Nathan Bransford - The Forums

You know what would be cool. Emoticons.

I know most people hate them, but I love them. I can make my posts colorful, and individualize them.

Just an idea.

This is technical suggestion, so it may not be possible--or it may be costly to implement.

There should be some connection (or some way to connect) the forum to your blog, so that blog replies can take on the 'back and forth' communication that's possible here in the forum.

Just a thought...

A category for short story format.

A dead drop zone, where once you post it that's; it no second chances.

Sort of a developmental lab to force project ideas to completion when
the person is tooling along and realizes they have a short story not a novella or novel.

Definitely under 40,000 words and definitely above 10,000.

Most short stories I get a kick out of can be read in one long sitting
and use a lot of stock tools and tricks to draw the reader into setting and characters.

Maybe some arbitrary number like 18500 words and a hefty fifty lashes with a wet noodle for every
hundred words past the cut-off; and brutally knocked senseless by a dead fish above 20,000-25,000 words as an auto-delete.

I want to post a quick apology. I sorta skimmed Friday's post and did not notice the request that we not campaign until after I directed a couple friends the blog's way, and one of them pointed out my gaffe. Sorry about it.

ryanznock wrote:I want to post a quick apology. I sorta skimmed Friday's post and did not notice the request that we not campaign until after I directed a couple friends the blog's way, and one of them pointed out my gaffe. Sorry about it.

No worries - it was really close to the voting deadline anyway.

I'd love to post a couple of excerpts or flashes for a crit, but the areas for that are not password protected. Since I may try and get a few flashes published, it's better that I don't post in a thread that isn't password protected. Have you considered using one? Where only members logged in knew the password and could see the posts there?

Thanks!

Hmm - I could do that if people really wanted, though since you can delete your post at any time I'm not sure that I understand why it would need to be protected?

From what I've understood, it's more to protect from search engines. And if someone asked if it had been published before on a website, you can say no if it was password protected. Some don't want previously published pieces (even online) or they pay less if they consider it being re-published. But again, just what I've heard. I'm only now attempting to publish shorts.

*I think that's why AW protects theirs, but I'll ask Mac to be sure.*

Thanks for considering it. :)

Gack! It took me the longest time to remember my login information here. :) Thanks for sending me the link and the question, Regan.

Yep, we just put the password in clear text in the forum menu description, and it's pretty much just to prevent search-engine and way-back machine caching. Honestly, I suspect it's not really a very big deal at all...but writers get concerned, so it seems like a harmless way to address those concerns so people feel more secure about posting.

MacAllister wrote:Gack! It took me the longest time to remember my login information here. :)

Yep, we just put in in clear text in the forum menu description, and it's pretty much just to prevent search-engine and way-back machine caching. Honestly, I suspect it's not really a very big deal at all...but writers get concerned, so it seems like a harmless way to address those concerns so people feel more secure about posting.

Thanks for weighing in! Writers -- we are a fickle and demanding bunch. Now where the hell are my cookies? ;)

Yeah, I'd never fully gotten a straight answer on it, but some people scared me into even hiding the pieces I posted on my own blog behind passwords.

Thanks, guys. If everyone who wants this could reply here, I can gauge demand for the feature.

I'm a follower because I password my stuff on my blog. People made me paranoid!! :D I don't care if the world reads it, but it sounds like a no-no?

I'm not super worried about it, but I don't really understand Google caches of stuff. Though the freakin' Google images bot hits stuff I posted months ago even after I added the robot text to stop new images from being recorded. So annoying. People have an unnatural obsession with Emma Roberts and Victoria Justice - especially in Europe. *random Amanda vent over*

So, now that I've rambled, I say it doesn't matter to me either way, but if it eases the concerns of a few, it's an extra step I don't mind taking to log into those forums.

Aren't running forums FUN, Nathan? So many little things to consider.

I agree. If a piece is published, even in an online contest, some publishers won't accept it for submission. If a piece were password and search engine protected, at least up until it was chosen to"win," it might be better for writers.

(I am also always impressed with how out there some writers are willing to go.)

OK - password protected Forum created in the Feedback section!

I have two requests.

First, I could use a spell checker.

Second, everytime someone PMs me, it sends me an e-mail from nb@cbld.com. I get a heart attack each time because I think you've e-mailed me. This leads me to my problem. Why don't you e-mail me more? Then I would stop having heart attacks because it would just be like "ho, hum. Nathan e-mailed me again." You don't have to offer me representation when you e-mail me, although that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. You could just chat. Tell me how much work you have to do that day. Things like that.

Just a suggestion.

Btw, thanks for the forums. I have so much fun here!