Palelyloitering (and alone...?) - future of a Pros website...

[byslantedlight]

I need to decide the future of my Pros website, Palelyloitering, because I've not been able to update it for a while now, and it's very incomplete, and while I'd actually like to keep working on it, even sporadically, it seems a bit more complex to arrange since I was last able to do it.

So, when I first found Pros there wasn't an online listing of Pros zines etc., and because I was trying to be organised and remember things, and find out things, and had been disappointed by the first few zines I'd bought in such huge excitement and wished there'd been more reviews around, I decided to have a go at making one. A very kind Pros fan with a huge zine collection helped me gather information, and eventually there was Palelyloitering. I realised as I was doing it that actually it wasn't just zines that I wanted to keep track of, and also that I'd inadvertently been copying the style of information used by the other Pros comms (cos I thought that was just how you did it/the way people wanted to see stuff!), so I eventually restructured to include lists of fic and authors where ever they were, and then storylists based on themes, and reviews and all - all of which was a huge job, and very slowly done, because I was the only person who could access the site to add stuff, and it's never been even close to complete. But I do find it useful myself, to look things up that are half-forgotten, and because I can search the site folders on my computer (though not the website, sadly, cos that always seemed to be beyond html when I looked into it).

Anyway - updating got even more sporadic when I got caught up in various real life/job things, and when I lost my old version of Dreamweaver and couldn't find an affordable replacement. Now that I'm a bit more settled again, I went to see what could be done about updating it, and whether there was any better software out there (even the replacement I found years ago has vanished from my laptop - how did that happen (the separate FTP programme is still there - argh!). Thing is, from my brief glance, most website software seems to be of the - whatsitcalled, Web 2.0? - Wordpress etc. type. Which is fine, but I'm not entirely sure how slash-friendly they'd be (although theoretically I suppose there's no reason why not). It just seems, from descriptions such as Weebly software etc., that it'd be very different to what I got used to doing/controlling, simple as Palelyloitering is, as a website. So I'm not sure...

I can look into it of course - and it might turn out that I can still work with pages and upload them via Filezilla, but... I wonder if anyone other than me ever looks at Palelyloitering these days anyway, or would if they could? Cos if no one does, I could just use it as my own personal filing system on my computer. Fanlore pretty much nicked all my zine information to start off their Pros zine pages (they did credit at first, but it looks like this is being dropped as they add info from other places too), and of course there's the Hatstand's Zine pages now as well, and are there people who even care about zines any more anyway..? Which would be a shame if there wasn't, and doesn't mean the info shouldn't be out there anyway, but...

One alternative is that I move the site to an lj community instead, which would have the advantage that other people could help add information and look after it...

So - here's my questions... hmmn, maybe I'll add them in the form of a poll! *g* They're basically - do you ever use Palelyloitering, and would you care if it was gone?

[Poll #2033817]

Comments

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

it was only the other day that i was on this site reverting back to a zine i just couldn't place and the information was there at the touch of a button so i for one would love it to stay just as it was .

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Personally I pop out to your site rather frequently to check things, because I am much with caring about zines. But you know that *g*.

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

I've plumped for LJ format/ but not worth keeping the site around. Which is a tad contradictory!

I've never got into zines, but I love that your site is there, and now and then I do use it to check something... but on the other hand, it sounds like a pain to maintain. So, not worth keeping as a web site (too much hassle for you), but yes to an LJ comm. Hope that makes some kind of sense - I'm almost asleep and not at me best *g*

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

I find it a very good source of information on stories and zines and authors. I usually go there to check reviews before spending money on zines (I do love them!) So I would miss it if it were to disappear. I think an lj comm would be a good idea. That way, if you choose to, you could open it up for a few others to help keep it updated.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

"That way, if you choose to, you could open it up for a few others to help keep it updated."
Or for everybody to share their knowledge/opinion (just like Wikipedia).

Where to start....

[fiorenza-a.livejournal.com]

I don't often use the site because I'm not in a position to buy zines just now, but I have recced it to people who are, because I think it's one of the best, especially if you're a newbie (Mead has some nice stuff on her Lj too, but she was doing it for herself and then gave up for reasons, so it's not a database the way Loitering is).

I like fanlore and do use it, but it assumes a long time fandom presence - that you'll know the 'names' and scandals and history, when I don't and don't much care who had a spat with whom about what in 1996.

To me fandom is family, we all love the same thing and if you can't get your head round somebody else not loving the bits you do, go away and grow up.

So back to the question/s

You must be the one to decide, obviously. I believe Moth2fic has a wordpress thingy and some other guys have sites, so I'm guessing the slash thing is okay (and why not?).

I discovered zines after I discovered t'internet and, although they have their limitations - shareability for example - they have value beyond their nostalgic charm (and what's wrong with nostalgic charm?). They don't need batteries for a start. They have non-internet stories for another. So I intend to develop a collection of my own at some point. (I currently have six, which isn't even a shelf, let alone a collection.)

I'm thinking Lj or similar might be the way to go if it's all getting a bit onerous, allowing other people to review and rec.

[golden-bastet.livejournal.com]

Hey there - I definitely go there first thing when I have zine questions. It has been a very heopful site to have around.

That said, I'm indifferent whether it's a site or an LJ: it's the information that's important, and I can learn how to navigate a new layout (she says now). Though I don't know what an LJ version would really look like off the top of my head.

Let me know if you need help. I can lend a sporadic hand (though I'm trying not to take on too much right now).

[kiwisue.livejournal.com]

That... sounds pretty much like my response, so I'm just "me too"-ing before I have to go to work!

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

"...Dreamweaver ...replacement ...the separate FTP programme ...website software seems to be of the - whatsitcalled, Web 2.0? - Wordpress ...that it'd be very different ...so I'm not sure..."
Huh... Sorry! I don't know nothing about all that, and I don't know how 'safe' it would be to use LJ. And if it would be convenient at all.
But considering the huge(!) amount of work, it seems a good idea, if others could help you!

But honestly, I am not sure, if the stories at Palelyloitering are 'zines only'? And if - if the new solution should be as well...?

*dreams of a database for all Pros stories*

:-)

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

I think a community would be better, so that you can have help - but at the same time, I would suggest DW instead of LJ.

I don't look up zines and haven't done in a while, can't afford any, but I think your database is of great value :)

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

I've answered "other" to question 3 as I would be happy with whatever format is easiest for you to maintain.

I do visit the website quite regularly, maybe not as regularly as I once did when I was buying a lot of zines, but it's a great resource. You've done so much sterling work that I would be very sorry to see it disappear.

[krisserci5.livejournal.com]

It's a valuable resource for our fandom!!!

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

I think it's a valuable resource, but I also think that it would be unfair to "demand" (or even hint!) that you put in time and effort that you might really rather [or have to] put into other things. So it should be in whatever form is most convenient and easy for you, and there should certainly not be demands or expectations placed on your time.

I hope it stays up, in whatever form you deem fit!

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

I value it highly and visit often to look things up and refresh my memory. I would absolutely miss it if it were gone! That said, whatever format or platform you choose is fine with me. Community help for you sounds good if you want it too.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I think you'd almost have to put it on LJ if you plan on including all stories. I mean, I have a hard time reading everything, much less writing reviews and slotting everything about them on a website. That's a huge job. I did something similar in K/S, but I created a database of zine stories (title, author, zine, synopsis prequel/sequel.) It's still going, but has gotten much easier to keep updated because so few zines are being created anymore. And, yeah, Fanlore nabbed all the info–without asking–but did credit. I keep it posted to a Yahoo group (there is actually one still alive in K/S. *g*)

[freetraveller15.livejournal.com]

Hello. I thank you, first of all, for all your hard effort in maintaining the Palelyloitering website, even if you can't update it as often as you'd like. (Btw: I didn't know fanlore had sourced some of their zine info from it...).
I look it up occasionally, even though I'm not in a position right now to look into buying zines (I'm one of the internet-based fandom members, not just for Pros, and find it a bit of a hassle to find old fics in printed format, even if I do love the printed word). But I think it would be unfair to demand that you'd be the only one responsible for keeping a site like PL up-to-date, so I think it would perhaps be better to move it to a LJ or DW community platform. You could still be the maintainer/mod, but you could maybe invite a few others to co-maintain it, so the work is shared among a few people. And yes, open it to comments so other fans with knowledge to share can contribute.
Or perhaps you could create a sticky entry on the Prosfinder community to include all the info currently on PL. Or do it on a newly created community and post a link to Prosfinder?
Thank you :)