Thoughts and questions about the 852 Prospect move

[mab_browne]

And I hear you saying, "Mab, why don't you address those to the OTW people?" And I'd agree, and I already have, but these are an entirely different set of thoughts.

Cut for confusion, naked neediness and one or two genuine thoughts and questions on fannish history and protocol. If you don't want to read those things, you know what not to do.

Comments

[t_verano]

So... what happens to the stories that OTW transfers untouched by us to the 852 collection -- do they retain 852-style formatting? (Have they told us this? Have they emailed you

[mab_browne]

If you check out the DW post Merlin provides some links reflecting what happened with the Smallville archive move. Haven't actually checked them out myself, and don't have a reply to my queries yet. I expect that they have to need to check things out first, but no doubt they will reply - AO3 is generally pretty good about that

[weggsley]

Eh, I have no dog in this fight, as you know :-). Speaking as a reader, I would have to see an example of how the straight transfer with 852 formatting would look at AO3 to form any sort of opinion about it. If it comes out looking anything like the old 852 format, which was very popular with readers, then I imagine most people would be fine with that

[weggsley]

Annnnnd I see that the story you just posted, which I read and commented on, actually has retained the 852 Prospect formatting, which my eyes totally and utterly glided over and didn't see in my haste to get straight down to reading the tasty fic. Which is an answer in itself, I suppose! Not at all annoying or even noticeable, from this particularly oblivious reader's standpoint!

[mab_browne]

According to Hermit Soul if files are transferred as a mass move they are dated according to the original posting dates, based on what happened with the Smallville archive move.

Heh. I was reading some of my earlier stuff and thinking some of it was none so bad, so yeah. I will go with my narcissistic repost plan. *g*

[jael_lyn01]

What is OTW?

I can't comment on the formatting question, although as a reader, I'll express a related opinion. I hope our TS authors past and present make the effort to move their stuff, no matter how it looks, no matter how old. I'll tolerate formatting issues just to have continued access.
I'm glad you brought this up, and you're obviously way ahead of me. I have a few stories on the 852 archive and have no clue if I'm supposed to be doing something. My Jael Lyn stores on Idol Pursuit, I'm assuming if I want them available I'm going to need to transfer one by one. From what I last heard, Idol Pursuits isn't accessible anymore, so I don't think I can transfer in mass from the site - and that's assuming that I could figure it out anyway.

[tesserae_]

OTW is the parent organization for AO3 - the Organization for Transformative Works, which was formed to do legal advocacy in the area of copyright fair use and also to document/support the fannish community. There are links at the bottom of AO3 pages that'll give you access to more of what they do. (The news page is here and the first item is the 852 transfer...)

[jael_lyn01]

Thank you! That was very informative.

[mab_browne]

Glad that Tesserae could help out. :-)

[lady_ceylonna]

As a reader who joined many fandoms well after the series ended, I'm fine with authors posting old works as new when they transfer sites - it helps me become aware of stuff I might have missed. That said, I do appreciate an author's note indicating that it is a repost at a new site, not a rewrite. Also, that way I know if it seems familiar, it's likely because I read it years ago, not that it's plagiarized (if the author has very different user names across sites).

[mab_browne]

Thanks for the input. :-) I definitely agree that it's worthwhile to indicate an earlier posting - it's a bit like cheating if you don't, I feel. At least I have no plans to change my writing pseud, so that question doesn't arise.

[briarwood]

All my TS fic is already at AO3.

As for the 852 Prospect move; I gave up on that site after a couple of stories because the interface was so very horrible and because no matter how carefully I followed instructions it always, always ****ed up the formatting on my stories. I would have deleted everything from there if they permitted it. When AO3 does their transfer, I'll track down my stuff and get the duplicates removed. Until then, I'm ignoring the whole thing.

[mab_browne]

852 Prospect was difficult if you wanted to anything other than very basic emphasis. I remember when ASR3 and AO3 came along, and I realised that I could preview properly and add things like OMG Blockquotes!

I have about half and half between 852 and AO3 at the moment, and I could just wait but I feel happier about drip feeding the transfer under my own control. If nothing else, any minor edits can be done as I go, rather than waiting for a big cross out and then correction. I half wish I'd done it already - at least then I could just transfer everything over at once.

[briarwood]

By the time I started writing in TS I was more than capable of building my own web sites. I couldn't even get 852 to use emphasis correctly. It was more than frustrating and support from the site admins was non existant. I don't really have the nostalgia for the site that the longest-serving fans do.

Don't get me wrong - I am thrilled that the archive will be preserved. But I don't see myself as part of it.