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Julieann
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It's been a while since I updated everyone on the status of the English fan website. I've been involved more in the fandom of late, even to the point of writing a brand new short fanfic vignette! (Jealousy on Fanfiction.net and AO3, if anyone is curious). I think it's the first fic in over 10 years.

So, talking out loud here, but if anyone wants to chime in on any of the below, feel free to do so. Because this site is all about all of you, and I want to know what you think. I can then take the comments, balance them out with the variables and limitations of the software (and me).

I've been slowly pecking away at the situation at Gatchfanfic.com. Short-term, I think I can get the old software to work. I think. That's my goal for the next few weeks (fingers crossed). This would mean people could post fanfic again (theoretically. See notes below on my intent). But nothing about the site would actually change. And good grief, I hope it doesn't break in the doing of it, because the PHP the code requires is an old version that is about to go obsolete.

Long term? Yeah, there are so many reasons the site needs to change to a new CMS base program. There are just too many limitations with the current software, and I don't see that the upgrades currently being done to it fixing it at all. Not to mention that the person trying to update the software has been at it for over 2 years and doesn't even have a Beta available yet.

Not to mention the severe limitations of the themes available. Currently, GatchFanfic.com is being penalized by Google (and other search engines) because the site is not mobile friendly. Going to the new software would instantly fix that problem PLUS make it easier for everyone here to view the contents of the site on any monitor, pad, or phone they want.

Not to mention I have some new nifty ideas for how to make the site more than just fanfic, which really excites me. Including a variation of an APA in electronic form... coughcough ... (I have an issue with having different mailing addresses through the year, and I know snail mail is an issue for international fans. So yeah, have some ideas.)

Ahem, about to go on a tangent I'm not ready for, as those upgrades are a bit off. Because obviously the BIG STUFF has to come first.

The biggest issue I am currently facing is this: Bringing the user accounts over to the new software will be a pain in the neck, but I know I can do it. I just need to take the time to finish it up. The BIG problem are the fanfics and fanarts themselves (plus all the accompanying comments and such).

That is because those are not actually stored in the database. They are single files that are strung out across soooooooo many files on the server, because the old software didn't organize them well. Actually, pretty much didn't organize them at all except in weirdly labeled folders titled with random numbers. It means I can't do any kind of simple database port to get them into the new software. Plainly, it's a big data mess with no easy solution.

So, here's my idea. Get the user accounts ported over. Get the main pages/reference ported over. Open it up as the primary fanfic site so that fans can start to the upload new fanfic and fanart, and participate in other fan activity.

And then I can slowly start to manually port over the old fanfic and fanart to the new archive WHILE I keep the old archive available through a prominent link on the new site. However, I would close any commenting or new user material on the old software.

The DOWNSIDE of this is that I will have to be in and out of all the contributing user accounts while I do this manual port. If I'm right (and I hope I am) I can do this without needing to reset anyone's password. I'm pretty sure I can do that (90%), but until I get there I can't be absolutely certain. My plan is to take one contributor at a time, get all their work ported over before moving on to the next. At that point I would have no need to access anyone's account.

No matter how I look at it, it will be a process of steps. But one I'm most willing to take as I have some new stuff myself coming down the pike, including a BotP origin mini-series that actually has some crossover points with one of my original fiction series (Hey, if I can't do crossover stories with my own original published books, then life just isn't any fun!). I really want a home for all that work, surrounded by others of the same fandoms I still love so much.

Any thoughts? Ideas? Considerations? Worries? General comments? Squees or boos? Birdrangs or shurikens?

Hugs to everyone!

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This sounds like quite a huge undertaking - one I do not envy!

As someone who has only been able to visit the archive as an unregistered guest, I appreciate the work you are about to undergo to make this valuable resource live anew.

Looking forward to being able to comment on the works, read content rated for over 18s, and post my own fics in a place they will really be at home.

Thank you Julieann.

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Julieann, first of all, many many thanks for what you have been doing for us over the years!

I can't pretend to understand most of the technical stuff you have to do, but I am grateful for it!

Now I'm off to read your new fic on FanFiction Smile

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Being a technophobe, the idea of doing all of that is overwhelming for me. Like the others, I want to thank you profusely for first creating the site to begin with and working on it over the years.

Just let us know if there's anything we can do to help, such as staying off the site for a while.

I've sent you a PM.

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Thanks, Julieann, for all your hard work over the... well, it's been decades, hasn't it?

Gods, we're all so old...

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quote:
Originally posted by GrumpyGhostOwl
Thanks, Julieann, for all your hard work over the... well, it's been decades, hasn't it?

Gods, we're all so old...


Yep, it's been decades now. EEEEEEEEP!

How did that happen? I still feel so YOUNG in the brain! Soooooo not fair.

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quote:
Originally posted by Julieann
quote:
Originally posted by GrumpyGhostOwl
Thanks, Julieann, for all your hard work over the... well, it's been decades, hasn't it?

Gods, we're all so old...


Yep, it's been decades now. EEEEEEEEP!

How did that happen? I still feel so YOUNG in the brain! Soooooo not fair.


Hey, nobody can blame you for being a prodigy and starting this shortly after you were born! Big Grin

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Julieann
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quote:
Originally posted by ElectricWhite
quote:
Originally posted by Julieann

Yep, it's been decades now. EEEEEEEEP!

How did that happen? I still feel so YOUNG in the brain! Soooooo not fair.


Hey, nobody can blame you for being a prodigy and starting this shortly after you were born! Big Grin


Pfft. Bless your little feathered heart. Shades

grandpa

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