I know but I meant getting something bigger set up for doing like site tournament matches.

 

DLP is at a crossroads, nobody can really deny that. The forum's going on its sixth year, we've got a pretty dedicated user-base, and a pretty extensive load of seminal fics, both completed and still-updating. But on the other hand, DLP's become more than the fanfiction now, and that's proving to be an interesting outgrowth.

But just to set this straight, I don't buy for a second that HP is done yet. We still have two movies left that are going to make waves in the fandom (everything that has been leaked is suggesting they're deviating from the books somewhat in the DH movies), and Rowling's been lying low. I can bet ten-to-one that she'll start writing another HP book in a year or two - or that she's already got something ready to hit us by surprise.

On that note, I don't believe Dresden's done either. Sure, the TV series didn't work, but that doesn't mean a movie wouldn't. And Butcher's got like another dozen books to go, so there's no way that's going away any time soon.

There's a few things, however, that are coming to my mind about this whole thing:

1. DLP - the acronym should stay, even if we junk the 'DarkLordPotter' part. And I really like the colour scheme here, so let's not change that any time soon either.

2. WbA and the Library - I've got a vested interest in both of these remaining somewhat intact (and bringing back Established Authors WbA, while we're on the subject of change), and like it or not, I still think fanfic is one of the big things that keeps this site together. I'm not sure we want to lose that focus entirely. And I like the way WbA is set up - as an author, it lets me keep track of commentary really easily.

3. The attitude needs to stay - fuck, if this isn't obvious, I don't know what is. We can't start pussy-footing around because we're gunning for a 'new DLP'. One of the biggest reasons I post here is because of the no-nonsense, no-bullshit attitude. It's okay to be civil, but this is still DLP, and I don't want any of THAT to fall by the wayside.

4. Podcasts - sounds great, Vash, if you're willing to do it, but what the fuck happened to RageRadio? That was great writing music, and it got me into trance and everything...

5. The 'Academic' Subforums - well, it's a good idea, to say the least. Don't think I'd really use them except for maybe a bit of reading, but that's just me. There seems to be a fair interest in them, and as long as they have some moderation (also, just thinking out loud, is there a way to limit access to certain areas of the forum based on post-count or something - it might save us from some of the trolls if DLP moves more... 'mainstream-ish' and thus gets more publicity).

6. The accumulated history - it sounds like a good idea, but having excavated a lot of the shit that's happened on DLP (and that includes shit like the infamous 'logs' tied to the DLP Drama thread in the HoS), we don't want to revisit that stuff. Some shit should remain buried.

7. PatronusCharm - I still use it, but it is pretty dead over there, not gonna lie. I don't want to lose it entirely - Raven put a lot of work into it - but I would like to see it maybe put to use as an archive of great fanfic. Prune out of the shit by popular demand, and fill it with the fics that are worthwhile. That probably involves finishing off those 'Neglected Fics' left in the library, but that shouldn't take that long (where the fuck are Scrittore and darklordmike when you need them?)

8. The yearly awards - I've been petitioning for these for AGES, and I'd like them to come back. It'd would do wonders to encourage some of our authors (hell, I'd be encouraged).

9. Mod/Staff Changes - not needed, moving on, and the only real discussion with this should be in regards to who is the mod for the new subforums if we get those.

And finally,

10. Above all, this stuff should be entirely above board and open forum. There needs to be open communication regarding this sort of thing, if only because while there is huge potential, there's also huge potential for things to go WRONG. I would say put some of these things to a vote, but I'm not sure how well that would work. But it needs to stay public.

As I said, I'm here because this is where I write and post my shit, and I do it regularly. I'm not leaving the HP fanfic world yet - I've got stuff to finish, after all. But I'm part of this community as well, and if there's change... well, the last thing we need is another DLP Drama, that's all I'm saying.

 

I agree with Ellisande, Sesc, and Joe.

From Ellisande's post:

I'll go even further and say that seeing "Other Fandoms" in the same subforum as the Harry Potter Library already bothers me. A lot.

Similarly, I was happier when HP WbA was in its own subcategory, with its own Fanfic Discussion; if we absolutely had to have some Dresden, a small, separate subforum at the bottom of the page suited me just fine. But I was, and still am, a fan of the Harry-Potter-comes-first-damnit mentality. I also know that many people who aren't very loud on the forums don't care about General Discussion, RL Discussion or S&P. They browse the Library and check For Review -- still to this day.

That would be fun. And good publicity, if we really need that.

So, in conclusion:

And

This.


This is a spectacularly unhelpful post, but what can I say. I'm a HP fanfic author and reader, and really, it's what keeps me on here.



EDIT, because I swear my typing gets slower every day:

I really dislike this distinction. All authors in the same subforum. There are no "established" and "non-established" authors, there are only good and bad ones. Setting up such a hierarchy gives me nausea.

 

This is what I've done with each new chapter of anything HP that I put out. But since I fell off my HP (writing) horse I have no medium to advertise.

I've wanted to write my own original fiction. HP has been a crutch for me and wound up holding me back. Since I've stopped on the HP front, I've probably written about 300-400,000 words of original stuff. Granted, about 75% of it is crap, but I think I've gotten better.

It doesn't mean that I won't be contributing in the future, but when I do, it will actually be something that you might want to read.

 

Mostly that.

The only problem I'd have with opening out to other fandoms is that ending up like TFF would suck balls. We'd have too many faggots to keep track of dispersed around many boards.

As for Krogan's point, I'd still like to see shoddy go up or Pokemon Online. It's in beta but seems to be a far nicer alternative to shoddy. Anyway, that's minor shit.

I like this idea but it seems to edge a little to close to FanficAuthors.net.

As for what new fandoms we can open up to... I'm thinking new fandoms are proposed and voted in. Bleach/Pokemon/Name of the wind/Lotr. That kind of stuff.

Harry Potter should still be our focus, as that's where the site was born, but recently, I've seen DLP as more than Harry Potter fanfiction. It's a home of excellent writing with a rare blend of quality membership and utter dickery.

tl;dr

The site should not undergo a major overhaul just yet. Baby steps.

 

I like the idea of keeping the acronym--DLP will always be DLP. The motto and logo could use a bit of a facelift, but that's not really important.

I do agree with Taure when he talked about the Journal, and with a more formalized work-help thing. Doing editing work, brainstorming, and commentary on essays already occurs informally, but I think more people could benefit from it if it were made more public.

If the Journal were done properly (group of main editors, peer reviewers, etc) then it could actually count as an academic publication. As Taure said, it only costs $10 for an ISBN.

I like the idea of expanding DLP to include more types of fiction and more recommendations aside from HP. While HP is a very important part of the site, I've found other stories which have me interested, and I doubt I would have found them if it wasn't though DLP irc.

DLP also has enormous networking potential. Most of us are talented and gifted individuals in various fields. We could exploit that for many different things. I know that if I'm heading anywhere in the world, I can probably find a fellow DLP member that I've chatted with, or exchanged PMs with, in the area.

Is there some way to include PC into DLP more? Merge the two perhaps? I think PC is a spectacular example of a fiction reading website, but it lacks the depth of ff.net.

 

I'm a pretty old user and have to say that it's embarrassing for anyone (family, co-workers, etc.) to walk in and see me on a site dedicated to fanfiction for a children's series published years ago. Worse, I work next door to a professional author who collaborates with George R. R. Martin (an author who has made no secret of his feelings on fanfiction) and I'd prefer not to have "There is only fanfiction and those to weak to read it" across the top of my browser when he walks in. There's only so many times you can quick-click over to the Slashdot tab before people start getting suspicious. If nothing else changes, it'd be nice to have an option to turn off banners, etc. and make the site more work-safe (Maybe such an option exists and I don't know about it).

Larger things: DLP is a site grounded in fanfiction and, as Taure and others have said, much site traffic is dedicated to it. In making our transition, we should retain that (Library and WBA threads, e.g.) But, unlike Tinn, I think that enlarging to other aspects of fan and original fiction would make sense. We have an opportunity to basically own Dresden fanfiction if we seize it. (Butcher's own site's fanfiction section gets sparse traffic).

One of the distinguishing aspects of DLP is its collection of eclectic personalities able to express themselves in an edgy, yet grammatically correct way; for that reason, I actually do like the idea of blogs. They provide the chance to build upon the personae of those we think we know and associate with the site. The classic problem with blog sites is making a forest out of the trees, but we already have the forest. The blogs would just be site sauce.

I think that if we're serious about a transition to a focus on digital media, a longer-term goal should be publishing something like a magazine/podcast with unique stories, articles, etc. PatronusCharm might be suitable as a hosting site for the magazine.

Whatever the changes you seek to make, take small steps toward a well defined goal. Don't shock the system; don't break what already works; do have in mind a clear idea what you want to become, ultimately, but be ready to change if it looks like it won't work out.

p.s. I actually don't like the idea of a "Work" section because I already get enough "Help me with my homework, Pers!" requests as is.

p.p.s. I might be alone in this, but I don't think the DLP awards are worth the drama and reflexive jbern hate. If we do have to have them, I'd prefer to see DLP select unranked "top ten" lists for the various categories instead of solitary winners. Everyone will find something in the top ten lists that appeals to them, but not everyone will be happy seeing jbern, Shezza, and Joe sweep all the awards.

 

I still consider myself a relatively new member, but what I would like to see is pretty much been stated repeatedly. I would like to see our fanfiction expand beyond just HP and into fiction in general. I think making it "Digital Literary Project" or whatever else fits the DLP acronym would be great. To keep the bad fictions out maybe the mods could oversee what is allowed in with members recommending the book/series, of course to do this we would probably have to expand the book section of the forum. That's my (rushed) $0.02.

 

He says, with a fragment of a pornographic scene featuring overtones of incest in his sig...

I don't think DLP should be worksafe, but I do like the idea of it being reputationsafe, if such a concept exists. The sort of thing you don't have to tab away from whenever someone enters the room would be nice. But by gods, never, ever family-friendly.

As for the published magazine/podcast thing that seems to have a bit of a following, I can't emphasize enough how bad an idea I think it would be to have anything like the word deadline associated with anything to do with DLP. Sure, throw out an (ugh) ezine whenever enough cruft has accumulated if that's the way we're going, but the moment there's deadlines attached to anything I do on DLP is the moment when I, for the first time, feel hesitant about clicking on the bookmark to DLP. And I'm dead sure I wouldn't be the only one.

 

We need to ask people like Middy and Perspicacity: What keeps you coming back to these forums when you've got a job and a family and real life to worry about? What makes DLP worth your time?

As DLP ages, a lot of us will grow up with it. We're going to graduate university, get jobs, eventually get married and have kids. Picture yourself in 5 or 10 years- how do you see DLP fitting into your life?

One option would be to keep DLP as it is: a fringe hobby dedicated to Harry Potter that we'll visit in the dead of the night when the kids are asleep. The problem with this is that while a small core group will stay super-involved, many members will outgrow the hobby, or may not have time for it.

Another option (and my preferred choice) would be to expand DLP to include networking as well, either with an Academic subforum as mentioned above, or maybe with a Connections subforum where we can get real life advice or help. Imagine traveling anywhere in the world, and having a friend in every country who can pick you up at the airport, show you around or offer you a couch to crash on. Imagine trying to write a paper, and having the option to send it to an incredibly diverse background to get reviews and critical feedback. It'd be like a college network, but so much more far-reaching due to the international nature of it.

I think that if this site is going to have longevity, it needs to have that networking structure so that it becomes easier to stay involved, beyond the HP universe.

 

I've never had anything against Original fiction, on the contrary. I just wish we would keep the main focus on HP. Dresden and others are already settled here; fine. As it were, I simply have heavily nostalgic tendencies that make me want Harry Potter to still be leading, distinguished and separated from the other sections. If Dresden is to become similarly large, I'd just as well see it on its own separate page.

A lot of it is a matter of personal taste. I did say my post wasn't designed to be helpful -- because, for the various reasons I've stated, the offered opportunity of changing doesn't inspire me enough to give me ideas.

And yes. I'm aware how progress-hating that makes me sound.

... I'd actually forgotten about the last awards. Funny how time flies.

 

We've already got that though, even though it seems to be more centered on IRC. I've seen homework and essays passed around for comments more than once (and been asked personally for help with bits and pieces a time or two) and I've personally crashed Jon's spare bedroom while moving to Sydney and spent near a week on Anya's futon while in Melbourne for a convention.

You don't need the DLP Official Seal of Approval for any of this. Just ask. I know I've seen you on IRC before.

And there's a point - it might help to make IRC stand out a bit more than just one more option on the menu up the top.

 

I know! And isn't it great?? I think that if we could expand that beyond the 40 or so IRC regulars, it could potentially be fly as hell.

 

As far as PC goes, it's a shame to see it so deserted. I think it's not even the first choice for the main DLP crowd since they prefer WbA (I know I do). I believe there should be some sort of tie-in (more than the "last DLP posts on PC) of PC to WbA, with threads = stories and posts = comments. Depending on the particulars of it it would take some programming effort, but we know it's not something Raven couldn't do skillwise.

I agree with Tinn that, while all fandoms are equal, DLP is more equal than the others.

As far as a name goes, DLP must not be lost. A different name, banner and motto might be prudent though. I like the DLP Literature Project, because recursive acronyms are awesome.

 

As has been stated a number of times throughout this thread, I think that in some way expanding and/or cleansing the WBA and Library sections is a must. If there was some way to incorporate PC with this site I think that would be great, a search/browsing function for the DLP Library would be useful in the extreme.

As for the complete overhaul idea, I personally am here because of HP Fanfiction. I admit, I've gotten quite hooked on the discussion threads, but I never would have been here otherwise, and the HP WBA really is a great resource. That doesn't mean I am against introducing other fandoms or creating a comprehensive main page (in fact, I think that's a fantastic idea), but I would hate to lose the HP side of things. Just my take.

 

No I think its quite possible to do, it would just mean that DLP would be a re-skinned Facebook.

 

I don't like the idea of a blog subforum on DLP. Sure there are lots of interesting and intelligent people on DLP that I think would be good bloggers but I think that these blogs should be independent from DLP.

A link on a sig or something like that. Or maybe that could be another way to utilise PC?

It's just I've been on forums where there was a blogging aspect and it was all just bitching, bad poetry, angst and random fangirl shit. I really don't want that to happen do DLP. While we could regulate who does the blogs, eveyrone would kick up a fuss and I think it would be better if the people who are allowed to do blogs instead do their thang (yes I did say thang) on the podcast or ezine or whatever.

Well, there is my (AUD BITCHES!)$0.02. Wasn't much but there you go.

Truth is, I would like to contribute more to this thread but I'm just too inexperienced to write anything more meaningful than what I've just done.
I know self deprecating homour isn't funny at all and I should stop using it but I can't help myself.

tl;dr

Don't expect me to put in anything that isn't just a rewrite of what other people have already said. Good luck with the brainstorming eveyrone. I'll be watching.

 

That idea needs to die.

I stand by what I said earlier. If we're going to change, make it a group of small changes over a long period of time. We have the userbase to adapt when we need to adapt.

Right now, we're doing ok.

 

I'm a little late here, but sure. It might come out with three eyes and a unibrow, but why the hell not?

Could be fun. Might also be a good way to generate revenue to pay for the site expansions besides just donations.

Edit: I don't think DLP could be Facebook even if we tried. We just have too many intelligent people who are willing to fuck up somebody's shit, should they do something stupid. We've run people out of here before just on sheer vitriol alone.