Mod post and a poll: Tags vs. Memories
Oct. 30th, 2009 12:19 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
castalianspring.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
indeedsir_backupWe've had a lot of requests and suggestions lately, so this is your mods testing the waters a little. Please read the following thoughts on the options before voting in the poll.
Basically, the request is for specific tags for each author/artist. An example of this in a community can be seen at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
donaldtimmy, and there would be an option for hiding the tags in a separate link so they wouldn't clutter up the sidebar.
There are a few problems with this option, one of which is that when searching through tags, LJ is only capable of going back to skip=380 before it stops working. This might not be a problem for most of what we're using tags for, but in any prolific community it starts to become an issue eventually. Another issue is manpower - ideally, once we have the tags created then anyone can add them, but we have to know what tags to create first. And we do have a rather large number of tags already.
The second option is to update the memories. This would allow for practically unlimited organization with just a few clicks needed to navigate. The LJ memories feature is pretty straightforward and would not clutter up the main page at all. Again, the issue here is manpower and time.
My solution for the manpower problem in either case would be to recruit as many volunteers as possible to help collect links and names. If we choose to do tags, we'd need a list of all the authors and artists who have posted to the community and ideally the URLs to all their posts. Then the mods could create tags and either tag the posts or delegate the tagging to the volunteers. If we choose to update the memories, a similar system would be needed - volunteers to go back through the comm and collect links so mods can add them to the memories. If necessary, we can make a post where members could reply with their links and collect them to make a master list from which to work.
Of course, if there is enough demand, we can do both. The collection of links and names would be similar anyway, and once posts are in the memories anyone can find them and tag them once tags are created. So really it's a question of aesthetics and which method all of you would find most user friendly and useful in finding stories and art.
[Poll #1478500]
Thank you all for voting. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Basically, the request is for specific tags for each author/artist. An example of this in a community can be seen at
donaldtimmy, and there would be an option for hiding the tags in a separate link so they wouldn't clutter up the sidebar.There are a few problems with this option, one of which is that when searching through tags, LJ is only capable of going back to skip=380 before it stops working. This might not be a problem for most of what we're using tags for, but in any prolific community it starts to become an issue eventually. Another issue is manpower - ideally, once we have the tags created then anyone can add them, but we have to know what tags to create first. And we do have a rather large number of tags already.
The second option is to update the memories. This would allow for practically unlimited organization with just a few clicks needed to navigate. The LJ memories feature is pretty straightforward and would not clutter up the main page at all. Again, the issue here is manpower and time.
My solution for the manpower problem in either case would be to recruit as many volunteers as possible to help collect links and names. If we choose to do tags, we'd need a list of all the authors and artists who have posted to the community and ideally the URLs to all their posts. Then the mods could create tags and either tag the posts or delegate the tagging to the volunteers. If we choose to update the memories, a similar system would be needed - volunteers to go back through the comm and collect links so mods can add them to the memories. If necessary, we can make a post where members could reply with their links and collect them to make a master list from which to work.
Of course, if there is enough demand, we can do both. The collection of links and names would be similar anyway, and once posts are in the memories anyone can find them and tag them once tags are created. So really it's a question of aesthetics and which method all of you would find most user friendly and useful in finding stories and art.
[Poll #1478500]
Thank you all for voting. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 06:07 pm (UTC)In that case, I think both options would be the way to go. I'll help however I can. I've developed cataracts, so I may be a little slow and my eyes may give out after a few hours' work each day, but I can definitely put in those few hours, and am delighted to help. This is such a great community with so much amazing talent.
Thank you for all of your work/research on this!
no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 06:44 pm (UTC)Even a little bit helps! Thanks for being willing to help out.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 06:56 pm (UTC)OMG, isn't there some sort of support group for that, a Twelve Step program? GET HELP, I beg you. *g*
You're right -- skip=380 is just weird. It sucks. :-(
I'm at your disposal. :-)
no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 10:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 03:51 am (UTC)Jim and Blair are *so* an OTP. And still a great pairing; I still love 'em, but less intensely as I once did. (Email me at thistle (at) ravenshadow (dot) net if you'd like a freebie copy of my TS novel that I did as a zine--and now as a PDF zine.)
I've loved Jeeves & Wooster ever since seeing some of it on PBS in the nineties, and had been a fan of both Fry and Laurie in Blackadder, but J&W didn't become a *fandom* for me until this summer, when rewatching the eps I had and reading some excellent fanfiction got me *hooked*. :-)
no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 10:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 04:13 am (UTC)If you need any links or whatever, just let me know.
P.S. As I told
no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 03:42 am (UTC)jim and blair really are soulmates in a way most otps only dream of. they are just perfect together. but, yeah, since i've moved on to other fandoms (lotrips, then this one), my love has waned a bit, too. i still visit the guys every now and then, though. i'd love a copy of your novel, and will be emailing you asap.
i've loved jeeves and wooster ever since first reading the books forever ago. and having my two fav brit comedians do the tv show just clinched it for me. i don't remember what got me into the fic or this comm, but i am so glad i found it. this place is home now. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-11-01 04:36 am (UTC)I definitely missed out on reading the Jeeves books until having seen the TV series, but in some ways, it's kind of nice to have faces/voices to add that extra little bit of enjoyment to my reading. I think I must have done a little LJ search to find this comm after rereading shalott's "Jeeves And The Blessed Indiscretion." (I already had "My Man, Jeeves" from the fanzine in which it was originally published.)
This comm is really incredible.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-08 03:24 pm (UTC)Respect! There are so few of us left!
no subject
Date: 2009-11-08 07:16 pm (UTC)*waves* So true! Hello, fellow dinosaur fan! :-)
And the cons are dwindling rapidly to only a few, which is sad.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-08 07:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-08 08:03 pm (UTC)The new professional glitz-and-glitter Comic Con-style ones do seem way to much for me, too. But I still loved the small fan cons.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-10 10:01 pm (UTC)i had to go back and reread some of my old favorites, too, the last couple of days. did you ever read "those who can" by sihaya black? i think that was the best ts fic i ever read. not the porniest, but definitely the most well-written. and that's saying something, because you're right. there are a lot of talented writers in that fandom. or there were. i haven't kept up with it in years. are there any sentinel lj comms that you know of?
i'm with you on seeing the show first before reading the books. i think you get hooked more easily if you can picture hugh and stephen in your head while reading them. ;D combine those two with plum's genius, and you can't resist.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-17 03:11 am (UTC)I do really like Sihaya Black's Those Who Can -- really, there are a lot of excellent writers in TS: Martha Taylor, Audra Rose, Francesca, Lemon Drop (with reservations -- I probably recommend Mexico and Cloud Mountain by her the most, although she has many others worth reading, and especially her crossover with Martha, Distant Journey, Unknown Lands). E Batagur does good work, as do Dawn Pares, Romslinger, LitGal, Psychgirl, Bone, Aristide...SO many others. If you like, I can just put my Sentinel fanfiction file on a disc and send it to you, or use YouSendIt, or something. You know about the 852 Prospect slash archive, right? (http://www.852prospect.org/) And the gen archive (lots of excellent writers there, too: Martha (again), Susan Williams, Jael Lyn, K. Ryn. (Cascade Library: http://tslibrary.skeeter63.org/newarrivals.htm. About the only Sentinel comms online aren't really fiction comms, but I haven't kept up much lately, either; I'm sorry I can't be of more help.
I really like having a picture in my head for the characters, and Hugh Laurie and Stepen Fry really are the quintessenntial faces for the characters for me now. Just as Tim Curry and Michael Palin were my visual images for J. and Harris when I read Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men In A Boat and "sequels" years ago.
no subject
Date: 2009-11-19 02:07 am (UTC)god, i hadn't checked the 852 archive in forever! i'm kinda surprised, but pleased, to see it's still up and running. i'll have to go through some of the newer fic and see if there's anything good. i really only read the nc-17 fics. i'm a total slash porn hor. *lol*
no subject
Date: 2009-11-19 05:00 am (UTC)Tomorrow, probably. My eyes are not cooperating tonight. *rueful grin*
no subject
Date: 2009-11-20 02:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-09 06:07 pm (UTC)Hey, hon, I didn't mean to forget you -- RL attacked me, too. Can you give me just the first part of your email addy, or send it to me in an LJ message? I want to arrange to get the CD of Sentinel fiction to you. :-)
(I'm *not* an NC-17 porn ho myself, so you;ll have to put up with lots of variety, I'm afraid. ;-))
no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 06:39 pm (UTC)A couple of months ago, a community in which I participate decided to tag all entries (adding also tags for genres, ratings, authors and artists). The mods simply put a post with a list of all months since the community was created and asked for volunteers. People would claim a particular month and tag all entries that were posted then (the claiming post was also used as a place for people to ask for tags that needed to be created, as a Mod would be checking it frequently) and in a very short amount of time the entire comm was successfully tagged.
I know we have around 80 months to go through, but we also have over 1300 members. If 10% of the comm volunteers, it can be done very quickly. The whole process can be very enjoyable for the taggers - I volunteered to tag a month and ended up asking for three more, because I had a lot of fun re-reading old favorites and discovering stories that for one reason or other I had missed.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 06:42 pm (UTC)Question from a total n00b
Date: 2009-10-30 07:55 pm (UTC)I understand tags, but if we switched to memories, how would that work? Like, how does one find things through memories?
Re: Question from a total n00b
Date: 2009-10-30 07:59 pm (UTC)Re: Question from a total n00b
Date: 2009-10-30 08:02 pm (UTC)I'm having trouble getting LJ-adept, it's kinda confusing.
Re: Question from a total n00b
Date: 2009-10-30 08:26 pm (UTC)Re: Question from a total n00b
Date: 2009-10-30 10:36 pm (UTC)Getting Started with LJ for the Complete Novice
(http://azurelunatic.livejournal.com/6185662.html)
All my tips -- LJ, HTML, Word -- whatever (http://starwatcher307.livejournal.com/210917.html)
Re: Question from a total n00b
Date: 2009-10-31 03:54 am (UTC)Re: Question from a total n00b
Date: 2009-10-31 03:41 pm (UTC)Change the Size, Color, and Font of Certain Words (Using Font and Span) (http://community.livejournal.com/howto/24298.html)
Tutorial: What Exactly is the LJ-CUT Tag? (http://community.livejournal.com/l_j_for_dummies/375.html)
Info, Resources, FAQ and Everything Else (http://community.livejournal.com/reversescollide/469.html)
I'd especially check out
There's all I could find, hope it's helpful.
Re: Question from a total n00b
Date: 2009-10-31 03:49 pm (UTC)Re: Question from a total n00b
Date: 2009-10-31 05:35 pm (UTC)*runs off to read*
no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 10:25 pm (UTC)I prefer tags, because I don't really like memory organization for comms, but I can see the usefulness in it.
How many tags are available? Because author tags are helpful, but there might not be enough for everyone. Unless we use an outside source, like delicious. Isn't there one still for the comm?
Anyway I agree with slytherin_gypsy about the tagging terms: genre, subject, rating, pairing, warning, etc. and giving members certain months.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 10:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 10:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-30 11:07 pm (UTC)I like the idea of an author/artist tagging scheme 'cos it'll be good for those fics where you just can't remember the name but you know it's by X.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 01:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 12:14 am (UTC)Just let me know!
no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 12:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 06:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-31 10:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-08 03:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-08 03:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-08 09:24 pm (UTC)