The Whole Lists Section is Deleted in Originals

[madlodger]

I just noticed this: the whole Lists section is completely missing.

My list Golden Nuggets is missing. It was located here:

http://original.adult-fanfiction.org/story.php?no=600092544

What happened? Was this announced? Did I miss the announcement?

I do save my reviews periodically. The last time I saved Golden Nuggets', it looked like this:

Golden Nuggets. (Original Slash List)

This is my personal list of favorites. All Slash stories. You are welcome to review on this and/or recommend some Golden Nuggets of your own. I'll add it to the list if it's my sort of fic:) List, M/M, Yaoi (Continuously updated)

Original - Misc > Lists

Rated [Adult++] -:- Chapters [1] -:- Published [2007-02-07] -:- Updated [2007-02-07 00:00:00] -:- Edited [2008-04-14] -:- Hits [2899] -:- Reviews [96] -:- Average / Total Vote [+++++ / 7]

This was a while ago. I had a few more reviews posted after this save, now they are gone. Is there any way to recover those? AFF does the daily back up at night, so I assume that all info is saved somewhere.

This is hugely disappointing.

Can't we warn people before mass-deletions?

[Ezriee]

Hiya,

I just saw this post and thought I'd respond with the info that I can give to you. What happens is that anything that is not a fic is deleted. Issuing challenges, lists postings, 'looking/searching for fic' posts, character profiles, those all count as non-fics. Those are noted and then deleted. One of the reasons why they're deleted is because of the amount of space they take up in the archive and removing these types of postings helps with the site stability.

If you want to do those types of lists, the best option that I can suggest is to put any sort of non-fic posting (as listed above) here in the forum instead because when we do see those, they do get deleted. Its all part of the archive cleanup that has been going on, so as we find them, they're deleted.

That's all the info I can give you on this, but if you need more info, just let us know and someone with more info should be able to give you some additional info. From what I know, if the post is not hidden and is deleted, then its gone for good.

Sorry for the inconvenience and I hope that helps out even a little.

[madlodger]

Hiya,

I just saw this post and thought I'd respond with the info that I can give to you. What happens is that anything that is not a fic is deleted. Issuing challenges, lists postings, 'looking/searching for fic' posts, character profiles, those all count as non-fics. Those are noted and then deleted. One of the reasons why they're deleted is because of the amount of space they take up in the archive and removing these types of postings helps with the site stability.

If you want to do those types of lists, the best option that I can suggest is to put any sort of non-fic posting (as listed above) here in the forum instead because when we do see those, they do get deleted. Its all part of the archive cleanup that has been going on, so as we find them, they're deleted.

That's all the info I can give you on this, but if you need more info, just let us know and someone with more info should be able to give you some additional info. From what I know, if the post is not hidden and is deleted, then its gone for good.

Sorry for the inconvenience and I hope that helps out even a little.

This was not a fic search posted in the story section, though.

Original - Misc > Lists

was a section for the lists specifically. My list was posted in the Lists section and additionally had

List, M/M, Yaoi

content codes to specify content.

I verified this just now and we still have this option for content codes:

Language - Foul language (cussing)

List - List (a non story)

M/F - Heterosexual sexual relationship (Het)

As we can see, the lists are allowed. I just can't see how the entire section could disappear into the thin air with no warning. If it was taking so much space, then at least we should be warned and given a chance to save reviews. I had more than ninety six and the last ones were not saved.

[DemonGoddess]

Oh hell, that was announced months ago with the initial restructure. I just happened to miss this one when I did this throughout the rest of the archive.

[madlodger]

Oh hell, that was announced months ago with the initial restructure. I just happened to miss this one when I did this throughout the rest of the archive.

I found this in News:

http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/inde...?showtopic=6564

...

More Mind Morsels for Members

Areas in the Archive such as "Searching for Fics", "Resources", "Challenges", and "Rants/Journals" must also soon go the way of the dodo. Turns out, they're heinous resource hogs! These little gems are the culprits behind some of our programing's biggest hurdles, and so, they will soon part company with the Archive. It won't happen this second, but please be prepared to see them vanish within a week or two.

...

This was posted back in April, though, and the Lists section was not mentioned. Right now it's December.

Is there any chance to get copies of last reviews at least? I am not asking to restore the deleted Lists section or anything.

[DemonGoddess]

The lists sections were listed elsewhere insofar as being taken away from the archive. Lists are not really stories, so would more properly belong in the forum anyway. The advantages to putting the lists here are that any links you have in your list are clickable, for one. Discussion is encouraged, for another.

Whereas, in the archive, links are not clickable, we discourage review board discussion at all. Takes up too much space in an already huge database.

Once the subcategories are deleted, there's no way to retrieve data that existed within them.

[madlodger]

The lists sections were listed elsewhere insofar as being taken away from the archive. Lists are not really stories, so would more properly belong in the forum anyway. The advantages to putting the lists here are that any links you have in your list are clickable, for one. Discussion is encouraged, for another.

Whereas, in the archive, links are not clickable, we discourage review board discussion at all. Takes up too much space in an already huge database.

Once the subcategories are deleted, there's no way to retrieve data that existed within them.

Actually, I sort of had a bad experience with posting lists on the forum. That was way back, before the current staff took over. I posted

500 reviews club:

http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/inde...ic=3012&hl=

(at least one book from originals is getting published now)

and 1000 reviews club:

http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/inde...ic=3008&hl=

Lists like this are very short usually.

Posting a few posts in a row in the same topic was against the rules, as I found out. The topics were consolidated by a mod as a compromise. So, they ended up looking a bit different from what I invisioned. And then comments and discussion were mixed in with the list entries. It didn't quite work or looked good.

Golden Nuggets was a much longer list, over 100 entries on the page one. The second page was going to be also about that long. The Lists section in the archive looked as a natural home to post this. The review board is separate there, so the list entries do not co-mingle with the comments. I am not quite sure how long lists would work in the forum format, to be honest.

[DemonGoddess]

Against the rules? D'ya mean cross posting? Cross posting is certainly frowned upon, whether here or the archive.

There's absolutely no restriction to posting several posts to your own topic, or any other topic for that matter. Especially as the forum has built in limitations to how many links can be made in one post. I'd have to look it up to be sure, but I believe the limit is 20 links per post, and 5 images per post. That's actually a built in spam protection. The only time I could see me doing something about that (many posts to one topic), is if a user was actually spamming the board, not building a link list. Very different purposes. Glaringly obvious differences too.

Now, if I'm understanding right, these lists are sort of a resource, for some of the subdomains, yes? If so, by all means post 'em in the respective resource forums. If, for example, a post doesn't belong in a forum it's been posted to, I move it. I do that all the time. No big deal. Certainly no need that I can see for me or any one else moderating in forum to get irritable over posts like this, or about moving 'em to their proper homes if misplaced.

[madlodger]

Against the rules? D'ya mean cross posting? Cross posting is certainly frowned upon, whether here or the archive.

There's absolutely no restriction to posting several posts to your own topic, or any other topic for that matter. Especially as the forum has built in limitations to how many links can be made in one post. I'd have to look it up to be sure, but I believe the limit is 20 links per post, and 5 images per post. That's actually a built in spam protection. The only time I could see me doing something about that (many posts to one topic), is if a user was actually spamming the board, not building a link list. Very different purposes. Glaringly obvious differences too.

Now, if I'm understanding right, these lists are sort of a resource, for some of the subdomains, yes? If so, by all means post 'em in the respective resource forums. If, for example, a post doesn't belong in a forum it's been posted to, I move it. I do that all the time. No big deal. Certainly no need that I can see for me or any one else moderating in forum to get irritable over posts like this, or about moving 'em to their proper homes if misplaced.

There was no cross-posting. I don't cross-post, period; not in the forum, not in the archive.

The problem back then was the fact that I started a topic and posted a number of entries back to back. Making several entries to one's own post was allowed, but making them in a row, without other users commenting in between, was not. The mod consolidated the entries inside the topic and made minor edits as well. The lists were moved to a different section as well and I had this "Oh! Where did my topics go?" sort of experience. I was so distressed that I actually requested creation of a separate subforum Hall of Fame, which was not approved

My list in the archives Lists section was an overwelming positive experience. It just worked.

But that was back then. I understand that we have different rules now.

Twenty links per entry is not too bad. I could possibly fit the page one of Golden Nuggets in six entries. Turn off the comments and create a separate comment thread. I'll probably sit on this for a while, contemplating what exactly I am going to do with the Nuggets. It needs to be restructured and expanded before making any final decisions.

Thank you for your prompt replies.

[DemonGoddess]

Explain this Hall of Fame thing to me. It sounds like a good idea. We will eventually have one for the archive, (hence the Awards thing still in the works), but what you're talking about is forum related and different, I'm sure.

[madlodger]

Explain this Hall of Fame thing to me. It sounds like a good idea. We will eventually have one for the archive, (hence the Awards thing still in the works), but what you're talking about is forum related and different, I'm sure.

The Hall of Fame idea came to me back then, when the forum was structured differently and I was a bit ticked-off about things. The point was that my 1000 and 500 threads didn't really belong anywhere. They were 1)lists and 2)inclusive of all fandoms and originals. They ended up being put into Author Resources > Writers' Corner > Reviews. They are not reviews as such, though. This is more in line with awards and recognition - sort of.

The idea was to have something extra on top of lists of favourites or recommended fiction. I'd like to have a list of authors who complete their fics, for example (That was a joke, heh!)

This is all water under the bridge right now anyway.

[canterro]

Hi

If I might suggest something, maybe it'd be better to judge fictions by reviews per hit count than by the absolute number of reviews. It's much more informative, in my opinion.

[madlodger]

Hi

If I might suggest something, maybe it'd be better to judge fictions by reviews per hit count than by the absolute number of reviews. It's much more informative, in my opinion.

We can have both One does not exclude another and new lists can always be created.

Sweet Puppy is at over 100000 hits O.O for example. That could go on Over 100000 hits list. It's only 16 chapters long too *brain melts*

[canterro]

Sweet Puppy is at over 100000 hits O.O for example. That could go on Over 100000 hits list. It's only 16 chapters long too *brain melts*

how do you do such a thing?!

positive vibes or what?

[madlodger]

how do you do such a thing?!

positive vibes or what?

No idea, but that's the guy who requested creation of Harry/Fenrir section. The fic was originally posted in some other category, like Threesomes/Moresomes or something. This fic started Harry/Fenrir craze on AFF, hence the hit count

[DemonGoddess]

Actually, as you know, we already have a Hall of Shame.

I see NO reason why not to have a Hall of FAME as well. I think it's a good idea to bring recognition to writers for achievement. You guys work hard at it, ya know?

Something we have in the works for the archive itself (field is already in place to do it), is to have a link like the "new stories" link, only it would show stories that have been nominated, and then awarded, for excellence.

So, for example, one would click on the menu option for it (I believe it's called Hall of Achievement) and whereas for "new", you see the newest updates, this one would only display, per sub domain, those stories which were ultimately picked as being exceptional stories. Of course right now the link is dead, as this is still very much a work in progress.

Back at the ranch here, so why not come up with a definitive structure, as to what should, and should not, be in such a forum, and I'll make it happen.