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From: guest (daw)
, 186 months, post #101 |
Beggars can't be choosers. It's a free site were I paying to use
the site I might have a few complaints. I definitely miss fm but
criticizing them won't bring it back any faster,
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From: guest (Blue)
, 186 months, post #102 |
I agree with (daw) - people should be grateful that FM even
existed. :)
That said, as a suggestion for an interim solution, wouldn't it be
possible to just open up the directories on fmstories.com so the
files can be seen/browsed? This wouldn't have the Fictionmania
front-end, but stories would be available.
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From: guest (LurkerGrrl)
, 186 months, post #103 |
So far the Task Force has been taking a dim view of any alternate
solutions, whether suggested or actually implemented (someone
actually managed to rig up a search engine after finding a database
they'd left public -- unfortunately without asking permission, and
they immediately cut off access and haven't apparently returned her
e-mails attempting to discuss the issue), so I really doubt we're
going to see any kind of solution until they finish their own
fixes. Which sucks. I'm trying very hard not to be ungrateful, but
so many people have offered so much help only to be ignored or
rudely rebuffed that my gratitude for Fictionmania is...strained at
the moment, shall we say.
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From: guest (Go0se)
, 186 months, post #104 |
Indeed, if it's a matter of funding lets take up collection I'll
drop $200 my self. Either call in professionals, or had off the
keys. Please for the good of the community and the reek of the egos
wafting threw here. There is a simple solution even if we don't
know what it is.
If nothing else I beseech member of the Task Force. Talk to us.
Just a simple post where you�d don�t even ready questions. Maybe
locked so only updates can be put on there.
Right now there is NO official channel about what�s going on. I
know your under pressure and where asking miracles. But hiding is
NOT the answer.
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From: Chalkerfan
, 186 months, post #105 |
I'd like to apologise to everyone in advance for the fact that the
split second FM is back up I'm going to download the lot, crap
stories and all.
I'm not going through this again.
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From: guest (LurkerGrrl)
, 186 months, post #106 |
We've been assured that it's not a matter of funding, at least;
Glamour Boutique is still filling their needs in that regard. I
can't imagine that additional funding would hurt, but I respect
their decision to stick with their sponsorship and refuse
donations. I know that I was laid off not too long ago and, while
I'm looking for work and hopeful I'll get another job soon, I'm not
really in a position to donate to anyone or anything at the moment.
No, it's the refusal of technical assistance that bothers me. I
understand that they don't want to entrust the physical resources
to anyone outside the Task Force. Fair enough, that. But there are
solutions of varying permanency and degrees of effectiveness that
wouldn't require any level of access to the hardware or any
significant level of access to the data on the servers, and it's
disappointing that they won't accept any solutions but their own.
But honestly, I'm trying to keep my criticism as mild as I can. I'm
annoyed, quite obviously, and I wish that the TF would be more open
with the community and accept the assistance that's been offered --
if nothing else, I would hope they'd appreciate the great goodwill
that many people here and elsewhere have offered them, and take
those offers of assistance in the spirit they were intended, even
if they still feel a need to politely decline them -- but I
certainly don't want them to take their ball and go home.
That said, I'm also hoping that this encourages the community at
large to post their work on multiple sites, if possible. It's all
too easy for a major hub like Fictionmania to go down and take
years of work and thousands of stories with it; it's not the first
time it's happened, either. Countless captions were lost (though
some have been preserved and reposted elsewhere) when the Lycos
Clubs came to an end; plenty of other sites I used to enjoy have
fallen into obscurity or shut down altogether. I never believed it
would happen to FM, and this time, at least, FM will be coming
back. But it *can* happen to virtually any site, and
decentralization and redundancy are our best defense against the
loss of this material.
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From: Mr. Ram
, 186 months, post #107 |
From what I've gleaned from elsewhere on the net, the problem now
is U.S. customs. Everything is ready to go, the new server is in
place and waiting for the FM techies to recover and transfer data
from the old server to the new one As many of you know
Fictionmania's server isn't in the United States, the old server
had to be shipped to the U.S. and is languishing in a custom's
warehouse somewhere.
Blame homeland security for the delay in Fictionmania's restart,
not the FM Taskforce!
Mr. Ram
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From: kreplach
, 186 months, post #108 |
Where were the backups? There shouldn't have been a need to
physically access the server to recover data in the first place.
I'm just sayin'...
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From: guest (LurkerGrrl)
, 186 months, post #109 |
Frankly, given that the FM Task Force has refused to even consider
solutions that would at least provide interim access to basic
functionality, I think a modicum of responsibility for the present
situation can be laid at their feet. Once again, I sympathize with
their difficulties, but the fact remains that there are answers,
these answers have been put forth, and the TF continues to insist
on doing it their way, refusing every alternative and alienating a
number of people in the process.
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From: Mr. Ram
, 186 months, post #110 |
If there were backups I'm sure thy would use them. FM is a hobby
site! Not a business. It is run by volunteers, when they have the
time. They make mistakes, like everyone else.
The FM task force has decided to pursue the repairs to the site in
their own way, No one but them knows the real situation. I'm sure
that helpful suggestions from anxious fans of the site are
appreciated, but those suggestions come from a uninformed
perspective.
Just be patient, FM isn't gone, it's just delayed.
Mr. Ram
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From: XoYo
, 186 months, post #111 |
I'm glad Mr. Ram has some perspective here. The sense of
entitlement from some FM users is getting pretty bloody irritating.
We've had access to this wonderful archive of stories for years,
free of charge. A lot of work has gone into making it the great
resource it is, and we should appreciate this and not start
bitching and moaning when these generous, unpaid volunteers hit
snags.
Personally I'd just like to thank the task force for all their
efforts so far and wish them luck in their attempts to get the site
live again.
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From: guest (uri)
, 186 months, post #112 |
When did Fictionmania first go online?
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From: Mr. Ram
, 186 months, post #113 |
February 1998.
It even has a Wikipedia page!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictionmania
Mr. Ram
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From: guest (caitlinb)
, 186 months, post #114 |
The "customs" explanation simply does not hold water. A web site is
a collection of material and scripts, not specific physical
machines. In the worst case backups can be sent UPS or Fedex, or
just a slow peer-to-peer network transfer.
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From: guest (daw)
, 186 months, post #115 |
We all want fictionmania back and we all agree that there is
nothing we can do about it. So what's the point in arguing?
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From: Mr. Ram
, 186 months, post #116 |
There are no backups of materials or scripts, all that stuff is on
the damaged hard drive. There are no copies to send peer to peer or
any other way. The old drive is en route and held up in customs.
That's what we ALL are waiting for, The FM techies say that the
site can be up very soon after receiving the hard drive.
Mr. Ram
Mr. Ram
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From: guest (LurkerGrrl)
, 186 months, post #117 |
Except that it's not true that all the necessary files are on the
damaged server. There was a database on the fmstories server which
had allowed an FM fan to rig up a search engine. Unfortunately, she
did so without permission, which was admittedly inappropriate, and
Steffan shut down the database on behalf of the Task Force and
informed her that she was in violation of FM's terms of use. But
the simple fact remains that some functionality could be restored
*now*. It *had* been restored. And the TF is not even willing to
entertain the possibility.
Yes, they are volunteers. But I don't think that puts them above
legitimate criticism, and I don't think blind hero worship of the
TF is any more appropriate than unrelenting flames. There's been
good behavior and bad behavior on *all* sides of this.
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From: guest (LurkerGrrl)
, 186 months, post #118 |
And here's the full discussion thread from Crystal's site on the
incident I've been citing, incidentally:
http://www.storysite.org/cgi-bin/crysboard/crysboard.cgi?action=display&num=32403
As I said -- yes, however well intentioned, it was illegitimate
access and permission should have been sought beforehand. But it
was something that could have helped, at least in the short term,
and I would have hoped -- I still hope -- that cooler heads would
prevail and common ground could be reached.
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From: guest (me2)
, 186 months, post #119 |
since we can always use a new site why don't all who are offering
help either start a new site of your own, or better yet offer the
task force a back up system/mirror site.
a mirror site is what is really needed i.m.h.o.
Nifty has several and storysite has at least 1.
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From: guest (me)
, 186 months, post #120 |
Someone would have to get permission to do a mirror site, correct?
Will the TF allow it? Probably not.
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