EveKnight75

From a moderating point of view, I'm not so sure that having review response threads for individual stories/authors is such a great idea. Discussing review issues and general advice on how to respond to certain types of reviews is much more inclusive. That being said, you have a "blog" option in your profile. You can type the URL of your blog in there and it will show up in both your profile info and as a linked button at the bottom of each post (where your contact info is located). To the techs: how hard would it be to do the same for the archives? I mean adding a field to provide a blog link (under Homepage, perhaps?). If it doesn't cause any issues, I think that may be a good idea. Personally, I'd love to have a PM option and/or the ability to reply to each review directly on the board (I remember seeing this option on another fanfic site - was it MM?). But I also know that the latter would require coding that may disrupt the review boards, and the former would also require some careful coding.

Many sites host both fanfiction and fanart. However, these sites are also small and can monitor everything a little more easily. For some reason, adult graphic art is more frowned upon and more heavily censored than adult literature. The staff would have to work harder to ensure that the art doesn't cause trouble. God knows that AFF has enough trouble with minors and improper disclaimers as it is. Seriously, some people actually change the default disclaimer to invalidate it (don't ask me why). I can understand why the site staff wouldn't want to take that risk. If I were a site staff member, I wouldn't either. Honestly, the only solution I can think of is restricting adult-rated artwork to site members only (which the gallery did). Right now, the forums are in the process of becoming publicized, so I don't see a private gallery happening. Meanwhile, I suppose you could suffice with providing links to artwork. So far, it's been working.

If you're checking to see if a topic already exists, check in Unofficial Guides as well as in Writers' Corner. Some threads are moved from here to Unofficial Guides (the reasons are explained there). These include a sex thesaurus, a writers' block thread, and a topic on homosexual myths. If I find a topic here which has already been covered, it shall be combined with the former topic. I'll definitely contact the thread starter. I'll try to contact everyone else who had contributed to the newer thread, but there's no guarantees.

I have copies of my drafts in an e-mail account, on a CD, and on my laptop. If I update via one medium, I save the updates to the other mediums ASAP. I learned that lesson the hard way. I once lost three chapters of a story while on vacation.

That's not it. You can change your own avatar without reaching the 20-post count. Once you reach 20 posts, you can change your title via your profile. You can reach that count quickly and easily by posting in any thread in the Games forum. There's an item in the IBStore called the Name Tag. That's the other way to change your title. Considering the price, it's actually obsolete. At the very beginning, there was NO way to change your title through your profile info - the name tag was used for that. If you want, you can ask someone else to send you a name tag for free. Most of us don't mind. Meanwhile, the issue will be addressed.

I'd like to thank the following people: Solaris, for starting this thread. NinjaGajin, for throwing out the idea. This topic is now pinned. Remember folks! If you adopt someone else's bunny, let that person know and give him/her some credit for the idea. It's the polite thing to do.

I, for one, accept that apology because the action had a good intention. To answer your question - off-site linking is only allowed under special circumstances. For example, if you're writing a sequel to a non-adult fic, you can link the fic in question via an AN at the beginning. This is also allowed if you're writing a companion piece to someone else's fic. It's only fair to give that person credit. If you have a specific image that is related to the fic, you can provide the link in an AN. These circumstances are special because you're not attempting to advertise a rival or take traffic away from AFF. You're providing links to material that relates to the fic you've posted on AFF so that the readers can have a fuller experience.

I started hating the commercialism of Christmas a long time ago. It overshadows everything else, and the hype causes more stress and depression than it does happiness. Don't get me wrong - I celebrate it. But I also insist on keeping it small and simple every year. I celebrate Thanksgiving twice a year. Once in October (Canada) and once in November (U.S). There's also Eid and Diwali. I'd have to say that I prefer the American Thanksgiving and Eid over Christmas. The Canadian Thanksgiving isn't ever a huge deal, whereas the American one has more importance placed in it. Eid feels rewarding because you worked hard for a month to earn it. Halloween trumps them both. I love dressing up and being someone else for a little while. It's the actress in me. Collecting candy is fun and great exercise. The scariest part is the candy itself - I'm a chocoholic diabetic and the candy is a cruel taunt indeed.

You already know that I worship you, Knorg . You also know my worship practices.

I'm gonna put my neck on the line here. If you're going to put Ravenbell on a troll's list, I shall have to ask you to do the same for The Lurker. Ravenbell's only posts on the entire forum are on this thread - that's true. At the same time, she is fully entitled to her concerns. If this is truly an area for free speech, she should have the right to vent, even against the administration. In case you haven't noticed, she isn't the only one who's skeptical about Jaxxy's posts. Are you going to deem everyone who doesn't like Jaxxy and admits it a "troll"? I should hope not, because you had stated in an earlier post that you accept that everyone has a right to dislike the administration and say so honestly. The Lurker has displayed an appalling lack of respect for other members on this board each time he has defended Jaxxy. I don't mind his defending Jaxxy, but I do mind the fact that he has managed to directly insult three different members so far, including AzaleaWood, who had not been rude in the first place. The Lurker may have been a former mod, but he is not a mod at the current moment. Even if he were, it wouldn't give him the right to disrespect other members in his efforts to defend Jaxxy. That's breaking the TOS. I have seen shit-slinging from several members, including moderators (I won't name them here). This is shameful. I'm trying my best not to say too much on the forums on this matter. I have my opinions, but I try my best to maintain a neutral air here because it is my job to do so. Still, I have my limits. Can I please ask something of the staff, at least? Could you please stop speaking out against the former head mods on a personal level? I don't care if you had your own personal issues with DarkAvenger - this is not the place for it. This thread is about the former forum mods, not the "Famous Four" (as someone so eloquently termed them). Could you please stop dismissing and sugar-coating the concerns and comments of the regular members? Every concern has its validity and I don't think anyone appreciates sugar-coated dismissals because they're not idiots. Scratch that - we're not idiots, because in addition to being a moderator, I am a regular poster and thus a regular member. A moderator's job is to act calm and neutral despite personal opinions and feelings and to answer the concerns of members as directly and honestly as possible. If it means bruising your ego a little bit, so be it. I admit, it would have been better to leave the resignation posts up. They were written because the mods who left felt that the members deserved a frank explanation. I have a fairly good idea of why they left - considering their reasons, the resignations were quite neutral. However, there's no turning back. The resignations have been taken down from the site and I'm not sure there is a way to undo the action. However, I can say that the move wasn't pre-planned. Don't you think that I would've been in on it if it had? I can tell you right now that I wasn't in on it. The reason the mass exodus was pulled off so efficiently is because we pretty much manage to think on the same wavelength most of the time. It scared me at times. For those of you who no longer trust the archives, follow the example of Knorg. Take your stories off the site. If you want to stay on the forums, you'll need to keep your archive registration as well so don't delete the profile altogether. If you feel more comfortable with the site in the future, you can put your stories back up. Do it once you've decided that Jaxxy isn't out to make this her "personal site" or once the ownership has switched hands (which it may in the future). Knorg had a disagreement with the site once. He took his stories down and left quietly. No rants, no insults, no accusations - clean and quiet with explanations sent to a few people who were directly affected. I admire him for it because that's the way it ought to be done. And before you say anything else, I have this to say. The moderators have admitted that they can't work with Jaxxy. However, they haven't stated things like "and it's entirely her fault" or "I can't stand the new owner and tech". Jaxxy, however, has stated that we never stated what our issues were (we have stated them constantly and consistently), no one had any intentions of sabotaging the site (they just wanted to step down and be regular members like before), no one "worshiped" DA (we've had our disagreements before and some of us did find the Yahoo! spam slightly immature). We've gone too far, and yet we haven't gone far enough. No argument is complete unless all parties involved are present to offer their side of the story. Yet doing so would cause further turmoil and it may escalate to an uncontrollable level. ------- I've done nothing but rant in this post. I don't regret what I've said and I stand by it. It was about time I vent. I'm not usually prone to hissy fits, rants, shit-slinging, or being a drama queen. So I apologize for my unprofessional behavior. It is very unbecoming of a moderator. And I hope that someone finally locks this thread and keeps it posted for all to see because enough is enough and I don't want to hear any more until everyone's calmed down but getting rid of this altogether will only cause more problems in the future whereas keeping this visible is a sign of progress.

Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee any final results. I'll do my best to make sure you're set up with a good beta, but I cannot guarantee that I will be familiar with each beta's work ethics or the integrity of their resume despite fact-checking. I can't guarantee that I'll know each beta on a personal level - I'm only human. I've taken as many steps as possible to ensure good results. Resumes for official betas are mandated, resumes for other betas is highly encouraged, and we have a semi-private interaction area where I can supervise the initial work between you and your beta. After that, I have no say or control concerning what goes on between you and your beta.

This thread is in Aimless Babble: Megan Consoer: the new incarnation. The review is identical to what she leaves. Both leave the review in the same fandom. There are many suspicions that the two are indeed the same entity. Part of this stems from the fact that the name "megan" started showing up shortly after the name "Megan Consoer" disappeared. Either way, it's an equally strong argument for your suggestion so I don't see why I can't post the Megan Consoer argument here to back it up.

To get a better idea of who Megan Consoer is, I suggest you read these two threads on the forums: Megan Consoer: A reviewer with NO work ethic. Creative Revenge: A spin-off on the Megan Consoer thread. The second topic is the result of a split. You get a much more graphic idea of just how much Megan Consoer is hated. As far as I know, Megan Consoer usually reviews in the HP archives. That's her special fandom.

I agree - I don't see the point of creating categories, only to have them empty. Several years ago, the original policy required that you have a fic ready for posting when requesting a new category. It might be a good idea to re-implement that. If you want a new category for a certain fandom, don't have a fic ready for it, but found at least one fic for it posted in Miscellaneous, how about providing a link to that fic in your request? It's better than nothing.

I have noticed certain threads that had not been started for the purpose of giving/receiving advice. However, those threads have ended up turning into insightful discussions that can serve as extremely useful albeit unintentional guides for those reading them. That's why I have moved them in here. There are also some topics that provide links to many useful writing resources and have developed into directory threads. These have also been moved in here because the links provided serve as guides of their own.

The following is a rough sketch of what you need to include in your application/resume if you want to try your hand at beta work but you have no prior experience. Start off with the following statement: I've never been a beta before. Still, I've got to start somewhere if I want to become one. Add on any one of the following statements: I want to become an official beta on AFF. / I want to answer the following request (linked title of request). / I want to beta something but I haven't found anything to my liking yet. Answer as many of the following questions as possible. Please try to elaborate as much as you can. I'm going to start off assuming that you're an author. There will be additional questions for those who aren't. From what I've seen, there are reviewers who make excellent betas despite the fact that they don't write stories. How long have you been reviewing fanfiction? Describe your average reviewing style. Quote some of your previous reviews and provide links to the corresponding stories. Reviews posted outside of AFF is acceptable as well. How many years have you been posting fanfiction / original fiction online? If you have any stories posted outside of AFF, can you please provide links to them or the corresponding profile? This especially applies to non-adult fics. Which capacities are your strong areas when it comes to writing/reviewing? (Spelling/grammar, canon, characterization, etc.) Which capacities are your weak areas? What types of potentially objectionable content have you written? Correspond it to warning tags if possible. Which types of potentially objectionable content do you read? Which types of potentially objectionable content would you be willing to work with? What are your personal limits/boundaries when it comes to reading, writing, and reviewing? (capacities, objectionable content, etc.) For which fandoms have you written? In which fandoms have you reviewed? Which fandoms do you frequent? Do you consider yourself well-versed on any specific characters? Why do you want to become a beta? What do you think it entails? Do you have any knowledge/experiences/abilities outside of the world of fanfiction that could serve as good qualifications for a beta? Is there anything else that you'd like to include here?

The following is a rough sketch of what you need to include in your application/resume if you want to seek future beta work but do not wish to become an official AFF beta. If you have no prior experience as a beta, go straight here for a different application. Start off with the following statement: I'm looking for beta work in the future. I haven't found any requests to my liking yet. Answer as many of the following questions as possible. Please try to elaborate as much as you can. How many years have you worked as a beta? Provide links to some of the work that you have beta'd. Link the titles. Work posted outside of AFF is acceptable as well. In which capacities are you willing to work as a beta? Do you have any prior experience within these capacities? (spelling/grammar, canon. characterization. etc). Which types of potentially objectionable content have you beta'd for? Correspond it to warning tags if possible. Is there any type of work you haven't beta'd for but are willing to accept? (Capacities, objectionable content). What are your limits/boundaries when it comes to accepting beta work? Answer in regards to both capacities and objectionable content. For which fandoms have you worked? Which fandoms do you frequent? Do you consider yourself well-versed on any specific characters? Is there anything else you'd like to include here?

The following is a rough sketch of what you need to include in your application/resume if you wish to answer an existing request but have no plans on becoming a regular beta for AFF. If you have no prior experience as a beta, go straight here for a different application. Start off with the following statement: This is a one-time gig. I wish to answer the following request: (linked title of request) Answer as many of the following questions as possible. Please try to elaborate as much as you can. How many years have you worked as a beta? Provide links to some of the work that you have beta'd. Link the titles. Work posted outside of AFF is acceptable as well. Have you worked within any of the requested capacities? (Spelling/grammar, canon. characterization). What experience do you have in this fandom? If there are any specific characters being dealt with, how much do you know about them? Have you worked with any of the objectionable content presented? If not, how often have you dealt with it? Correspond it to warning tags if possible. How do you tend to interact with an author when doing beta work? What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to working as a beta? Is this an unusual request? If so, do you have any experience with this request? What qualifications do you have for this specific request? Is there anything else you'd like to include here?

The following is a rough sketch of what you need to include in your application/resume if you wish to apply as an official beta or are considering it in the future. If you have no prior experience as a beta, go straight here for a different application. Start off with one of the following statements: I wish to apply as an official beta. / I'm thinking of becoming an official beta but I'm not sure yet. In the case of the second statement, you must decide by the end of the third job, contact me, then edit your resume to include one of the following statements: I have finally decided to become an official beta. / I have decided that being an official beta is not for me. Answer as many of the following questions as possible. Please try to elaborate as much as you can. How many years have you worked as a beta? Provide links to some of the work that you have beta'd. Link the titles. Work posted outside of AFF is acceptable as well. In which capacities have you served as a beta? (Spelling/grammar, canon, characterization, etc.) Which types of potentially objectionable content have you beta'd for? Correspond it to warning tags if possible. Is there any type of work you haven't beta'd for but are willing to accept? (Capacities, objectionable content). Are there any specific areas in which you would not be willing to beta? What are your personal boundaries as a beta? What are your weaknesses when it comes to beta work? How do you tend to interact with an author when doing beta work? Can you determine an average speed when it comes to performing beta work? For which fandoms have you worked? Which fandoms do you frequent? Do you consider yourself well-versed on any specific characters? Have you done any unusual beta work in the past? Do you have any quirks when it comes to beta work? Is there anything else that you'd like to include here?

If you wish to work as a beta on AFF, this is where you apply by posting a resume. If you wish to work as an official/regular beta on AFF, you absolutely must post a resume. If a request is issued and there's no response after a week, I will contact any qualifying beta on the official listing. Official betas will be granted "Beta" membership status. If you believe that you'd like to become a regular beta in the future but are not sure, state this in your resume and proceed as if you were applying for a regular position. If you finally decide by the end of your third job that you wish to become an official beta, let me know and you shall be granted "Beta" status. If not, I shall have to assume that you have finally decided not to become an official beta. Before your final decision, I shall treat you as an official beta in that I will contact you with any requests that you may be able to answer. If you're looking for beta work on AFF but do not wish to become a regular beta, post a request with your resume. If I find someone who could use your help, I'll contact you and you can choose to answer the request. After you accept one assignment, I shall not contact you again. If you wish to answer an existing request but do not wish to become a regular beta on AFF, state so, tell me which request you are answering, and post your qualifications for answering the specific request. I shall not contact you for any similar beta requests that may occur in the future. If you want to try your hand at being a beta, but have no prior experience, that is fine. Everybody has to start somewhere. You can apply for an official position, but "Beta" status shall be granted after the completion of your first job instead of immediately. For each type of beta position, you will need to answer a separate set of questions. Click the appropriate link to be taken to the right application. - I want to become an official beta or am considering it. - I want to apply as a one-time beta for an existing request. - I am looking for beta work in the future, but I don't want to become an official beta. - I have no prior experience as a beta.

I've already explained how to request a beta. If you're looking for beta work, each request is formatted in a certain way. If a topic is open, the request is open. If a topic is locked, the request has been answered and a beta is not required. Sometimes, a request can be re-opened if the requester needs to look for a new beta for the same work. The viewing default for this forum is 30 days, but you can use the drop-down menu to the bottom left of the topic listings page to view older available requests. If you wish to work as a regular beta on AFF or are looking for specific beta work in the future, please go to Apply Within and post a resume there. In fact, if you're a one-time beta, I'd recommend posting some information about your experience and qualifications as a beta for verification purposes. Either way, feel free to provide a link to your resume on AFF if you have posted one when answering a request.

This area is used to post requests for a beta reader. Please be as specific as possible in your request. The following information would be useful: - fandom - primary characters in story - warnings/questionable content - what you want your beta to do If you have found a beta, please edit your opening post to reflect this fact so that I can lock the topic. It would be awkward if someone offered to beta after you've already found one. I check the forums regularly. If you wish to PM me in addition to editing your opening post, you may do so. Once you've posted your completed work online, let me know so that I can delete the thread. If your beta didn't work out and you need to find a new one for the same work, contact me so that I can unlock the topic. If three months pass without any confirmation of a beta, I will contact you to verify this. If you have simply forgotten to edit your post, I will give you a reminder/mild warning and edit the post before locking the thread. We are planning to introduce a member title called "Beta". If someone has this title, s/he is an official beta on AFF and I can guarantee a resume on hand for this beta. If someone answering your request provides a link to a beta request posted here on AFF, I encourage you to read it.

I joined in early 2006. I've been a regular poster straight off the bat and that's not likely to change. Honestly, I don't think I'd be an effective moderator unless I was a regular member as well and interacted with everybody on a more personal level on a regular basis. I'm not posting that frequently as a plain ol' member right now. Then again, you probably know why. Real life's been a little hectic lately. There's this association that's a cross between LGBT and the multi-cultural council, and our chapter's being revamped because it's one of the biggest chapters in the country despite being a small campus. Since I'm on the committee... Then there's the forums. There's a new staff. The forums are being re-structured. I'm very involved with the first re-structuring, as you can see. There's re-checking the forum rules to make sure they fit the new structure (re-writing's in order). There's also a list of what potential changes may occur in those specific forums once the software's upgraded so that I can keep things in order. I keep getting bombarded with questions in the multi-cultural LGBT chapter. I'm already in the process of looking for good materials in that area (if anyone can suggest good books, movies, and music, I'll kiss you!). This isn't just for my sector - it's for the main LGBT as well. I'm nearly done with my second pile of term papers. I already have a habit of handing papers in early whenever I can just to get them off my plate. I've got two left now and one of them's a killer (criminal sentences in medieval Europe). Considering everything, my paying job is probably the easiest thing on my plate. I just go to work, do my job, and leave. It's off-campus too, which means I can just stick to English so the commute doesn't bother me.

Unofficial Guides was created to house threads that have developed into useful writing guides. Such threads from Writers' Corner and Reviews will be moved in here. You are free to continue posting to those threads. However, you may not start a new topic in here. If you do so, I shall move the thread to the appropriate area and issue a warning for failing to read the rules. If you wish to gather research for a guide you plan to write, you may do so in either Writers' Corner or Reviews (if the guide regards reviews). If you write a full article/guide, you may post it to the archives in Writing Tips. Other than that, the standard rules apply and can be found within the TOS and the main rules in Writers' Corner. Basically - behave like adults - respect each other - follow the rules - use proper English and so on and so forth.

They count. Any area where one can post their fanfics for free and public reading counts. I remember this obscure Brady Bunch forum that allowed fanfics but didn't have a special area for it. That's when I realized that the forum method is good for one-shots but I'd never use it to post multi-chaptered fics. If all the chapters are posted in the same thread, the reviews in between break the rhythm. If each chapter gets a new thread, it starts to get annoying and the OP looks like an unintentional attention whore. In other words, forum fanfic posting may suit some people, but it doesn't suit me. Archival posting will always be my favorite method. Then again, different strokes for different folks.