AFF categorizing

[aj-writer]

I remember a time.

A time when i used to visit the AFF and found it was well structured, simple, and easily surfed. All its stories are properly and easily categorized based on theme (Anime, manga, Movie, book etc2) and then the title of each stories. Anime titles goes to Anime category, book goes to books, movies goes to movies. Not all of its features were usable (the search feature weren't working if i recall) still, it was fun to browse, and easy to find the story i'm looking for.

And then one time, i was denied access to internet for some time, and i couldn't surf.

Regrettably i couldn't remember when. But the next time i did return to this site, it was a jumbled mess that i can't make heads or tail of. The stories were categorized in a rather weird way (a rather confusing seperation of the anime section some titles get a section of their own (which is rather weird)), and many stories, many titles seem to have vanished, and i couldn't find them even if i want to. And i still, for the live of me, couldn't figure out a way to review stories. Those that was left was... let's just say they didn't suit my taste. I don't know if I'm the only one who feels this way, but in my case, it got so bad... i began to think of never wanting to come back here again, or that this must be a mistake? Did i entered a wrong site or something? Alas and alack, they were one and the same. You, administrators, decided that this current setting is the best way for readers to browse your site.

Then came that great purge in FF.net. One of my favorite (and only source) of adult fanfic of this sort. Suddenly the many stories i enjoyed in that site were either gone or altered. I returned to this site, and saw you (administrators) noticed as well, and made changes properly. My hope was rekindled, but to my slight dismay, the categorizing of stories haven't really changed much - second thought, they don't change at all.

Well, now I'm talking to you Administrators of AFF.net. This is a chance for you. With the uproar occurring in FF.net, there will be a slew of writers coming your way, posting the stories in your site. The one site in this wide web world that post adult fanfiction without any limitation or filtration. Actually i think you people should realize this as well. And I can assure you, the stories will be coming in significant amount. I don't know about the others, but I HIGHLY doubt your current categorizing system, and the whole interface for that matter, is adequate enough to allow readers to enjoy browsing through your site.

I'm not asking to make it exactly like FF.net, but if anything, could you please make it easier for us users to browse your site. It'll be worth it. I assure you

[DemonGoddess]

*sighs* Then you'll remember the crash of 2005, followed by the minor crashes in 2006, yes? As to why some of the anime categories have been top leveled (mind you, we haven't even gotten there for a COMPLETE sort yet), those all had 200 or more stories. In order to reduce queries on page load, things HAD to be shifted around, or the database server would've been continuously resetting to allow for the excessive queries. BEFORE top leveling those categories in the anime subdomain, it was a MINIMUM of 273 queries just to load the page. The top levels themselves are fairly self explanatory, and again for the same reason. By breaking the titles apart in alphanumeric groups, the query load was greatly reduced. Granted, 20 to 30 queries to load the initial page is still on the higher side, but it is far easier on the database itself than 273+ to load a page. Something else to remember about the categorization itself, is that until the function is written in later this year, I'm STILL limited as to levels of categories. Currently, the top level is non posting, followed by a sub level, and then a level beneath IT. So working within those restrictions, this is what it looks like for now. Once I have unlimited categories, I'll be able to, for example, move the top level title cats in to their alphanumeric categories, and retain the categories beneath them. I try and do that now, anything beyond that 3rd level of category will be inaccessible.

EMPTY categories have been removed, and continue to be removed, if they stay that way over a period of time. There's no reason to leave a category that is not being used. If, months or years down the road, there is use for it again, I can make it easily enough for the user who asks.

As to browsing, the archive itself is separated in to subdomains. Each subdomain is titled, and set in the top menu. To switch between subdomains, you select what you want from that menu. For example, if you want to go to tv from anime, you go in to the menu tab for archive (in the subdomains), scroll to tv and click. Of course, with old and new software living concurrently and being concurrently, the old menu is quite different from the new one. In the NEW menu, the selection would be the Archives tab, then original, main, anime and non english. You make your selection as to which from one of those four. So with old and new menu, yes it CAN be confusing. However, until the software is finished being retooled, the old menu has to stay in place with the new.

As to the overall state of flux in the categories themselves at the moment, that's due to the clean up project in the archive itself.