Writers Workshop - Page 2 - Writers Forum

Mike C · 05-24-2006, 09:23 AM

The thirty day deletion thing is a bonus.

Does Vbulletin not have a 'prune' facility? I've just installed a PHPbb forum for NWHRWA and you can set individual areas to delete threads after they've been inactive for X number of days.

Mike C · 05-24-2006, 09:26 AM

On the subject of first rights and loss thereof, most editors will consider stories posted on sites like this as work in progress, and not a final version, so will not hold it against you, but to be certain, use the members only area.

As a rule of thumb, google the first line of your story and see if it comes up (as many editors will!). If it does, consider your rights seriously at risk.

Selorian · 05-24-2006, 09:34 AM

Mike,

I'm also setting up a phpBB forum, and I know the option you're talking about. vBulletin has that as well. The problem is, it deletes the thread x number of days after the last post (activity). We want the threads in the Writer's Workshop to be deleted 30 days from the original post date, not the date of the last post.

Ilan Bouchard · 05-24-2006, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selorian72

Mike,

I'm also setting up a phpBB forum, and I know the option you're talking about. vBulletin has that as well. The problem is, it deletes the thread x number of days after the last post (activity). We want the threads in the Writer's Workshop to be deleted 30 days from the original post date, not the date of the last post.

Maybe thet last post date would be better, though. No point in having a thread get deleted the day after a slew of comments, if that's how long it gets worked on (or if it gets updated after a few weeks). It would also allow the author to bump the thread after so many days if he/she still needs help and has updated work.

Selorian · 05-24-2006, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilan Bouchard

Maybe thet last post date would be better, though. No point in having a thread get deleted the day after a slew of comments, if that's how long it gets worked on (or if it gets updated after a few weeks). It would also allow the author to bump the thread after so many days if he/she still needs help and has updated work.

Ilan,

Valid points, although they don't fit with the original concept of the Writer's Workshop. It was never meant to be a place for continued work on a piece. If someone is worried about first rights of a piece, I see two things that can happen.

1. They will be working on the piece and finishing it to send it out.
2. They will be working on getting the entire piece finished, so they will be working on each chapter, then moving to the next soon. 30 days is generous in the amount of time spent on one chapter.

And there is one problem with going with the last post date. Let's say a piece has been posted on May 24, gotten some feedack, and the author has moved on to another chapter or piece altogether. On June 23, someone browses the forum, decides to reply on the piece, and then the prune by last post date (set for 30 days at a minimum so it has the specified length even with no replies) then adds another 30 days to the length of time it remains in the forum. Repeat the process again on day 29 of the second 30 day period. See the cycle?

Hope that all makes sense.

Ilan Bouchard · 05-24-2006, 05:38 PM

I do see the cycle, but old work getting bumped up is not so common and if it is I'm sure the author wouldn't mind the extra month o' critiques. And if it's an issue he/she can edit out the original post.

While it may not be entirely ideal, it would save the staff some time and trouble and be the closest thing to the original system automated as we can get without bunches of code.

eyes of the world · 05-24-2006, 08:45 PM

hello all who frequent the Writing Workshop, I had a question about it and thought this the best place to address it. Is poetry allowed in there? I mostly see short stories so I was just wondering.

Ilan Bouchard · 05-24-2006, 08:58 PM

Poetry and any types of works are allowed in the WW. I've posted a few myself in the past.

Selorian · 05-24-2006, 10:45 PM

Actually, Ilan, coding the hack would be fairly simple from what little I have learned myself. It would just be a matter of changing a few lines, changing the date the prune option calls from the last in the thread to the first in the thread. If only I wasn't such a redneck, and knew a little more, I believe it would be a change even I could make. I've been installing a lot of hacks for phpBB lately, so maybe I could figure it out if given enough time. It should be easily transferable from it to vB.