Mobile Site and Fiction Category

1. Mobile Site and Fiction Category

   #1

   Hi Strolen, wanted to make two suggestions for the future of this site, and figured this was the place.
   
   1.  A good mobile version of the site, for those of us with device addictions.  At least good enough to read/view submissions and comment/vote, though I doubt people would use it for inputting new submissions.  Probably lower priority, I know, but has been a frustration for me.
   
   2. We need a Fiction category.  Would add genres as sub-category 1 (fantasy, sci-fi, modern, post-appoc, etc) and type (short-story, article, novel, flash) as sub-category 2.  Subs like Longspeak's set of articles in the Delta Force universe need a good home -- they shouldn't really be classified as NPCs.  Axle's "A Dwarf On the Water" was labeled as Articles-Fiction, but that sub-category is not quite adequate to the need, either.  We need the new category so that all of these pieces are grouped together somewhere and searchable.

2. Re: Mobile Site and Fiction Category

   #2

   To be fair, there is a Fiction subcategory under Articles. But Sarah and Ellen were deliberately entered as NPCs.
   
   Second the mobile friendly idea. And not 'Ad-atalk.' Tried the tapatalk app, and deleted immediately. I realize ads are unavoidable, but that POS app does ads disguised as legitimate forum entries.

3. Re: Mobile Site and Fiction Category

   #3

   Removed tapatalk.
   
   It was a good idea but intrusive otherwise, I agree.
   
   Otherwise the mobile version is the main priority of the redesign as soon as my energy returns.

4. Re: Mobile Site and Fiction Category

   #4

   I'm 50/50 with the new fiction category. I mean, I do think it's a neater, tidier classification and being able to search by those criteria would be nice if one does want to read fiction on the Citadel. The problem, however, is that we have a limited number of authors who actually write any type of fiction and post up on the site (I haven't really counted but I would the total is less than 10) AND the traditional demand for such work in terms of readership tends to be low here (might be an artifact of the length, might be an artifact of players not expecting to read here reading fiction, might be other stuff that I don't know/can't guess). Then again, the worst with going with creating a new Fiction category is that we have another category with not a lot of submissions like Articles and there're more work going towards appeasing the BH.

5. Re: Mobile Site and Fiction Category

   #5

   Those are good points, Moon.  I recall having this discussion years ago, and the issue still being undecided then.  We *do* have fiction writers here, but the Citadel has never been set up to support that sort of work.  I believe that might be one of the main reasons that pieces of pure fiction are currently rare.  In the past, writers have even been counseled to post their work on other sites, as they were unlikely to receive much feedback here due to the length of their works.
   
   Perhaps I'm alone in thinking subs like these should have a better-defined home in the Citadel, but I believe it would be a step towards attracting other sorts of users, and towards helping these pieces find readers.
   
   Just my 2c.
   
   @Longspeak Would you have used the fiction category for these two NPCs, if it had existed?  Possibly Fiction -> Supers -> Short Story (or Other).

6. Re: Mobile Site and Fiction Category

   #6

   
   Otherwise the mobile version is the main priority of the redesign as soon as my energy returns.
   

   
   
   :thumbup: *cheers*  :thumbup:

7. Re: Mobile Site and Fiction Category

   #7

   
   
   Perhaps I'm alone in thinking subs like these should have a better-defined home in the Citadel, but I believe it would be a step towards attracting other sorts of users, and towards helping these pieces find readers.
   
   

   
   
   The alone bit, not really, I believe Strolen is supportive of fiction and publishing by Strolenati as he proclaimed in the pulp fiction venture. As I said before, I also think that it's a good suggestion for fiction writers and readers on Strolen. To be honest, I do wish that fiction would figure prominently on the Citadel. I understand not everyone expects and wants to read fiction within the Citadel but since I've made the Citadel my home, it's very natural that I want Strolenati as sounding boards for my fiction work as well. With the current setup, you sort of just throw your fiction out there that ends up with little readership or if you are established here, you can 'chase up' after individual Strolenati to read your work if you are really determined, which acts as a disincentive for people to post up fiction here (which might be where the advice to post fiction elsewhere come from). So in that regard, I agree that it would be a step forwards in terms of encouraging and being supportive of fiction. I mean, the pulp fiction venture started in the hope of promoting the same type of things that you are saying here but as a first attempt, I don't think it really worked out and maybe integrating it more closely into the actual Citadel might work out slightly better.

8. Re: Mobile Site and Fiction Category

   #8

   @Longspeak Would you have used the fiction category for these two NPCs, if it had existed?  Possibly Fiction -> Supers -> Short Story (or Other).

   
   At the risk of (belatedly, I know) repeating myself, no. Those subs are NPCs. In spite of the format I use to present them, Sarah and Ellen are NPCs and were always intended as such. I would not move them to fiction.
   
   However, I feel the specific case question detracts from the general issue. Should there be a more prominently displayed top-level Fiction category? It'd be nice, yeah. There IS a Fiction category, but it's under articles. I'd separate out the two if it were up to me. But I also understand the main focus of this site is ideas, and not short stories. While it'd be nice to see a Fiction section, it's not super important to me.

9. Re: Mobile Site and Fiction Category

   #9

   But I also understand the main focus of this site is ideas, and not short stories. While it'd be nice to see a Fiction section, it's not super important to me.

   
   
   That is exactly how I feel about it as well.

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