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kkdestiny
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 10:30 pm    Post subject: Couple More Steps Reply with quote

Heya! I haven't been slacking (too much :3)

But I've got a few points to talk about today!

The first is that some of you may have noticed that I've unstickied all of the stickied stories. That's because those stories may have gotten stickied status from before things went down, but weren't kept up with so as to keep that status.

Me doing this really isn't much different than me putting stories in the vault, I think. To get stickied, or restickied will be the same process as ever.

This means it must :
Completed at least 2 chapters in the span of 3 months
Have successfully polled for the outcome of the new chapter(s)
Each chapter is at least 1000 words,
Have a decent grasp of basic formatting, spelling and grammar.

But we're seeing a great deal of enthusiasm, and awesome writing, so this shouldn't really be an issue! ^.^

Speaking of The Vault, if anyone has had previous stories out there that haven't yet been Vaulted but think that they'll be focussing on their newer or revived SGs instead, please give me notice so that I can vault those stories that would just be using up space. As usual, you will always be able to ask to move them back whenever.

My next point is really one that's been mentioned in the FAQ, but has pretty much been ignored until now.

I'd like the city to start having a rating for those new stories that are popping up (older stories that aren't really being tended to need not apply, because of all the reading and feelings that would go into it, and so that implementing this isn't so much of a drag)

Rating one's story isn't too hard...it just seems to sound impossible, because we can't predict how dark our stories will get right? I mean one chapter, you might be PG13...but then everyone votes to kill someone.

But really, it's not about predicting...it's just about keeping tabs on how things are going. If they DO vote to kill someone, then just factor that in and change the rating at the same time you're taking down the poll (which you do by editing the first post anyways, right?)

Maybe systems differ between countries? But there are some things we all understand, right?

Everybody means everybody.
It can't be everybody if there's excessive swearing, gore, or disturbing content like torture and the like.

PG is basically everybody. PG13 is a little worse than everybody, with some cussing and maybe some death without specific gory details. And Adult is full out cussing, death, sex, and torture. And we all know where our Adult/Mature SGs go...

But I think I'm going to add in a rating... IM (or Intermediately Mature) or something. This would be between PG13 and full out mature. You ever read Tuesdays with Morrie? It's got death, and maybe a couple cusses...and some details...but most of those details are medical ones and the death is also a medical one, with no violence to cause it.

Um...though...if this rating already exists under Young Adult, let me know, because if that's the case we can just use that. (other rating suggestions welcomed for consideration)

But basically, we just need to be doing what the FAQ says we actually do, and let people know what to expect with our stories with quick and efficient tags. Which, again, is easily done just by keeping tabs on the feel of our stories as they progress.

I will be rating my stories soon, and keeping this open for discussion.
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I now have three SGames! "Mist in a Cave" Chapter 5 is in the works

"The Freedom of Magic" Just got its THIRD chapter up!

Hope you all find the time to read them Very Happy *goes off to look for an SG to read*

Note to self: The Elven Moon; Coin; SVI; Black Animals; Two Wolves; Angel Cat
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 7:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would say that mature is a little more severe than what you've described. By that rating system, LoK would have been Mature, and it's PG13 at most in the REALLY dark spots. I think pretty much everyone's stories would be. (The ENTIRE horror section would be. haha!) I'd say PG13 is some blood and death, minor language, and the occasional non-explicit sex scene. Mature would be explicit all the way around. TSD, for example. It's going to be dark. There will be a lot of death, and we're going to see it, but it's not going to be NASTY, make your stomach turn kind of death, so I would rate it at PG13. LoK would also be PG13 just because of those few scenes. (The aftermath of Spade being tortured, the overall intensity, etc.)

I do definitely like the idea of a rating system. I just feel like the one listed might be a little too strict. =)
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kkdestiny
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

And that's fine, I definitely haven't had enough recent exposure to a variety of rated things to know the exact definitions, which is part of what led me to leaving this topic wide open for discussion.
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I now have three SGames! "Mist in a Cave" Chapter 5 is in the works

"The Freedom of Magic" Just got its THIRD chapter up!

Hope you all find the time to read them Very Happy *goes off to look for an SG to read*

Note to self: The Elven Moon; Coin; SVI; Black Animals; Two Wolves; Angel Cat
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Technically, the entire site is PG13, considering the minimum age permitted to join is 13 years old. So things that are rated 'PG13' don't necessarily need a rating, until they get to the 'Mature' content portion. So honestly, just a tag to let people know when stories start going into that 'Adultish' territory.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fair point...I hadn't thought of that.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I shall give my thoughts on this later when I'm at a computer. On my phone now and my thoughts are too numerous.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will point out one thing, though. While we're not supposed to join until we're 13, nowadays a lot of kids lie about their age, and join up early. I've been on the internet since I was 8 (though I waited til I was 13 to join this site), and I'm sure others are still doing this. Do we factor for that in the rating system, or just assume the kids who might be lying about their age know that the stories might be mature for them?
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 1:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I mean, even though it's not NECESSARY, per se, I like the idea of having the rating system in place. Sometimes I would rather go for something ultra clean...sometimes I'm in the mood for something a little more exciting. haha! It would be easy to tell which is which, and it wouldn't be all that hard to slap a rating on top.

Nothing we do is going to keep people out of mature stories. Even with the "dark sections" it's easy enough to change your age to 18 on your profile. Really all the rating system would be for is to show people what they're in for. I'm okay with adding it to my stories.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I vehemently oppose a rating system. Censorship is censorship.

Edit: In fact, it is more than censorship. It forces me to say something that I might not believe in. For example, if I were to rate it PG-13, that would mean that I don't think anyone under 13 should read it, which is not necessarily true. Who are we trying to protect?
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's already a censorship via putting mature SGs in a Mature setting, this rating system isn't even putting limits on anyone. Its just a tag to let you know what to expect...besides, the information about the website tells others that we're already doing it.

I sure would like to say that the site information is being truthful...
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I now have three SGames! "Mist in a Cave" Chapter 5 is in the works

"The Freedom of Magic" Just got its THIRD chapter up!

Hope you all find the time to read them Very Happy *goes off to look for an SG to read*

Note to self: The Elven Moon; Coin; SVI; Black Animals; Two Wolves; Angel Cat
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think calling putting some letters and numbers at the top of your SG censorship is a bit extreme...It's not stopping anyone from reading it...at all.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 7:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alrighty. I'm posting this next part on behalf of MisterBiz. The last time this topic was brought up, things got emotional and heated and ugly, and we don't want that happening again. He feels that I am a decent moderator, and has asked me to put in his perspective.

As a horror author, a lot of what he writes is on the darker side. The people reading horror expect that, and it's WHY they read horror. The dark sections are primarily where ALL of the horror goes. There are very few horror stories that can make it in the regular sections with the current labelling. MisterBiz feels that forcing his stories and others like them into the dark sections is almost like banning them as though they are bad. They aren't. They're just aimed at a certain audience. We all know that people who want to read them can beat the system regardless of age, but the idea of having his stories hidden away is hurtful...understandably, I think.

That said, MisterBiz is all for a rating/tagging system of some flavor. It was mentioned once upon a time that we could have a warning screen before you enter the actual story on the mature ones that says something to the effect of "The following is intended for mature audiences. Do you wish to continue?" Misterbiz is fully supportive of this idea so long as the stories get to share regular forum space with all of our stories. This and the rating system would stop any honest younglings while still leaving the stories to where they can be seen easily by those wanting to read them.

I would like to add that our FAQs state clearly that parents should monitor young readers on our site. That pretty well relieves us of any liability. If the younger readers are left on the internet without supervision, it isn't really our place to play the part of their parents. The FAQs also state, though, that a message will be posted at the top of the SG as a warning of mature content. This has always been enough. There was one particular writer and one particular story that sparked the need for the "dark sections" in the first place, and neither of them are here now. Therefore, I don't think it's a far stretch for us to reach a compromise by going back to the labels and perhaps adding the warning screen and a more advanced rating or tagging system. We will need the help of Key to implement any of these advanced systems. This is why it was never acted upon in the past, but we might have a better shot at it this go around with the success KK has already had in other areas.
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 8:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am misterbiz and Andy does speak for me
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 4:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As ever, Andolyn and misterbiz have both eloquently stated a possible solution to this ongoing, exacerbated issue that comes up every so often. I am in agreement with them.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also agreeing with Andy and Biz on this.

It seems like the fairest solution, and quickest in ways of implementation (in so far as we can forgo a discussion that would certainly turn very tedious and argumentative of how the ratings such as PG, PG13, etc would work on the site).

I also want to point out, because I think it is very important to the current discussion, that some authors, like Vikas and Vishal, already put some warning labels on their stories for each chapter. IMO we should look at those stories as examples of what should be done (or at least a starting point of such) as there are clear warning "tags" being implemented without the use of a restrictive rating system.
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It certainly makes sense to go that route - and as previously mentioned, sometimes each chapter needs to be individually rated depending which way the DP goes.

A mature section (unhidden) plus a labelling system isn't that far different in principle to the way FictionPress and Fanfiction.net work. They have labels for Everyone (K, K+) and Teen, (T) and the 'M' rated stories are filtered out by default.

The difference is that there, users can opt to view those 'M' rated stories if they wish, by using their filter system, which means it becomes the user's responsibility, not the site's. I agree that to find a way by which users can 'opt' to view a story here such as via a warning screen or dialogue pop-up seems fair.
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alright, it's been a while, you all got your POV's in. Let me assure you that they aren't ignored, and that everything is being taken into consideration.

I'm also encouraging mods to remain active, though activity could just be popping on every few days. I just want to make sure you don't disappear so when the deadline for the mod appointment waiting period comes around, I know who is around to work.
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I now have three SGames! "Mist in a Cave" Chapter 5 is in the works

"The Freedom of Magic" Just got its THIRD chapter up!

Hope you all find the time to read them Very Happy *goes off to look for an SG to read*

Note to self: The Elven Moon; Coin; SVI; Black Animals; Two Wolves; Angel Cat
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