There's a lot not to like about the website.

[J_Ross]

GA has been an excellent place for me to come to grow, and learn, and escape. I look back at what I was posting when I first arrived, compared to what I'm posting now, and I'm shocked at the improvments and I owe a great deal of them to the members at GA. I've gotten endless support from the members here, I've met some of the best people I could have hoped to meet, and found stories that will always stick with me. I've read things here that have made me think, helped me to grow as a person. I've been moved to tears by more than one of the stories archived here. I've laughed and thoroughly enjoyed myself. When put up against these things, the issues you've mentioned do seem a bit minor, don't they?

 

I don't think anyone was or is trying to say this site is perfect and can't be improved. You came in and said 'You need to work on it' as if no one is already. You were offensive and STILL had all of your questions/concerns addressed. I can (but won't) name quite a few other sites where a post like yours would have been ignored. Here at GA? You get the admins addressing every last one of your concerns. Clearly they ARE working. Reading your first post, I frowned because for the most part, I couldn't understand the 'lot that's not to like'. I think you maybe touched on three things that you took issue with.

 

No site is perfect, but I feel that it's at least obvious that GA continuously strives to be. I was worried about the new system when I first heard of it. I'm generally good with coping with change, but I had no idea if this was going to be a good change. If it works, don't fix it, right?

 

No. Efiction worked, and was great even, but GA stories IS better IMHO. I'm still getting used to it, but I can definitely see the improvements. I've been pleasantly surprised over and over, and am endlessly grateful for all the resources and support I've found here. I've yet to find another website for gay themed stories (?) to match it. GA brings together authors, editors, beta-readers, and readers, and its...invaluable. So when you say there is a lot not to like about this site, you ARE wrong, or at least you've done nothing to back up that statement. Thrown a couple of personal pet peeves at us, and then let us all know how you abused the rep system and an author (which says more about you than the rep system which basically works fine, but you don't like/understand it?) and the last issue is a non issue with story statuses are thrown in (on hold, In Progress, Complete). There may be a few things that could be improved, but personally, I'm glad this site is here at all. In comparison to everything we DO have here these particular issues ARE very minor, IMO. Wish I had the ability to help out, because I'm sure more work goes into it than most of us are aware, and I hope to see this site around for a very long time.

 

Thanks to everyone that keeps GA running! It's probably a little on the dramatic side, but GA and it's members have literally saved my sanity more than once. I'm eternally grateful to have found it.

Edited February 9, 2011 by J.Ross

[Westie]

Blah.

 

Its a free site. I'm not saying don't complain, but don't demand additional services either.

 

PS - do you realise that if you had phrased your post "Hey Guys, I got some ideas for you" and said thank-you for the hard work, you probably wouldnt have got a negative reaction?

 

PPS - YOU'RE RIGHT!!! I did some experimenting with negative rep myself (on some posts I disagreed with, above). It DOES have quite an impact on someones rating.

 

PPPS - Lugh - I wasn't on the list of interesting people either..... damn.....

 

 

[daffy106]

This will be my last post to this thread. I think many fine people have made good points. On some items I stand corrected. I admire the loyalty and fervor of the people who staunchly defend Gay Authors.

I feel my big mistake was in the title I gave the thread; it was exaggerated and in hindsight, uncalled for. I assure all involved in this conversation that I am as big a fan of Gay Authors as I can be. I have read over half of the entire content of the site at this point and enjoyed most of it. The few stories I did not care for was a strictly personal thing, and that does not make them "bad".

I have learned:

The participating readers to this site are very loyal and defensive. This is all well and good, but a few people seemed not to get past the thread title and seemed to assume I disliked most anything and everything, despite the fact that my text said otherwise. The Lesson? Keep the title a couple of notches lower than a first instinct.

I found support for some of the points I made, as well as a feeling by some that I should go away and not complain. I find the latter attitude sad, as no society succeeds well without sometimes controversial debate, and indeed, some of the administrative responses seem to be hinting that polite but vigorous debate occurs among themselves. Gee, this is the biggest response I have ever had to a post. I am actually new with this, and was amazed at the variety of return posts. The Lesson? I really feel I should keep going. Just maybe we have made a few people think something new.

To James Savic:

Sometimes blowing on the paint helps it to dry faster. A lot of previously obscure information has come to light in this conversation.

To everyone: Thanks for increasing my knowledge of the Gay Authors community. I am intrigued by the liveliness of this forum and promise not to go away. Since I am most assuredly not a vanilla person, I sometimes might seem noisy. By all means, tell me if I am out of line; I can learn too, but I also know that the best learning sometimes comes from taking a risk. I have been a gay rights activist for more than 40 years, and gay rights did not happen without some of us fostering debate that was sometimes very very uncomfortable.

And finally: To those who defended Gay Authors with all their hearts and souls. I live in San Francisco, where gay freedom is a way of life. I have learned from you that there there are apparently still many places where the likes of Gay Authors is all there is to support a very lonely situation, and I may have been seen as endangering that lifeline. I needed to be reminded that the rest of our fair nation has a long way to go to catch up. Please be reassured that I really do support this website and the fine people who run it, and the excellent authors who write for it.

Daffy106

[MikeL]

I think there's much more to like than to dislike on the new GA site. Especially for us readers of stories, there are a lot of neat ways to search and sort through all the stories, poems, forums, and blogs that are posted here. It will take a little bit of time and effort on our part to learn how all the new features work.

 

I would guess most writers feel sort of neutral on the changes. For eFiction prose, the new system seems relatively easy to use. Hosted authors' stories are not quite as snazzy as they used to be, but that may save on valuable resources. For me, as a poet, I was disappointed that the formatting functions in the editor did not work as I expected. Poems, usually short by comparison to prose stories, would benefit from formatting which adds visual appeal.

 

As for the other features of GA, especially the sense of community that others have mentioned, they are as good as ever. I have made a large number of friends over the nearly five years since I joined. I have helped several authors by serving as a beta reader for their stories. And much to my surprise, when I stop to think about it, I have tried my hand at poetry, which I would never have considered doing otherwise. I appreciate the encouragement of other members the and comments my work has received.

 

As for me, GA's the place to be.

[J.T.]

And finally: To those who defended Gay Authors with all their hearts and souls. I live in San Francisco, where gay freedom is a way of life. I have learned from you that there there are apparently still many places where the likes of Gay Authors is all there is to support a very lonely situation, and I may have been seen as endangering that lifeline. I needed to be reminded that the rest of our fair nation has a long way to go to catch up. Please be reassured that I really do support this website and the fine people who run it, and the excellent authors who write for it.

Daffy106

 

Nope, apparently you live in Belmont according to your profile. There's a pretty big difference there As much as you want to quote its diverse and rich culture in collaboration in the arts as well as social justice, I would hope that with your vast experience that you would first take in what we have to offer and then soak in what this free website provides before mounting a humorous, yet futile attempt to provoke a very hardworking admin and support group who operate this community.

 

I am glad that the mere misunderstanding as you have stated in your post that you may truly understand this community for what it truly is. The team surely appreciates feedback, but knowing the limitations of which they may operate may perhaps ensure that another one of these misunderstandings do not occur by any member in the future.

 

The ID 10T Strategic Response Team position is still available if you still want it

[Marzipan]

This will be my last post to this thread. I think many fine people have made good points. On some items I stand corrected. I admire the loyalty and fervor of the people who staunchly defend Gay Authors.

I feel my big mistake was in the title I gave the thread; it was exaggerated and in hindsight, uncalled for. I assure all involved in this conversation that I am as big a fan of Gay Authors as I can be. I have read over half of the entire content of the site at this point and enjoyed most of it. The few stories I did not care for was a strictly personal thing, and that does not make them "bad".

I have learned:

The participating readers to this site are very loyal and defensive. This is all well and good, but a few people seemed not to get past the thread title and seemed to assume I disliked most anything and everything, despite the fact that my text said otherwise. The Lesson? Keep the title a couple of notches lower than a first instinct.

I found support for some of the points I made, as well as a feeling by some that I should go away and not complain. I find the latter attitude sad, as no society succeeds well without sometimes controversial debate, and indeed, some of the administrative responses seem to be hinting that polite but vigorous debate occurs among themselves. Gee, this is the biggest response I have ever had to a post. I am actually new with this, and was amazed at the variety of return posts. The Lesson? I really feel I should keep going. Just maybe we have made a few people think something new.

To James Savic:

Sometimes blowing on the paint helps it to dry faster. A lot of previously obscure information has come to light in this conversation.

To everyone: Thanks for increasing my knowledge of the Gay Authors community. I am intrigued by the liveliness of this forum and promise not to go away. Since I am most assuredly not a vanilla person, I sometimes might seem noisy. By all means, tell me if I am out of line; I can learn too, but I also know that the best learning sometimes comes from taking a risk. I have been a gay rights activist for more than 40 years, and gay rights did not happen without some of us fostering debate that was sometimes very very uncomfortable.

And finally: To those who defended Gay Authors with all their hearts and souls. I live in San Francisco, where gay freedom is a way of life. I have learned from you that there there are apparently still many places where the likes of Gay Authors is all there is to support a very lonely situation, and I may have been seen as endangering that lifeline. I needed to be reminded that the rest of our fair nation has a long way to go to catch up. Please be reassured that I really do support this website and the fine people who run it, and the excellent authors who write for it.

Daffy106

 

 

Well, I'm so happy that us GA folks are a family that support eachother and I am clad you are part of it. No need to shut up, freedom of speech is a wonderful thing. There is always room for yet another loud mouth here, a few of that kind was in this thread too besides you . I can see you show respect now, and hope that others will too.

 

I was happy to see response from the mods and the members, it proved that GA is actually a really strong family. And every family has it's share of the black sheep. (no racial pun intented) This thread actually proved it again.

 

What i love about GA is:

 

Members are active and supportive, the stories are quality works, there is a LOT to read here and more keeps coming, the mods and admins give help and do a lot of hard work behind the scenes. Mostly people here are allowed to be themselves, as long as they can respect the site's rules and other members. The list goes on and on...

[WatchPatRun]

I just quickly read through this forum and there are a few things that are coming to mind.

 

Firstly, I'd like to openly show my gratitude for the people who run the site and who take the time out of their own lives to continually make this site better and even more so, available to us in general. The people here, the stories here have helped me through some of the hardest parts of my life. I've been coming to this site since I was 15 years old and I am now 21. I have grown up with a lot of people here, some of which have been nothing but a blessing in disguise.

 

Instead of nitpick at technical issues that you personally have with this site, you should spend more time getting to know the kind and wonderful people here. I understand that your main priority is to find material to read, however this site is more to that, at least to me. It's only fair that people are becoming defensive, because the way you stated your point was very passive-aggressive and rude. There is a time and place for everything but when you're communicating via internet, there's a sense of tone lacking, that which would be how your words are executed. One lesson I've learned the hard way once or twice

 

But at any rate, thank you SO much to EVERYONE, especially Myr, for creating this site. I wouldn't be the SAME person I am today without it. Also to Lugh as well, since he's clearly one of the hardest working people around here. To everyone else I have not recognized, you are appreciated as well.

 

Cia, James as well - you two I consider the ''mentors'' of GA and you've both spoken some wise words in my time here.

 

 

Just thought I'd turn something negative into something positive, after all - life seems to be too short these days to pick about the little things.

[Hamen Cheese]

I was about to say "There is a lot to like about GA... but here are some thing that could be improved" would have been a better title. I think the OP has gotten that though.

 

Something you'll definitely notice here in GA is that the community in it are loyal to the site, myself included. I've read many stories from Nifty and Awesomedude (a few scattered in other sites) but for the most part i don't feel attached to them. After I've downloaded the story, the relationship just ends there.

 

Here, it's different. I'm curious what other people are up. I'm happy for people that find reasons to celebrate things. As distant as I can be living thousands of miles away and interacting only through a computer under a pseudonym, I can't help but feel that to some extent I care. More important than that perhaps is that the other people here also care.

[daffy106]

Don't you think calling me a troll is a little over the line?

[Myr]

Actually, the post you just made is the definition of trolling. The topic was off the first page and your reply brought back to the top so we can continue to rehash it.

I'm not sure why you like poking sleeping dogs, but the administration teams would appreciate if you didn't.

 

Topic Closed.