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Thread: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

  1. #4361

    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Fellow writers, I have a question which is possibly more fittingly posed in the site questions area, but which I think is most relevant for us here, so I thought we could have a little chat before I pose anything to actual site leaders (ignoring of course that Alwyn and Caillagh are Hexers ).

    What I am wondering is if there is any way for the wubs to be disabled on a thread in order to allow the writer to use more explicit language? I know that in general, there is a "no bad language" standard here, and that attempts to subvert the blockers is a ToS violation. However, it is sometimes important for a story that a specific character uses certain language. Now, that being said, I think there is still room for moderators to have a say on what is considered clearly excessive, or to keep writers from just having a cuss-fest for fun, but here and there I really do find that there is only one thing that makes sense to say in a story, and that one thing has profanity. Moreover, having the cutesy little "wub" can be an egregious mood-breaker in certain contexts. So my question is whether we can disable the blocker for a thread, with the condition that the thread be marked in the OP as including language, and still being subject to moderator oversight (in the case that the usage of language is considered gratuitous or beyond the pale). I understand the sentiment that this would add a thick layer of subjectivity to some moderator oversight, something which may be unwelcome by some, but I really find it important for artistic reasons that we be able to use explicit language here and there when the story calls for it.

    I am interested to see others' thoughts on this, and hear whether this is even something which is technically feasible (to easily disable the blocker on a thread-by-thread basis).
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  2. #4362
    Caillagh de Bodemloze's Avatar to rede I me delyte
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Quote Originally Posted by Kilo11 View Post
    Fellow writers, I have a question which is possibly more fittingly posed in the site questions area, but which I think is most relevant for us here, so I thought we could have a little chat before I pose anything to actual site leaders (ignoring of course that Alwyn and Caillagh are Hexers ).

    What I am wondering is if there is any way for the wubs to be disabled on a thread in order to allow the writer to use more explicit language? I know that in general, there is a "no bad language" standard here, and that attempts to subvert the blockers is a ToS violation. However, it is sometimes important for a story that a specific character uses certain language. Now, that being said, I think there is still room for moderators to have a say on what is considered clearly excessive, or to keep writers from just having a cuss-fest for fun, but here and there I really do find that there is only one thing that makes sense to say in a story, and that one thing has profanity. Moreover, having the cutesy little "wub" can be an egregious mood-breaker in certain contexts. So my question is whether we can disable the blocker for a thread, with the condition that the thread be marked in the OP as including language, and still being subject to moderator oversight (in the case that the usage of language is considered gratuitous or beyond the pale). I understand the sentiment that this would add a thick layer of subjectivity to some moderator oversight, something which may be unwelcome by some, but I really find it important for artistic reasons that we be able to use explicit language here and there when the story calls for it.

    I am interested to see others' thoughts on this, and hear whether this is even something which is technically feasible (to easily disable the blocker on a thread-by-thread basis).
    I've had a quick look in the admincp, and the answer to your last last paragraph seems to be no, there's no way to turn off the censor for specific threads.

    I know this isn't really what you want, but you do have the option of typing a row of asterisks instead of your chosen word. It doesn't have the same effect as the actual word, but at least it's less cutesy than the smiley.






  3. #4363
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Just keep adding extreme amounts of immersion to your dialogue until the point where the filter can't keep up anymore. Win-win.

    *
    *Gloriously translated by English to Shakespearan translator

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    Hitai de Bodemloze's Avatar 避世絕俗
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Traditionally, one way AARtists have circumvented that is by having their swear words in foreign languages. So if you were writing a Shogun 2 AAR, you would write the Japanese equivalent of whatever swear word or curse word you wanted to use.

  5. #4365
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Quote Originally Posted by Derc View Post
    Just keep adding extreme amounts of immersion to your dialogue until the point where the filter can't keep up anymore. Win-win.

    *
    *Gloriously translated by English to Shakespearan translator
    That's an... interesting translation...


    Quote Originally Posted by Hitai de Bodemloze View Post
    Traditionally, one way AARtists have circumvented that is by having their swear words in foreign languages. So if you were writing a Shogun 2 AAR, you would write the Japanese equivalent of whatever swear word or curse word you wanted to use.
    This is a good suggestion. Thanks, Hitai!

    (I don't want anyone to end up in trouble because of me saying that, so do bear in mind the rest of the ToS if you do this. )


    On a completely different subject:

    MAARC LXXXVIII now has three entries. I'm not going to post a voting thread immediately, to give everyone chance to post that next chapter and join in. But if you're thinking of entering this time, please don't wait too long before doing that. The vote will probably start next weekend.






  6. #4366
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Voting has begun in MAARC LXXXVIII!






  7. #4367
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Quote Originally Posted by Alwyn View Post
    You'll probably have noticed that TWC has been affected by database errors recently. GED investigated the problem and found that we have accumulated more user groups and sub-forums than the forum software can handle. Hex are removing user groups and sub-forums that we can live without, for example in Content we've removed two user groups. Hex have removed some sub-forums which we don't need in staff areas of the site and this is continuing.

    As part of this continuing effort to reduce database errors by removing sub-forums we can live without, I'm planning to remove the Writers' Study Grand Archive. This is used for storing old competition threads, duplicate AARs threads (when someone's opening post accidentally appears twice), and AARs which the author wanted deleted. (When an writer asks Writers' Study staff to delete their thread, we suggest archiving it instead, in case they ever want it back). I'm proposing to move the old competition threads to the Writers' Study Competitions Archive, move the old AAR threads to a Content Staff archive and remove the Writers' Study Grand Archive. I don't think this will cause any problems - I can't remember needing to into the Grand Archive to look something up - but if anyone thinks of a problem which it would cause, please let me know by the end of March.
    As explained above, the Writers' Study Grand Archive has been removed. This is part of our continuing work to remove sub-forums which we can live without, to reduce the database errors. By itself, removing a single sub-forum probably won't make any noticeable difference - but the cumulative effect of continuing to remove sub-forums should make a difference over time.

    In case anyone wonders what it was, the Grand Archive was used to store some old competition threads (which have gone to the Writers' Study general competitions archive) and some old AAR threads which were duplicate posts or whose authors asked staff to remove them (which have gone to a staff archive.)

    Meanwhile, as Caillagh said, please don't forget to vote in the MAARC LXXXVIII!
    Last edited by Alwyn; April 02, 2021 at 08:38 AM.

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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    The tie-break vote for second place in MAARC LXXXVIII has now begun!






  9. #4369
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    The winners of MAARC LXXXVIII have now been announced! Come and join me in congratulating them!






  10. #4370
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Tale of the Week 298: Enter the Void has gone to the voting stage. Go check here for four tales of wonder!
    Last edited by Turkafinwë; April 26, 2021 at 12:14 AM.

  11. #4371
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    It seems the Void had claimed the poll for TotW 298. Through some time magic of the Imps of the Wirters' Study we have been able to pull the poll back to our time.

    Go check it out here.

  12. #4372

    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    The Writers' Study has been decidedly quiet of late, and in light of that, I would like to put a suggestion forward with regards to the various competitions that are run here (in particular, the MAARC and TotW). I think the competitions, even if less full, are nice to have around! They provide a venue for new authors to put themselves out there, and they can give a nice burst of motivation to old hands who just need a little push to keep going with their ongoing works. Moreover, I personally greatly enjoy the unexpected prompts for the tales of the week, and I would hate to see any lessening of these things.

    However, I have noticed that in all of our competitions of late, there has been a tragically low number of voters involved, with it usually being just barely higher than the number of entrants. To me, I don't usually care who in particular wins (usually, most of the entries are excellent in their own rights), but it does seem very sad to me to see so clearly how low the traffic is for these. As such, I was wondering what everyone would think about the competitions being judged by WS staff, at least for a little while? I mean, given that at least half of the votes are usually WS staff anyway (since both Turk and Alwyn almost always join in), this doesn't really affect the outcomes to any significant degree, but it would at least make it so that we aren't having competitions where 3 people enter, and each entrant just votes for the other two. This to me is awkward, and undermines the whole peer appreciation system, and I think it would be worth at least discussing the idea of having a trial period where WS staff have a little pow wow for each competition, and judge amongst themselves what they thought was best.

    What are everyone's thoughts on this? I am not super wed to the idea, but I am trying to think of ways to make the experience feel more like a proper competition than it seems now, and I don't know of a good way to simply up the voter turnout. So any and all suggestions are more than welcome!
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  13. #4373
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Perhaps in finding traffic for this, greater promotion both on and off site of these things might be a fair idea including promotion of the resource and learning aspects. In this way attempt to build the community rather than resign to the end of its activity, which I feel deferring to strictly WS vote would do much in the way that the Curia simplifies itself out of existing every so often.

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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Four have gone into the Void, only one has made it out alive. Join us in congratulating the hero who went there and back again. Go check out the winner of Tale of the Week 298: Enter the Void here.

  15. #4375
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Quote Originally Posted by Emperor Commodus View Post
    Perhaps in finding traffic for this, greater promotion both on and off site of these things might be a fair idea including promotion of the resource and learning aspects. In this way attempt to build the community rather than resign to the end of its activity, which I feel deferring to strictly WS vote would do much in the way that the Curia simplifies itself out of existing every so often.
    It so happens that I'm slightly acquainted with the current News Director, and I understand that more promotion might be possible (at least at times when other things don't take priority). Before I get too carried away, though, I want to ask for everyone's input. Obviously we can say that there are competitions in the WS, but apart from competitions, what specific things would you say are worth promoting?






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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    I would like to personally see 'meta' of writing as a focus.

    Encouragement of sample posts, feedback, the livening of discussion. Not just the creation of works but the writing about writing to promote an easier dimension for people to get into and discuss. I feel much of TWC's future strength now lies not so much in 'product', but 'production'. Facilitating things.

  17. #4377

    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    I agree with Commodus, and find that the community of writers, and the atmosphere for nurturing and exploring the craft are some of the best things in this corner of the site. Obviously, we all love reading one another's work, and I would imagine that for every writer in the WS, there are ten readers perusing the stacks, but I think a lot of us have a connection here because we learn so much, and get so much out of the feedback and environment. So maybe that would be a good way to reel some people in. Something like a "Have you ever wanted to be a writer? To reach an audience in one click, and have a board of kind reviewers happy to send you feedback? Or do you want to read cutting-edge stories from your favorite historical periods, and chat with the authors as they write? Then come over to the Writers' Study!" I mean, Cai is Most High and Revered News Guru (never understood how you got all that text onto your desk plaque Cai, but props for managing ), so you should put whatever seems most fitting, but I think highlighting the gains a writer gets would be helpful, and also pointing interested readers along too.
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  18. #4378
    Caillagh de Bodemloze's Avatar to rede I me delyte
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    It's a very big plaque. (And since it also has to say a bunch of other stuff, and I'm a messy-desk kind of person at the best of times, you can imagine how much usable desk-space this leaves me with... )

    I like the idea of letting people know both that you can write (and post videos) here, but also that we like having readers (and viewers) around, and posting your own work is not required. I'm also very happy to hear that you both think we can tell people this is a good place to find support and encouragement, and also useful discussions and perhaps also some information about writing. Thank you, that's very helpful.

    Naturally, the Twitter character-limit affects what we can do in any one announcement, so all of this is probably going to be spread over a few announcements over a while. If anyone would like to suggest a snappy line on one of these subjects, please do - I'll be thinking about it too.






  19. #4379
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    A wild MAARC appears! Go check out the voting thread here.

  20. #4380
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    Default Re: Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

    Thanks to everyone who took part in and voted in the MAARC!

    Writers' Study competitions usually don't run in July and August, as they're the quieter months around here. I propose that we won't run WS competitions in those months, and we'll return in September. (If you'd prefer a different plan, please let me know). In the meantime, I'll be enjoying the AARs and CW that people create, and looking forward to the return of our competitions.

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