ApolloImperium
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Updates from Apollo
TOS Review: Archive Intensive Activities
Welcome to this week's TOS review. I'd like to take you on a journey into the center of our database... A tale of gentle giants and overloaded tables... Okay, you got me, we really won't be going into the database and it really isn't so much a tale, but maybe a fable since your supposed to learn from fables, right?
To give you a bit of history, the archive at this point is 7.7GB. Yes, that is giga with a g! Every single entry into the database creates an entry that takes space and with over 2 million entries? Well that adds up really fast! Because of that, when DemonGoddess took over the database, she immediately knew that changes needed to be made before the archive got very unwieldy.
After reviewing how the data was spread out the following changes were made: Author's Note chapters were no longer allowed and capped, review board conversations and lengthy review replies in chapter became taboo and an entire section (Challenges and Searches) was outsourced to the forum. Just to make sure everyone is on the same page, a breakdown is below:
Author's Notes
Author's always want to talk with readers and we support that, however taking a chapter just for Author's Notes is no longer allowed because of the space that it takes in the Archive. Along the same note, we've capped the length to 600 words max to ensure that they aren't taking up a large amount of space. More indepth disclaimers, summaries, warnings and citations do not count towards the author's note length. If you have one at both the top and bottom of the chapter, the combined length cannot exceed the 600 word limit.
Review Board Conversations
Each review is an entry in the database and as such, having conversations on the review board is not allowed because it takes up space. We know that author's want to talk to their readers, so what we recommend is to create a thread in the forums and link to it in the story. The Fan Fiction Category is open to guest posters so you can let your readers know they don't have to register. Now since review replies do count towards the 600 word count in Author's notes, again we recommend the forums!
Searches/Challenges/Requests
These haven't been in the archive since May 2008 when they were moved to the forum. When DG made this change it cleared up 500MB of data, so you can see the value there.
Basic rule of thumb: If it's not a story, it doesn't belong in the archive.
AFF 2011 Calendar Contest
Well we had to extend the contest because of so few entries, but we can't do it again! So there is just 24 hours left for submissions for the AFF 2011 calendar! Remember, submissions are due by midnight 11-14-10, so put on the finishing touches on your pieces and start sending them in! If you haven't checked it out yet, see this topic for more information.
Dribs, Drabs and Doggy Tales!
Thank you to everyone who responded to our latest prompt, "Tradition" We have 5 responses so far this week! Don't forget that the topic doesn't close until 11:59pm tonight, so there is still time to get in an entry. For everyone that has participated, we will be sending you the badge for this week that you can display where you so choose! If you've read the entries, please don't forget to review the story and let the Author know you liked it! As a reminder, the next topic is now posted, please visit this forum and starting Sunday 8am you can post your new entries!
Funding Status
Information to exact status is always found on the donations page. Currently, the site has $204.78 stored in PayPal. November's hosting costs have been paid and we are well covered for December! We do always appreciate donations though! Please see the donation page for further information on how.
Tech Updates from DemonGoddess
Forum Updates
As you may have noticed, the forums have been being added to on an almost daily basis! We've added the forum arcade back and added in Shoutbox as a chat option until we can implement something better! To make it even more fun, we've opened them both up to guests for a limited time only, so enjoy from now until December 2nd when you will need a forum log in to access them.
Related topics:
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Oh god yes it is... we used IE at work and I hated it! Anytime it was a cookie issue it took the rep offline for at least 15 min...and considering 90% of our apps were web based? Yuck!
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Hey - I learned something I didn't know! *files it away for future reference*
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esperma never loads
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LOL! Nope - It's fine and I like it! Anything goes this time around
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Alternately, if you are already in your author panel and don't feel like leaving, you can use the jump menu (drop down) on the left side to switch to a different subdomain.
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I just got a visual of a girl yelling "Hold on, I wanna watch!" while grabbing her man's cock and holding it up while getting close to the underside as he climaxed. It was quite amusing. ^^
I totally wanna do that now! LOL! However I'm thinking about the eyes being that close or having to wash my hair right after so I don't have a 'There's Something About Mary' moment...
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We don't have set size limits, so don't worry you aren't missing anything
We just ask that you use common sense and make sure that's not extremely large to the point it would interfere with other people using the forum. If it's too big or offensive, we'll send a polite change request and it's no big deal.
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Good luck!
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The other way that you can tell is at the bottom of the forum, above where it lists the members online, there is a link that says "The Moderating Team" All the staff is listed there as well.
If you are still concerned that it could be a fake, you can always click on the forum profile and that will give you a link to their profile the archive for comparison.
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Well that's stupid! I live on pandora when I need music
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Wow, what obscure mentions! Love it. I checked them all out. Emilie Autumn is so strange, I'm absolutely fascinated, thank you!
Friends intro'd them all to me, so passing on the favor! Emilie Autumn's lyrics just amuse me, that's why I keep listening to her LOL! The other two came from another friend who's really into metal (I'm not) and he was on a quest to find metal that I'd like and those two were the result!
If you don't already use it, I really recommend Pandora for finding new music. You put in a song/artist/etc and it pulls songs that it thinks are similar based on this complex program it runs, comparing lyrics, genre, musicality, etc. I've found some really neat stuff via Pandora.
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I do have a question, besides my pointless ramblings above. Do the submissions have to be made for this contest alone? I mean, I have a picture I drew last month for a Halloween/Autumn contest in a small casual art group. Could I submit that, or something else I've already drawn, if I take off my signature? Or should I start another pic?
You are welcome to submit something that you've already drawn, however this is something that we will be using on the calender and possibly other merchandise in the store if the image is used. We do ask that if you'd like to have your signature on the piece (we understand wanting credit) that you submit 2 copies then. One for use in the poll and one for calendar use.
Oh and about the image size. The guidelines say 11x8.5 with a border(I think) Is that in inches, and do we get to put on the border or do you do that?
The 11x8.5 means a half inch white boarder around. So basically it's if you want white space around the picture you submit, then do the 11x8.5. If you want it to run to the edges of the paper then go with the 11.5x9.
Let me know if any other questions...
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Anything at all! The last calendar we had used artwork that DG had done, and was all animal/landscape stuff.
So far the photograph I have is non-adult related while the artwork I've gotten is adult themed.
Since the users are going to be voting as to what goes in it, send me anything you'd like and if the users like it and would want to see it on the calendar, then it's in!
Please just keep with in the guidelines posted if going with adult themed material - no nibbly bits
Oh, and since you mentioned firemen, if you are submitting photo's of ppl, please make sure that you have permission for their face to be plastered all over a calendar being sold by an adult fiction website!
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Okay... After wading through ALL of the sludge in the last 3 pages and 1 post, since it seems to have gone from reviews on bad fic to the ability to delete reviews, lemme break it down.
Cause: FF.Net became draconian.
Effect: AFF.Net was created to give true freedom to both the authors and readers.
Cause: AFF.Net is against any subjective quality control.
Effect: Authors can post anything that they like and so long as it's not just an AN and doesn't fall into our definition of a troll/spam story. Even then it takes ALOT for us to take down a story and when I say alot, heaven forbid you could see some of the discussions re: troll/spam stories that happen in the background.
Cause: AFF does not quality control
Effect: People post stories that not everyone wants to read, or feel should have a place in an archive.
Effect: People with thin skins post work and get crit they may or may not like.
While it's not ideal for everyone, that is what the site was created for. I should know, I was the one Ayla handed the site off to and before she did, we have many many long conversations about the creation and her dream.
I think the issue that people are forgetting is that we welcome anyone and everyone over 18 so long as they follow our rules. Because of this, you will have writers that feel entitled to post drivel. That's why we exist. Readers have the right to review or not review. If a writer doesn't like it, they can delete it. That's up to them. It's then the readers right to never read another story they post and never review them again. This site is all about freedom and as such, it will be staying that way. Until someone can give me a well thought out, valid argument as to why I should remove a writers freedom to control what gets posted on their review board, it stays.
Think of it this way: You write a blog. As the owner of the blog you can remove comments if you choose. Now will a good percent of responsible blog writers leave up all comments unless they are flames? Yes, but some will get pissy and take them down. Some blogs even moderate comments so some comments may never even make it through if they are too harsh. Readers can either keep visiting and commenting, or go elsewhere. That is how I consider stories and the review boards attached.
Now, before I continue, let me put things into perspective. These stats are according to Alexa:
FF.Net: Ranked 1,519th (US only traffic rank - 933)
AFF.Net: Ranked 12,766th (US only traffic rank - 6,769)
TtH: Ranked 74,968th (US only traffic rank - 22,176)
Dokuga: Ranked 153,036th (US only traffic rank - 28,748)
Now unfortunatly, the only site other than FF.Net that was used to illustrate a point is TtH, so for my purposes, I will be using that site. My apologizes to those that write for it, work for it, etc.
So please keep in mind when you are comparing a site such as TtH to AFF, we get almost 6 times the overall traffic that TtH does. AFF has 113,939 stories currently posted, TtH according to thier site has over 14,000. Some other interesting stats? AFF has 456,194 chapters posted and 1,361,274 reviews posted.
I don't know much about TtH other than what has been posted here and what is available on the site rules, but if I had to hazard a guess I would assume that it was created specifically with the rules that are outlined. They may have been adjusted over the years, but are most likely the same. This means that on average TtH will have good quality fics which means that TtH likely has responsible authors. This translates to the authors being able to handle concrit and therefor TtH admin/mod staff wouldn't see a large percentage of reports on reviews.
AFF has over 8 times the amount of stories that TtH does - Assuming that the ratio for reviews needing to be removed would be the same, for every 1 review TtH reviews and removes, we would have to review/remove 8. On top of the moderators daily sweep for issues, reviewing stories for corrections, handling communication with users and moderating the forums.
Some more AFF history? I remember when authors couldn't delete their own reviews and before the captcha went up. I remember digging through the database cleaning off spam and trolls and other such reviews. I remember having to handle reports from whiny authors and yes, back then we did explain the difference between concrit and flame, but it was so very time intensive.
Quite frankly, trying to compare the sites (or AFF to any other archive) is like comparing apples to oranges. They are both fruits and round, but completely different in texture, how you eat them, taste, etc.
Final verdict: Authors can and will be able to delete reviews as they see fit.
Personal note: I think it's childish, but I'm not here to judge. I'm here to help maintain the site and keep it open for everyone.
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I agree with DG and pittwitch 100%. I've worked with beta's before in the past and while I love when they give me suggestions on how to work with something, I still write it in my own words. Mostly, I just ask for help with word choice, sentence structure etc. I would never ever expect a beta to re-write a chapter for me. If it sucked that bad, I'd hope they would tell me to scratch the whole thing and start over.
Plus, I always give my beta's credit in each chapter for their work, but that is just me!
IMO: The girl needs to give you credit as a co-author and if she doesn't, I'd say to report it to admin over there because personally, I consider that plagiarism. Going forward, I'd set boundaries with her and be very firm. Or you can just loose the author like they said and beta for ppl here instead... It's very rare that I've heard bad beta stories here, that's the nice thing about knowing your working with adults!
Good luck!
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Edit: Calendar contest now end 11-14-10, please see either the site announcement or the email sent to members for more information!
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Some of my favorites:
- Within Temptation (metalish)
- Epica (Some screaming, but not alot)
- Emilie Autumn (interesting lyrics)
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"Of Mouse Fucking Man"
ROFL!!!
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I'm going to apologize in advance, I reread it before I submitted and it's a very concrit review, so please don't take offense!
Oh, sorry that I was unclear in the review. In my defense, I was slightly tired at the time. When I said the middle, I was talking more about the area where Gerald entered the barn and that section. I understand what you were going for the eagerness, etc, but as pittwitch mentioned it was slightly corny and I think that is what threw me for a loop. The story set out with a very unique plot, descriptive and well thought out with just the right amount of tension and then they sorta just fell into each others arms.
You mentioned that it was your first consensual m/m scene, so that may have played a role into it. What might have helped it a bit would be to follow through with the worry from earlier about Gerald's father discovering them, or play up the tension. Maybe even make Gerald work for it a bit since I got the sense that Harry wasn't as much emotionally involved earlier in the fic.
As for the hours later? That worked for me. Detailed sex scenes are always nice, but sometimes leaving just hints and making the reader fill in the blanks works just as well. It allows us to imagine it how we want to! Plus, it's a flashfic. You expect some detail, but not a full play by play.
All in all, I liked the story though. As I said, the multiple uses of the prompt was cool
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Wow this topic exploded!
A lot of interesting posts put up and I agree with a lot of the information brought up.
If anyone wants to read other blogs that deal with the same topics, I can post a few that I view on a regular basis. It's rather interesting to watch it all.
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Updates from Apollo
TOS Review: Disclaimers
Welcome to this week's TOS Review: Disclaimer Issue.
Why are disclaimers important? Disclaimers are our biggest legal protection. As everyone knows, where fan fiction often gets in trouble is the fact that as authors, we are basing our stories off of copyrighted material. The most common legal argument that fan fictions writers and sites use to justify what they do is the Fair Use part of the copyright code. In this it states that copyrighted material can be used for transformative purposes, which is our loophole.
However with that loophole we still need to make sure that we are covered as much as possible. The site has reached out to friends in the legal field to determine what steps are best taken and the response was disclaim, disclaim, disclaim! That being said, they provided with basic aspects that should be in any disclaimer which we have based our disclaimer policy off of.
This doesn't just protect the site, this also protects you as a user. How you may ask? Because if an author gets up in arms about fan fiction, this protects you from being sued for profits as you state that you make no money from it.
That being said, disclaimers vary depending on the section you write for so here is a basic breakdown of what we look for:
Fan Fiction
Name the world/title/fandom and say you don't own it.
Clearly state no money is made.
There are examples of what is needed, exactly, in the FAQ as well as in other areas.
Real Person Fiction
Name the person or persons and say you don't KNOW them. Not that you don't OWN them.
State that it's a work of fiction.
Clearly state no money is made.
Original Fiction
There are a number of requirements for original fiction/non fiction/poetry.
This link has it all exactly.
Public Domain
These are things that copyright no longer applies to: Fairy tales, folk songs, religious works such as the Bible etc.
For these, use the information needed in an original disclaimer and note the work that inspired such as 'Cinderella' or 'Snow White' etc.
Basic things to keep in mind:
- We need the fandom to be named, not the characters.
- With original fiction we need to have a clear fiction and resemblance clause. That makes it so that somewhere down the road, John Smith can't come to us and say "Hey, that's based on me" and in turn we have to pull the work because without proof that it's NOT, we have no choice in such a for instance. That's where the resemblance clause is a protection to the author.
- For original non-fiction, it's critical that the author clearly add the permissions clause. This is detailed in the link we posted earlier in the Original Fiction setting. Without having permission from the people you're writing about, it can cause the site issues in the future if the person you are writing about stumbles upon it and gets upset.
While not directly related to disclaimers, since we are discussing Original Non-Fiction, I would like to take the time to point out that authors should not write about real minors unless the person they are writing about is currently of age and consent information can be provided. Along the same lines, in real person fiction again, if the real person is a minor they cannot be written about.
So please, when one of our moderating staff asks you to correct a disclaimer, know that it is so the site can stay protected. The staff volunteer hours each week reviewing the archive to ensure compliance to our policies, so they honestly do deserve a round of applause for their dedication and not a hard time when they ask you to correct something.
AFF 2011 Calendar Contest
Wow, I can't believe it! There is just 24 hours left for submissions for the AFF 2011 calendar! Remember, submissions are due by midnight 11-7-10, so put on the finishing touches on your pieces and start sending them in! If you haven't checked it out yet, see this topic for more information.
Dribs, Drabs and Doggy Tales!
Thank you to everyone who responded to our very fourth prompt, "Harvest" We have 6 responses so far this week! Don't forget that the topic doesn't close until 11:59pm tonight, so there is still time to get in an entry. For everyone that has participated, we will be sending you the badge for this week that you can display where you so choose! Okay, so I promised to do better this week with badges, but the artist doing the badges is our very own DemonGoddess and she was very busy with the forum and archive this week. I'm sending the badges out tonight, I promise! If you've read the entries, please don't forget to review the story and let the Author know you liked it! As a reminder, the next topic is now posted, please visit this forum and starting Sunday 8am you can post your new entries!
Funding Status
Information to exact status is always found on the donations page. Currently, the site has $148.93 stored in PayPal. November's hosting costs have been paid and we are well covered for December! We do always appreciate donations though! Please see the donation page for further information on how.
Tech Updates from DemonGoddess
Software Updates
The advertising software was updated today to the newest version.
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Interesting point. I had heard of that, yes, but it's thankfully rare where I come from. Here, if a guy is a douche but hot, the girl will put up with him because she wants to get laid (and the relationship will continue only until she gets bored of him), or he's going to have to toe the line between charmingly cocky and disgustingly arrogant to keep her around. I think that this might stem from the fact that women aren't encouraged to being pursuers in a relationship, because although nowadays women KNOW that sex is pleasurable, society discourages them from actively going out to get some (calling them sluts and whores if they do so) and the asshole preys upon this to get laid (in that blog you linked, just from looking at the first few articles, you can tell that the guy is using basic exploitative psychology). Or that's what I believe, anyway.
Where do you live that it's not common? I see it all to often both at home bars as well as when I visit friends in other places.
And yes, he uses exploitative psychology, but that's how assholes get women to fall for them... They play off weaknesses, vanity, etc to get attention. And since women love attention....
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Funnily enough, there is a reality outside of fiction behind people willing to date/fuck assholes/bitches/etc. Look at frats and sororities. 'Nuff said.
There is psychology behind it all. There are a number of blogs that are devoted to it - It's called Game. And it works, over and over and over again. It goes back to the concept of Alpha, Beta and Omega males. I've read alot in regards to it and it never ceases to amaze me what women fall for...They call themselves seduction experts. Ugh!
If you wanna read a blog that has such a variety of asshole moves that women fall for check out The Real Assanova. This guy is a king at Asshole Game and gets laid often for it. If even 1/2 of what he says is true, then it saddens me what women have come to.
Week 5: 11-7-10
in Weekly Prompt
Posted
Pen Name: Apollo
Story link: Prompt: Tradition
Type of fic: TwitFic
Rating: Adult
Fandom: Original
Pairing: N/A
Warnings: One Shot, COMPLETE, No Sex