Myr's work is much appreciated, if unknowingly, by people like me: those who read, and return, and come back again for more. We might not know who was behind the site, but several times I personally gave thanks for whomever was responsible for collecting a lot of worthwhile fiction. Unlike Nifty -- that bastion of six-kilobyte, unedited, and sex-centric tales -- I can actually satisfy my craving for plots and characters here.
But I come here for the writing. The forums don't much interest me; I registered just to reply to this thread, actually. I wouldn't have even seen this thread if it weren't for dkstories's blog. (And whomever was singularly responsible for his self-enforced delay, pray that we do not meet. Ever.)
Anyway -- from what I can see, it's the it's the "community" features that are causing so much trouble. And I have to ask: are they really necessary? Why does Myr need to run (and monitor) forums whose very existence is the source of so much extra frustration? What do these provide that cannot be found on other generic discussion sites, like Yahoo Groups?
Can't think of anything? Me neither. Axe 'em.
Myr:
Running a popular site is hard work. I suggest that the next time you find yourself frustrated, you ask for help a little more prominently, more publicly, so that you never get to this point again. Post a notice on the front page that you need more editors, or someone to write some PHP, or whip up a few images. I'm well aware of the responsibilities inherent in offering my help, and I'd love to give something back to a site that's provided hours upon hours of incredible reading. But it's hard to know to offer, when you don't know that such a need exists.
I've got bandwidth, server space, years of web development and design experience, and I currently work as a technical writer. Use me.
....and let us know if we can bribe DK with pictures of hot baseball players.
