forum that's been most valuable to me is the BR&BC section. It's one of those where even an old thread can hold useful information. But on the flip side, I wonder if there's any benefit in hanging onto years-old Share Your Work threads, or pages and pages of old game threads. Is there anything to be gleaned from those old threads - especially in the case of the SYW subforums, where so many members got their crits and disappeared from AW forever?
 

MacAllister

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Yeah. I can't quite believe it, either, but we started in 1999. I took over in 2006. ☺️
 
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Maggie Maxwell

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Yeah, I'm with mrsmig. Cleaning up old threads that aren't informative would be fine. SYW included because advice changes with the times and we've all seen our fair share of zombie SYW threads. As much as I love rereading some of the old publisher threads (some good popcorn material in those), ones belonging to long-closed shops can probably go. Same with the news threads. There are 13 years of threads on this forum alone. You could probably dump a decade's worth and most would not be missed. If a question hasn't been asked in 3 years, new threads can be started.

The knowledgebase and support is mostly what keeps me here. I got questions, I can get them answered. Need critique, I can get it. I've made timeless friends here. As long as AW is around doing what AW does best, helping writers become better and smarter, I'm satisfied.
 

Maryn

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I'm not a bit surprised that keeping the lights on is expensive. One change I'd like to see is an annual or semi-annual pledge week in which AW actively seeks to fund-raise from those who use its resources. Yes, there are people who genuinely cannot afford to give anything at all, and they would, of course, remain welcome. But too many of us who could come up with donations somehow never get around to fulfilling our good intentions.

So push us, at a time when it seems few financial demands are being made on us as a group. Mid-October and mid-March?

Oh, and as the holidays near, put a big flashing arrow and an explanation next to "AW is an Amazon Affiliate" up top.

I, too, think a lot of the older SYW posts could go, especially those in which the OP is long gone. (I would volunteer to research when's the last time the OP logged on to my area's SYW board.)

The oldest of the social goofing around threads, the ones with many iterations, are probably just taking up space as well. You all know I'm not a tech user, so I don't know how much of an issue lots of never-looked-at pages might be.

I suppose if it were necessary we could limit space on the boards that are not writing-focused, with a rate of expiry unless something is pinned. But I do a lot of my socializing here, so I'd hate to see the Office Party and similar non-writing boards go.
 

lizmonster

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Thank you so much for this place.

I'm up for anything that'll keep the lights on. My own presence here is mostly social; I like talking to other writers, because we can all start from at least one common experience. There are some damn smart people here, and some damn good writers, and it's always a pleasure to converse with people like that.

I love the RYFW rule. It forces me to debate about things, not people. (I fail sometimes. I keep trying. It's worth it.)

For my own usage...I tend to follow particular posts rather than specific forums. I started here on the M/T/S board, even though that's not what I write, because the person who brought me in was participating there. These days I almost always begin by clicking on New Posts, and I don't always pay attention to subforum.

I'm with mrsmig: Bewares is the most valuable single forum, at least in terms of an archive.

In general, I agree it's not important to keep older threads (or at least inactive older threads). There are questions that keep getting asked no matter how often they're answered; there are also questions that aren't going to be relevant anymore. And I certainly wouldn't mind seeing my old SYW posts disappear. ;)
 

Jason

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I would agree with the annual fund drive - every March (or which ever month):

1. Send a broadcast email, announcing the annual fund drive, in advance, or make a header banner with that info.
2. Find members willing to donate their services as a part of the fund drive:
A. Jason from Colorado has offered 30 minutes of Wordpress support for the next 5 people that donate $5 or more
B. Jill from Minnesota has offered a free Kindle eBook for the next 10 people that donate $10
C. lizmonster from Massachusetts has a painted copy of her hardcover artwork available for the first person who donates $50
D. Lisa will grant 250px avatars for the next 20 people who sign up for a $20 annual subscription​
3. Maybe start a Shopify or a CafePress store and sell AW coffee mugs, pencils, or USB sticks

As to the forums themselves, yes archiving dated content (say anything over 10 years) would be a great way to do streamline speediness. Another forum I've participated in for photography called Fred Miranda also uses vBulletin, and they found a way to archive content annually while keeping the Google juice intact. I'd imagine it's being done through some plugin or something. I know the main site page content at https://absolutewrite.com/ is archived from what looks to be the Wordpress based homepage, so no reason why that couldn't be extended to the forums.

For myself lately, the forums have been particularly useful as a means of escaping from some rather frightening stuff going on in real life with family, friends, and work, so the Office Party threads are my go-to, but the SYW forums are also equally valuable. if I had to rank the subforums, they'd probably be along the lines of:

Office Party
SYW
Roundtable

The only other thing I could think of that might keep repeated questions on the same topics to a minimum might be some cornerstone articles strategically placed outside the forums that could be linked (here, I actually had an idea about a Wordpress cornerstone article or two since a lot of people seem to have questions about creating a blog, or blogging). Same thing goes for topics like Ask The Editor and others....cornerstone content can really help a lot to improve usability.

Otherwise, I think 20 years in and of itself is sufficiently impressive and suggests that you're doing more right than wrong compared with 99% of the other forum communities out there on the interwebs. So, don't beat yourselves up too much about what's not right - you've got more right than most of the world! :)

Just my 2¢ (in a world where pennies are meaningless...)
 

tiddlywinks

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I'm not a bit surprised that keeping the lights on is expensive. One change I'd like to see is an annual or semi-annual pledge week in which AW actively seeks to fund-raise from those who use its resources. <snip>

I, too, think a lot of the older SYW posts could go, especially those in which the OP is long gone. (I would volunteer to research when's the last time the OP logged on to my area's SYW board.)

So, I like these suggestions from Maryn. Speaking as one who was just on here, looked at the giant blue subscription button at the bottom and went "oh crap, I should probably make my yearly contribution!" :greenie Have a pledge week and keep it low-key, so members who aren't in a financial position to do so aren't feeling the squeeze, but those of us who, uh, *cough* kinda just need that reminder because we're absented minded adults *whistles* can scramble and take care of business. If you need volunteer minions for going out spreading the wonderful message in perhaps shineyyy and writerly ways on the various forum threads during said pledge week or whatever...*waves shineyyy scythe in tribute*

When it comes to SYW, I have to say I have found that to be IMMENSELY helpful. As in, I'm probably one of those rare weirdos who goes back and reviews my own SYW threads on occasion to remind myself of "Bad Winks" tics I may have forgotten and suggestions for fixing, on the super-duper-rare-and-totally-not-lying-about-that occasion said tic rises once more. I'd probably freak out if my SYW threads were deleted, so if you are considering that route, maybe deleting those of folks who are no longer active, like Maryn suggested? *hugs SYW* *mutters at having forgotten it's like hugging a porcupine*

I spend a fair amount of time lurking in some of the writing advice threads and noting things. And the stickies...SO HELPFUL. I love the stickied information.

I also tend to vary between spending my time in the writing advice, SYW, and office party threads, depending on where I'm at with my writing and IRL stressors. Sometimes the office party spaces are a great spot to just connect with fellow writers and destress, or share silly stories that only a fellow writer would laugh at. And heck, sometimes I get story inspiration from them. The big thing is that AW allows me to develop those relationships with fellow writers (and sometimes I can secretly stalk them to learn their 'style' in case I'm thinking of approaching them for advice / beta / whatever. I'm a shy person, and this has allowed me to connect with writers in a way that really works for me - both for advice and for acquaintances that have developed into long-standing friendships.)

I also love that I get a sneak peek behind the curtain at some AMAZING writing in SYW. And it makes me feel pretty good when I've offered an acorn that was useful to someone on their own writer journey. I also like that critters on SYW are willing to deliver constructive criticism - not everything is roses and sunshine. I'm not looking for roses and sunshine; I want to curse someone's parentage and three days later admit grudgingly they were right and grow because they dumped a bucket of rain on me. Well. Sometimes a gentle sprinkle is preferred. But you get the idea.

This is my first online forum ever, too, but I think it was fairly easy to learn the ins and outs because you have such knowledgeable and helpful moderators. And I've never worried about being trolled or flamed on because RYFW is taken very seriously. So thank you for that peace of mind.

I also like that most everything is self-contained within the AW forums. It makes it easier to find things, to interact with my fellow AWers on my own timetable, etc.

Hmm. I seem to have mostly "here's what I like" without concrete suggestions of what else I might like to see. I'll think on it more, but that's what I've got? :Shrug:

Thanks again! This has been an invaluable resource since I joined and I've greatly appreciated the advice, the encouragement, and the great people I've met here as a result.

Winks, shutting off the ramble now
 
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shadowsminder

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Whoop! Are we going to party next year?

I'd like minor changes to the emoticons. A few of the images feel outdated from shifts in online ettiquette. That's all I can think of that hasn't been said. I manage to get lost in this site, but that's likely on me to fix. (Maybe I can make myself an AW homepage?)

I support the ideas of an annual campaign drive and the archival of old content so they're not obscuring current threads. Conversations about publishers, trends, or techniques from 10 or 20 years ago can help writers who go searching for it, but I don't think that happens enough to keep a closed thread from years ago with new threads.
 
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Roxxsmom

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SYW is a huge benefit to writers at all levels, but especially newbies who are plucking up the courage to get some constructive feedback. Forums discussing the industry and the process of getting published via different means. There have been a ton of changes in the publishing industry, and in self publishing, over the past several years. Is there outdated information or subforums that could be pruned?

I like the genre specific forums too. My favorites are SFF, historical, and romance, which are the genres I read the most, but everyone has their own preferences. It seems like these forums run hot and cold. The SFF forum, for instance, swings back and forth between being really active to being pretty quiet, but it would be a shame to close those down.

Maybe some genres that are really under-visited or utilized over a long time period could be combined? I don't know which might work, though.

The current events forum is always hopping.

The forums that support under-represented writers and members of the community are also very useful.

I sometimes wish there were a forum to discuss gender issues in writing, though each genre has its own challenges there. Maybe that's the issue, as being a woman writing SF is different from being a woman writing romance or historical or mysteries or literary fiction etc.
 

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Whoop! Are we going to party next year?

I'd like minor changes to the emoticons. A few of the images feel outdated from shifts in online ettiquette. That's all I can think of that hasn't been said. I manage to get lost in this site, but that's likely on me to fix. (Maybe I can make myself an AW homepage?)

There's an FAQ Stickie for requesting smilies aka emoticons. The tricky part is that I have to either license them for a fee (which I've done) or otherwise get permission, so I won't guarantee that a requested smilie will appear. And Mac has to approve them, too.

Regarding the emoticons/smilies: Would there be a hue and cry if I removed some of the current emoticons/smilies to make room for more?

I'm pretty sure I could come up with a way to let people know which ones would be removed, so people could let me know if I'm about to remove one that's beloved and I have overlooked it.
 

Jason

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There's an FAQ Stickie for requesting smilies aka emoticons. The tricky part is that I have to either license them for a fee (which I've done) or otherwise get permission, so I won't guarantee that a requested smilie will appear. And Mac has to approve them, too.

It shouldn’t surprise me that certain emoticons have licensing, but I still kinda said “Really?” To that lol

Regarding the emoticons/smilies: Would there be a hue and cry if I removed some of the current emoticons/smilies to make room for more?

Nah, I say just announce and do it - clear out the licensed ones and use the free ones. Can’t believe dues/donations should go to that stuff. It’s not what makes the place so valuable imho.

I'm pretty sure I could come up with a way to let people know which ones would be removed, so people could let me know if I'm about to remove one that's beloved and I have overlooked it.

Heh, I have no qualms or emotional connection to any specific emoticon
 

MaeZe

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As easy as it might seem, I had a couple issues with subscriptions, mainly my PayPal email isn't the same one I use for AW (I should probably update the PayPal/eBay address). So the two times I've paid I'm not sure anyone knew the first one was MaeZe. The second time Lisa passed on the info.

My memory is poor but it seemed like a year ago there were levels of subscriptions and now those are gone. My Halloween avatar is a gif but a year ago it said I didn't have that privilege. Not sure if that had to do with my subscription or not.

OK, 'nuff of that. I'm unclear which problems need solutions. If it's server space, would archiving older posts in the SYW help? I know people must read old threads because they reply to them, but that would be a place to cut space.

Otherwise I like all of the content categories. I'll be moving on to queries, agents and publishers real soon even though I haven't spent much time there yet.

I'm rambling now.... sorry.


Oh yeah, I'm here because I feel like I belong to this community of writers.
 
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Brightdreamer

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Another user saying they love this forum and hope it can stick around; a well-moderated forum is truly a rare treasure these days.

My use tends to be social (in a creative drought at the moment), though I find the SYW exceptionally helpful, a unique feature that deserves preservation priority if you gotta make cuts to save costs. Agreeing that older posts could be archived, especially if they're costing money, particularly on the more social/chatty subforums; one is unlikely to find useful advice hidden in an old "If you were a hat, what kind would you be?" for-funsies thread.

And I agree that a periodic pledge drive/reminder of the importance of subscriptions/using affiliate links should be a Thing. It's too easy to take the forums for granted. I mean well, but I don't always remember. (Speaking of, something I gotta do...)
 

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Nah, I say just announce and do it - clear out the licensed ones and use the free ones. Can’t believe dues/donations should go to that stuff. It’s not what makes the place so valuable imho.

It never has; I just either do the paperwork to license, or pay the fees. It's never been more than a cup of coffee or so, and some people really like them.

And artists should be paid just as much as writers should be paid.

There was a [ahem] issue a few years ago when some were removed. Never underestimate what a user finds important.
 
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AW Admin

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Another user saying they love this forum and hope it can stick around; a well-moderated forum is truly a rare treasure these days.

My use tends to be social (in a creative drought at the moment), though I find the SYW exceptionally helpful, a unique feature that deserves preservation priority if you gotta make cuts to save costs. Agreeing that older posts could be archived, especially if they're costing money, particularly on the more social/chatty subforums; one is unlikely to find useful advice hidden in an old "If you were a hat, what kind would you be?" for-funsies thread.

We actually do purge threads selectively, and always have, in terms of whether they're viable content or not; old contests that are no longer open, for instance.

But honestly, the amount of storage we would get back is minimal. It's not a cost savings. It's not even a speed savings, since indexing bots etc. primarily use the archive.

Also, while we do purge selectively, and lock old threads, there's some value in having those old threads.
 
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Chris P

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I've been on a loooong writing hiatus that might never end (it will when the time comes, whenever that will be) so I participate now more as a reader than a writer. When I was writing, though, I found the SYW, BR&BC, sandbox, research and grammar threads super helpful. I had a great time with the Writing for Kids monthly prompts, and the short story section was quite lively then. The non-writing threads, such as the Bookclub, the games and exercises and even (love/hate relationship I've had with some of the people there) Activism, Current Events and Hope fora keep me coming back to AW on a daily basis, and give me an opportunity to contribute whatever writing experiences I might have. I (and my donation subscription) might have moved on long ago without them.

I'm not sure what would need to happen to cut costs, since I don't know if things like zombie threads are expensive or not. I'll trust the judgement of those who know. I like the idea of a subscription drive every now and then. The ads we have now don't bother me (although the floating ones we had a couple years ago for a month or two drove me batty on the tablet with my fat fingers not able to hit the right x to close it).

Oh, and the AW Amazon store link always takes me to my welcome page and not to the AW Amazon store like it did a long time ago.
 

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Oh, and the AW Amazon store link always takes me to my welcome page and not to the AW Amazon store like it did a long time ago.

Amazon killed the actual stores for a specific site in October of 2017. And while I could build one, it's not clear that it would be worth it.

But if you go to Amazon via that link and make a purchase, AW will receive a percentage of the price of most things that you buy; it doesn't affect your cost in any way, and we don't know who bought what.