New categories?

[apotheosis]

I think it is totally kosher for someone to post up a novel if they think it is good and want to share it. Just put it under misc. and at the beginning tack on a disclaimer.

[severenz]

Categories are easy to add and one of the few things I would change on the live code base. I will defer to Dragavan on this as I secretly consider him my Editor or Cabinet.

[Leblanc4prez]

I like word... it has spell check...

[Dragavan]

Categories are easy to add and one of the few things I would change on the live code base. I will defer to Dragavan on this as I secretly consider him my Editor or Cabinet.

No pressure or anything.

I just put forth my opinion before as just that: My opinion. I didn't want to be the one who has the deciding voice or what not. This is a site about CYOA style stories, I didn't want to see it become a general writing site. As I said, there are tons of those out there already. Sure, some are pay sites and most are full of crap, but there are still tons of them out there (and some are rather good and organized, even the non-Fanic ones). There are only a few CYOA sites (I believe less than I have fingers) that have any activity, and only a couple that have high levels of activity (and one of them is an adult site). We are also not a "Game" story site, as we don't do randomizers or keep track of variables, which I also want see stay out of our code here. We are the top of a very special breed, so I don't want to see us become watered down by becoming unfocussed.

If it was solely up to me I would say no special listings or categories or sections for linear stories. If somebody wants to limit the way they use the site tools and make one, I don't want to say they can't, but it should not gain special focus on the site. The rest seem to be waffling back and forth on this issue, and DEP is my exact opposite on the issue, but I want to leave the final decision up to Severenz, as it is his site and depends on the what focus he wants to see for it.

I like word... it has spell check...

So does my browser, so that part of it doesn't matter. To me I like the fact that Word saves to my drive and isn't lost if my browser crashes or there is an input error when I submit.

[Usoki]

There are only a few CYOA sites ...that have any activity ... and one of them is an adult site.

The BEAddventure, right? And here I thought that one was well off the beaten trail, and for good reasons.

We are the top of a very special breed, so I don't want to see us become watered down by becoming unfocused.

Personally, I think that's the pinnacle of it all. You can write whatever you want...but we're a CYOA, and I don't see why we should cater to something else. Besides...manipulating the system to make it do what you want it to do is both fun and enjoyable. The one thing I like about Love Song is the way I used severed rooms and URL links to hide content.

[donteatpoop]

I think you should trust your heart, dragavan; assuming that your heart is agreeing to this feature, otherwise you should not listen to your heart.

[Usoki]

I just don't really see why we need it- people can write linear works as is; why create a new category for them? Not only that, these linear works could be in any number of different genres- a story should be organized by its plot, not by its technical style.

[donteatpoop]

I just don't really see why we need it- people can write linear works as is; why create a new category for them? Not only that, these linear works could be in any number of different genres- a story should be organized by its plot, not by its technical style.

Because currently linear stories get low ratings because they are linear (despite forwarning). I've rated lower for it (just ask apoth), and I recall one or two other stories that were linear and rated lower for it.

Personally, I don't think this would shift the focus of the site at all. Afterall, I'm not suggesting 'linear' get subcategories such as 'linear horror' 'linear romance' etc.

[Locke]

Here's a good example. Back in the day there was this site called fanfiction.net. Granted, it had a good deal more users than IS (and consequently, a significantly larger amount of bad writing) and focused on a different genre, but there is a parallel here. At some point, the site's administrators added a seperate category on the main page for original fiction (moving, I think, all the original stories that'd formerly been categorized under "misc" for a content base).

It went against the stated focus on fanfiction, but garnered a respectable number of entries and users itself while the fanfiction side carried on with no real negative side-effects. Eventually, the "original fiction" section disappeared. It had become so popular - without detracting from the fanfiction - that it could stand on its own, and a sister site was created, fictionpress.net, where the original fiction is as prolific as the fanfiction on the other site. It was, all in all, quite a successful addition.

I don't think adding a "linear story" category here will have such drastic results. In my opinion, it can't hurt, though. I think it'll result in a greater amount of quality on-site writing, and potentially a larger reader base, or at least a better rate of retention for those new to the site. There seems to be some concern that the amount of linear fiction will swamp the interactive category.

I think those concerns are unfounded, though the problem if it arose could be solved in a number of ways, the simplest of which is to physically seperate linear from interactive: neither, with possible rare exceptions, would appear in a list together. It could link from the main page, where the now-defunct "infinite writing tournament" link is, or the fiction could appear only when "linear" is selected from the category drop-down box. I'm sure there'd be a number of creative solutions proposed should the problem arise.

In the meantime, are there any other new categories anyone cares to propose?

[Locke]

Who's to say there can't be discussion on the subject just because Dragavan posted some of his thoughts? There may still be something to gain from what's said here. As the site is in the middle of a redesign, any input on how to better it is invaluable.

Referring more specifically to Dragavan's post, I guess I'd rather see the site become great and popular than maintain a strict and absolute focus on the CYOA style. Even in the unlikely event that "general fiction" overtook the interactive sort as the site's mainstay, I think the quality and quantity of the work and membership in the CYOA side would still benefit greatly over the status quo. The option is likely to impact the site far less than anyone's implying, but I see it as a win-win for us.

EDIT: Just as a category to sort by in the drop-down box, it makes sense, as well, for those who've read on-site linear stories and are looking for more of the same. Ease of access for the reader. I've found linear stories like DEP's refreshing after hours of plugging through interactivity.

[ChubbyTeletubby]

You know I'd have to side with drag on this one. I see Locke's well-worded points about as well as I see anything in my beer-induced haze. But I still side with Drag.

So there. It's settled. Time for another pint!

[Vesnic]

It would seem from what everyone has said that the effect of additions like this really vary from case to case. Perhaps we could do a test-run of this feature to see if it is really so popular as so many people think it will be. The only real obstacle I see here is what might happen if a linear feature does actually become very popular. I'm not sure if Sev would want to create a sister site or do any fundamental restructuring to I-S.

[Dragavan]

fictionpress.net sounds like a great place to post your linear stories. One of the many places to do so on the net. Thanks for mentioning it. The story of its creation still doesn't change my feelings on the subject. I am a not a fan of places that stray from their focus, and I would not have been a fan of it happening on a FanFic site (as in your story). For example, I happen to also frequent a certain Harry Potter FanFic site (to read, no writing there) but I would get greatly annoyed if they started to have sections for stories that happened outside the Harry Potter world, even if they were kept separate. It just wouldn't be what the site was known for or advertising.

I actually don't care about how huge or popular a site I go to gets, as long as it stays true to its design and focus. I have left many sites behind because they did start to spread out and water themselves down to get a wider audience, so your talk of doing this to bring more people to the site doesn't even begin to change my feelings on the subject. Even forums where the "Off Topic" sections became so huge they were really the focus of the site have driven me away (as has happened with the forums for the Fear The Boot gaming podcast, where there is barely any gaming talk on the forums any more but so much activity that the forums feel more like a chat room than forums ).

As I said before, however, I know I am not always in the majority view here, as so many sites do want to grow membership no matter what "small" changes or concessions they have to make. I just hope that this place doesn't have to do it. I don't see adding a single category as a big deal, but it is a first step and it's easy to take such small steps one at a time without really thinking about how they add onto each other and eventually you look back and realize that you are no longer anywhere near where you started. "Well, we have the linear story category, so why not actually break it up into theme based categories?" "Why not ad a poetry category?" "How about a place for non-fiction?" and so on.

As for the comments about rating linear stories lower because they are linear, good. This is a site for branching stories with choice and options, not for linear stories. As such, anyone can make a linear story here but they should realize that it will get rated lower for not fitting what this site is all about. It would be like posting 1940s detective story on a sci-fi site and not expecting people to complain. It doesn't matter how good the writing is, it's not what the place you are posting it at is designed for.

I come here first and foremost for CYOA stories (although I will admit the forums are amusing much of the time too). Although Story Sprawl had a higher percentage of quality writing (which isn't hard to do when you have so few stories) I liked this place better because of the high level of freedom in story creation and the higher number of active writers. The place also never seemed to have any interest in straying from the premise, which I especially liked. I am not saying that if this category gets add I am leaving or anything, but if it slowly leads to more such changes over time I may choose to at some point. Odds are I won't, as this place will still have the best of the CYOA stuff available on the net, but I can't say it won't.

[Vesnic]

On a similar note, if any of you friends started a linear fiction site, I would be sure to join and contribute, as I'm sure would others from I-S Ville.

[donteatpoop]

What's with the continuation of this thread?

Wasn't all this already settled in Senate subcommittee?

Because it wasn't settled, asshat. Dragavan specifically said

I want to leave the final decision up to Severenz

and

this is only my opinion

If you're going to refer to posts, at least read them.

Anyway, it seems that the majority is against this; so that's cool. I'll just have to look for another site for my linear stories... hopefully a free one that has at least a few decent writers. I'll probably still post them here as well, though; so rate them lower if you feel you must.