LiveJournal update & potential move to AO3

[ratherastory]

Okay, has everyone seen this? From this post:

Rest assured, we are paying close attention to all of your feedback. Problems with actual functionality (inability to use the new form or aspects of it, slow load times, crashes, etc) have been reported and are being worked on. We're also aggregating all your feedback about the presentation and usability of the commenting form in the general sense, including items missing from the previous version, and the appropriate project teams are reviewing this feedback to help guide what further changes will be made. Thank you for your patience as we continue to work on the new commenting system.

Bold face was in the original text. I am keeping my fingers crossed, but am not holding out much hope.

So here's the thing. I am already posting all my stories on AO3. I am seriously considering making that my primary posting site, and only using LJ and DW as back-ups for people who are following me. So I'd post there, link back here with comments disabled, and leave it at that.

If I were to do that, would you guys still be interested in reading? Here, have a poll to make things easier:

[Poll #1804993]

For those who are interested, I am at AO3 under ratherastory

I'm also on Dreamwidth at ratherastory

Comments

[embroiderama]

The only problem I see with posting only on AO3 is that you're likely to get a fistful of kudos and way fewer comments, but if you're okay with that I'm good with reading and commenting on AO3.

I'm Okay With It...

[lobrien0914.livejournal.com]

...as long as I get my email notice that you've updated.

Thanks!!

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hear you. I really dislike the kudos system. It feels lazy.

Re: I'm Okay With It...

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

I know AO3 members can track updates, not so sure about non-members, but I'll still be leaving links here too.

[de-nugis.livejournal.com]

I somewhat prefer DW for everything but archiving, because the comments there are more LJ like and conversational, and because the environment isn't fic only. There's something that feels more friendly to me about knowing people through their fic and their random RL posts and their ep reactions and having them all in the same place. But that's just me.

[bellatemple]

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the look and layout of AO3, so of the two options, I'd say go with DW. But, hey, you do what you want! I'm sort of terrible at leaving feedback anywhere, anyway.

[morganoconner.livejournal.com]

I'll read your fic no matter where you go bb, you know that. I will say that I STRONGLY prefer AO3 to DW, and I'm far more likely to comment at AO3. But I'll definitely miss seeing all your regular posts here, in any case. *clings to yuo*

♥

[quickreaver.livejournal.com]

I echo de_nugis's sentiments. I'll read you anywhere, and I LOVE AO3's ability to allow you to download fics in various e-reader formats, but it's not conversational. It doesn't really let you get to know the author behind the fic, nor does it encourage the sense of community LJ has. I'm SO peeved at LJ for potentially shitting on my beautiful people! LJ has been my hub for SPN challenges and projects and maybe DW can become that too? I don't know. I have accounts at the other sites, just in case. LJ is making me sorry I bought a paid account, though. BOO.

[jesseofthenorth.livejournal.com]

I much prefer A03 for fic reading but it IS fic only so I would miss any deeper interaction that is for sure. I have been AWOL for weeks but I would miss terribly not being able to drop into random none fic posts top say hi :(

Hi! By the way :D

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

I also back all my stories up on AO3. I don't see why anyone who wants to read your stories would have any problems following them there.

[lunasky3.livejournal.com]

I'd probably follow you anywhere, but I really don't like ao3's commenting. Stupid LJ, messing with our heads

[mdlaw.livejournal.com]

I'm not a member at either place, so commenting would be an issue. But I have no problem with a little extra clicky. m :)

[starwatcher]

.
I actually prefer AO3; I save stories to my HD, and it uses less Kb than LJ or DW.

I'm already on DW, and now that I know you're there, I've just subscribed. I'm really grooving on your H50 stories, and the ep reactions you sometimes post.

Not paying LJ... I think about it, but then I can't stand ads popping up.
.

[starwatcher]

.
Both DW and AO3 accept anon comments, if the account holder allows it, and DW accepts open ID; you can sign in as mdlaw.livejournal.com. Not sure about AO3.

(And, if you're interested, AO3 is allowing free account creation without an invite code until the end of the year. It really is very similar to LJ, but is remaining more user-friendly; they post news updates every couple of weeks and actually solicit their users' input before making major changes.)
.

Re: I'm Okay With It...

[starwatcher]

.
You don't have to be a writer to have an AO3 account. I made a post a while back about the advantages of having an AO3 account. I've subscribed to many authors, and get an email each time they post a new story, with a link in the email to take me directly there. SOOOO handy!
.

[peppervl.livejournal.com]

I loathe AO3 and absolutely refuse to read any fic posted there.

Then again, I also loathe Dreamwidth and refuse to read any fic posted there too.

So, um, I'm probably not going to read anymore if it's not posted on LJ. *shrugs* Sorry.

[snickfic]

I definitely will read your fic if it's only on AO3; I really like a lot of the features there, especially the download feature. However, I'm less apt to leave comments there, and I think that's true of others, too.

[primrose-1.livejournal.com]

I'd RATHER have everything working right here! *grump*

[tahirire.livejournal.com]

I love AO3 for fic, but not for journaling, obv. I recently backed up all of my fic there, and I am looking into backing up my LJ at DW, I opened the account this morning. I don't want to leave LJ but I'm getting nervous about losing things.

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I don't understand AO3, so I hope you'll still link to your stories on LJ so that I know that you've updated. I am not as savvy as others it seems. I don't know if I can comment on AO3, but maybe I can figure that out eventually too.

[jackien1968.livejournal.com]

I don't like (my eyes hate) how stuff looks on AO3, but it looks ok if I save (not download) it in html and then open the file and read it. It does make me a bit less likely to comment, since I'm reading in a different window or tab than where I comment.

I want comment preview back too. I think ditching preview is LJ blackmailing to get people to get paid accounts which allow comment editing.

<3
Jackie

[faithinfaith.livejournal.com]

I love your strories and would go to the end of the world to read them, but I'm no big fan of AO3 because I find it hard to navigate, but I'm sure I will learn. What ever works for you, but I'd appriciate links in Lj

sincerely
Faith

[annie200.livejournal.com]

OK probably a stupid question, but would I still get lj notifications in my email to say you've written something. If not, I need to work out how to use AO properly!

[sinka.livejournal.com]

As long as you still post here to let us know you have written something new I can go anywhere to read your stories! It's what usually happens in most communities anyway. But I really hope you don't give up on livejournal completely, I love having you here!

Hallo Subject-Line

[katwoman76.livejournal.com]

What is this all about no more subject-lines and other comment-crap?
So far I don't see any differences *confused*
I was way too busy lately to keep track on LJ-shenanigans, so I'm sure I missed something.

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

Yeah, as long as I post an entry here, if you've got LJ notifications enabled, then you should still get pinged when I post. :)

Re: Hallo Subject-Line

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

You're probably not seeing a difference yet because you have a S2 style with custom comments enabled. For all communities & journals that use the easier-to-read default style, they've disabled subject lines and drop-down menus and all that. Apparently this will happen for S2 styles sooner rather than later.

Re: Hallo Subject-Line

[katwoman76.livejournal.com]

Buh. Asnother "great improvement" :(

[harrigan.livejournal.com]

I'm not giving up on LJ.

But I'd definitely read your fic on AO3 if that was where you put it. I agree with what everyone else said - that commenting is more perfunctory there (and often replaced with a simple kudo), but then you already do archive there so you know the plusses and minuses. (And for the record, I do like the plusses there.)

I suppose I should look into using a dreamwidth account, just in case anyone I follow abandons LJ. But I'm still more bummed about delicious than I am about LJ.

[little-tristan.livejournal.com]

I love posting at AO3 but I suck at finding stuff there. LJ will get its shit together, it always does, and it'll stay my main source of fandom fun with friends. But if you link here, I'll totally go there to read and comment, because I love your stuff no matter where it is. (Over there, I'm der_Tanzer.)

[mollyamory.livejournal.com]

I pretty much post everywhere - AO3, LJ and DW - and I'm willing to read anywhere, too. And if I'm going to leave a comment on a story to start with, I don't mind a few extra clicks -- usually when I have something to say it takes a full-scale internet catastrophe to prevent me from saying it. :)

I'm not currently using the AO3 subscription feature because so many people are just now archiving their work; you get a notification each time, and as people adopt and adapt, the notifications are extremely spammy. But I think once things settle down a bit I'll be jumping on that bandwagon too.

Basically, wherever you are... I'll see you there!

[tabaqui]

I read anywhere, and so long as you 'alert' us here on LJ (which is going to be my main journaling place for now) then all is good. I like how AO3 is set up, and how uncluttered it is, and someday i hope to back up my fic there but i've been tooooo lazy.

As for the quote by the lj people up there.... I really doubt they give a rat's ass, but if enough people don't renew or cancel or whatever, they might get panicky.
*sigh*

[sothcweden.livejournal.com]

I said that I'd rather you post at DW, but I'll read your fic no matter where it is. I tend to kudo more than comment on AO3, though. LJ and DW feel more like places for conversations to me.

[franztastisch]

This is my opinion completely. <3

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

And so's Dreamweaver....

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

I don't have Dreamweaver or AO3.... and I don't like AO3. Just don't like the way it looks, can't find anything, can't figure out how to comment.... I just don't like it. Most of all, it's not welcoming or interactive enough. I'm disappointed you're going there. Dreamweaver would be better since I was considering an account there to back everything up in case fandom packs its bags and goes there. I already have a FF.Net account and I don't want accounts in 50 places. I would read your fics because they're you but really, it makes me sad and I just.... I DON'T WANT YOU AND THE WORLD TO LEAVE LJ!!!! I feel like I just got in and figured it out. I'd be more willing with the Dreamweaver interface just because of the interaction.

*shrugs*

[roque-clasique.livejournal.com]

I'll read you wherever you are, but I just hate the kudos system! I like leaving comments instead of essentially checking a box to say "Yeah, read it."

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

I hate the system too, and if I could disable it, I would. There is still a comment box, though!

[ratherastory.livejournal.com]

AO3 comments are right at the bottom of the page and work a lot like LJ comments: just type your comment in the box and hit 'post comment.'

I'm not a fan of Dreamwidth myself, but I'll be using it as a back-up only, because I find it's just different enough from all the things at LJ that I like that I don't really want to use it.

[nwspaprtaxis.livejournal.com]

Ah. I see. I'll give it another try but I just.... don't like the way it looks or the interface of AO3. I like the interface of Dreamwidth better because it looks more like LJ.

[bymagajones.livejournal.com]

I didn't vote, because I couldn't find one that accurate reflected my opinion, and I didn't want to skew your results.

I don't hate AO3 (although I have total trouble posting my own fanfic there), and I like the way their pages are laid out and everything; my main problem is that whole inability to ask them to send me an e-mail letting me know that my favorite authors have posted something new and/or a new chapter to a favorite story.

My problem with Dreamwidth is that I'm unable to post comments, because I'm unable to get an account (and while I read and understand their reasoning, the non-logical part of my brain is really pissed off and feels intentionally excluded). I don't like being told I can't tell someone I love something they've written and actually let them know who I am.

I know you have issues with LJ, and I'd probably agree with you if I had any technical savvy whatsoever, but I know how to comment here, and I love that I can friend a page and know when something knew is being added.

Have you thought about (or checked out) fanfic.net or WWOMB?