Story Site Issues, Etc.

[Torq]

Will be processing again approx 5/14-15,, Thanks all

T.

[MIKEY100]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me why there has been no new stories or update since 4/29/08? Just wondering.

[sassssa]

Torq posted about this matter.

http://www.bdsmlibrary.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13923

[Escritor]

It's happenning the same with this one: http://www.bdsmlibrary.com/stories/s...p?storyid=6142 and earlier I found another one, but it seems to be working ok now.

[Torq]

There are times Authors ask to have story "pulled" or "suspended" for time frames or for reasons.

T

[lex ludite]

I've had this occur many times in the past months, but it seems to correct itself, usually within less than an hour. I just assume its some random bug in the software and go my merry way.

[rilawild]

Hi,

I know that this is a free site and all and up to now I've held my tongue because of that, but I can do so no longer. The formatting of stories just sucks.

For my latest story I've supplied all chapters in precisely the same format - RTF, but when the story is viewed as a whole the chapters are formatted differently.

The first chapter looked fined, the second to seventh chapter were formatted as centred italics and now the eighth chapter is centred italic and underlined. None of this formatting was what I intended.

It seems that each chapter is converted independently with a style name assigned for each different font format in the file in the order that that font format appears. However, the converter uses the SAME names each time it is run.

So the problem occurs when the chapters are formatted together in the 'view whole story' page.

So in chapter one, the first line of my story is a the title which is a bold header: this gets allocated rvts6. The second is the author, centred and in italics: this gets allocated rvts7. Next is the chapter header: rvts9. Then comes the main body of the story: rvts8

In the second chapter, the first line is again a heading - the chapter number. It gets allocated rvts6, so doesn't look too bad in the same font as the story title. Next is the body of the story which gets allocated rvts7 - hence the text is all centred and italic.

Either the style names need to be unique for each chapter, based on the actual style (eg arial8ptitalic) or a different approach for converting is needed.

I'm happy to provide my content in valid formatted HTML, but when I used to do that it also screwed up and I was recommended to use RTF instead.

I'm just really frustrated by all this and I've been getting complaints from readers who tell me that they love the story, but question 'my choice' of formatting.

Just what approach should I use to get consistent formatting across chapters? I don't care about fancy fonts or styles, I just want to have headings, plain text, italic and bold.



I won't mention the backslash and apostrophe problem in story names and summaries (but I cringe every time I see it and wonder how it takes to fix such a problem - two and half years so far and counting).

Rilawild

[thepast]

Hey,
Just a suggestion, but instead of complaining, why not send a PM or email to Torq, with your story info & the problem, and see if maybe he can work with you on it. He is one guy, processing 100s of stories a week, so yeah, there's a good chance things slide through.

The story processing program that converts from RTF to the style needed to upload it to the stories site is, indeed, archaic. But the entire stories process is a tad archaic. And no, it's not changing anytime soon, for a variety of reasons, all of which I am sure Torq can explain. However, there are ways to help the issue along, like ensuring your story is in a True Font, that it has no formatting inside of it, etc.

As for the grammar... well... a.) there have been at least 2 people story processing in the past 2.5 yr, and the previous person (before Torq) had a lot of the "delia'/s" problem (the slash/apostrophe) that you mention. However, it would take HOURS & HOURS to fix this issue, because you would manually have to go into each & every story to fix every chapter seperately... so put on your blinders & grin and bear it Also, when processing 100s of stories, sometimes mistakes in the writing are made... they each have to be MANUALLY ENTERED. And last time I looked, Torq was a human, so hey, guess what, probably isn't going to be perfect.


As you mentioned, this is a free site. And while I usually stand on the sidelines & let Torq field all of these questions on his own, I have about had enough. The man works 16-18hr days, and spends his off time processing stories. That is no joke. Trust me, I live with him--he spends his time doing that, when instead, hey, we could be having fun together. Do I mind? No, because it's giving back to a community that has given us so much. But please, EVERYONE, have a little patience--he tries to do them as fast as possible & as well as possible, but he is, as I have mentioned, a human, not Superman (welllll at least not in terms of story processing *grins*). And just to answer the inevitable "why not get help?" question, the story processing, as I previously mentioned, is ridiculously archane (sp?) and requires 1 person to do it. Annoying? yes. Is there a better way? Probably. But hey, life ain't perfect. So... we all live with what we have & enjoy what we can.


Cheers,

delia

[Torq]

Oh, well this ain't Random House,,

Life goes on ! Keep counting!

Maybe its time for someone else to TRY to please everyone,,,,,,,,

I'm gettin tired of the CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


In eight (8) months over 4000 stories "handled" (every story is 'handled' 2 or 3 times) with close to 2000 POSTED ! In rough math thats 400+ stories PER month handled, 200 posted per month. EACH story taking anywhere from 15-45 minute PER story to process. Average 20-25 minutes per = 150 +/- hrs a month

ANY VOLUNTEERS FOR THE JOB?!?!?!?! PAY $0.00 With Overtime!

That's not counting the "Revisions" or the "Changed a word" repost or the "It has a / mark" Re-do it"


MANY MANY THANKS TO THE GREAT AUTHORS OUT THERE THAT DO UNDERSTAND!!!!!

Be Well

T

[ashtonDs]

You handle an amazing amount of work and need to be officially thanked for it. (The trouble is I don't see an officials hanging around here right now.)

Is there anything the people posting stories can do to help you out (and maybe introduce a little consistancy/control over the resulting post?)

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Falcon]

Does anyone out there know how to use this feature. Where do you go in the system to add a story to bookshelf?

[Tufty]

Hi Falcon

Before you can add a story to your bookshelf, you need to create your bookshelf

Under the 'Library' tab, select 'My BDSM Shelf' from the otions - you will see a new page with the option to 'Add New BDSM Shelf'

You will need to give your new shelf a title (description is optional but you DO need a title for the shelf)...and then click on 'Add New'

Now, when you open a story to read, you will see an option at the right hand side of the window giving the option to 'Add this story to my bookshelf' Click on that link, select your bookshelf and then click on 'Add story to shelf'

Hope this helps

[rilawild]

Hi,

This wasn't meant as an attack on Torq. If it seemed that way then I apologise.

I thought that this was the Tech Problems and Answers forum; I see this as a tech problem not a personnel problem. I want this site to improve. I was trying to point out what the issue was (that the same style names gets reused and then clash when the whole story is viewed) and suggested a couple of ways that it might be fixed, and then I asked the question about how to avoid the problem in the first place.

What else was I supposed to do? I have asked these questions and made similar suggestions about this privately before (when uploading new chapters, by emailing webmaster and by emailing Torq) and received no answer so I assumed that the best thing to do was to post it here.

If the software used for the site is so hard to use why not ask Tiger for something better, or even ask the community to help find/write better software - at least to enable the load to be shared by more people. Alternatively maybe provide a guide for how to get the formatting to be consistent and how to provide stories so that it takes the minimum amount of time/intervention from Torq.

Rilawild

[Euryleia]

<snip> Alternatively maybe provide a guide for how to get the formatting to be consistent and how to provide stories so that it takes the minimum amount of time/intervention from Torq.

I think this a good suggestion. Maybe a FAQ or more detailed submission guidelines would help. I would be more than willing to do my part to make Torq's job easier by following formatting rules.

I'm sure I speak for the other authors and the readers when I say that we are enormously grateful for the time and effort that it takes to upload and update stories on the site. I had no idea the scope of the issue and my admiration for Torq taking on the job and doing it so well has just increased.

Thanks, Torq.

[foreverslave]

Hi the following story is not working:

http://www.bdsmlibrary.com/stories/r...p?storyid=6362

[Torq]

Ty, E.

T

[Dominica Potestas]

I seem to have had this problem with about half a dozen stories on the latest update. Is this just me or is it a bigger problem?

[Torq]

Forever, the story you site does not exist,,was never posted, file was corputed, author e-mailed awaiting reply

dp, I went thru EVERY story posted AGAIN ALL !!!! Working just fine

T

[Falcon]

Your help on how to use Bookshelf was much appreciated, and did resolve the problem. I have since added quite a few titles to my new shelf!

[Torq]

`

[Arria]

*hugs Torq*

[Dominica Potestas]

Thanks a lot Torq. I wasn't sure whether it was a problem my end or something so I was just checking. Thanks for all your work.
DP

[fluffy.chick]

Please please please can we have Anal as a category.

[hal]

Hi good people. I joined from a story by a member here. Wonted to perhaps find other like kind stories. I'm exploring Dolcett/ Cannibal style fantasy stories. Am wondering how to use the filters to bring them up.

any help.

hal

[Ozme52]

Try the advanced search and enter the word 'cannibal' in the synopsis box. Looks like you'll get 14 stories.

Unfortunately, they don't have a contents search here. So if it isn't "featured" by the author within the synopsis, you're out of luck.

On the other hand... there are at least 14 such stories here.

[nakdsub]

I was just wondering if someone is on vacation or something. It's been a long time since the stories have been updated.

[thepast]

Well, T has been fly fishing for about a week now... just sittin in a boat in the middle of no where... once he returns he's off to Europe, then off for a 35 day x-country RV trip. So, it could be a while before they're updated.

[Note the dripping sarcasm. T is working on them. As always. They will be updated ASAP. Please have patience. The man does have an 80hr/week job.]

[darknessmonger]

and I was thinking he had been kidnaped by a sadistic mistress and being forced to be her sex salve.... maybe I'm reading too many stories here

[thepast]

....not too many... just the wrong type *GRINS*....

[thrall]

LOL....What???....Vacation??....you mean you get to have....vacation????....lol

Hey T have a great time on your vacation....and find some time to relax......

yes i know.....your talking to the girl who rents a cabana at the pool....and sits there with a laptop....lol

.......and delia...aren't you going to get to with him??....