Kill the Fanlistings!
I mentioned to Amber that this blog was coming, and let’s face it, it’s long overdue.
An internet craze which seems to have yet to die, despite being around for several years is the Fanlistings, and their insane (but charming) sibling the Anime Fanlistings. (And all of their bastard children, like the Hatelistings, Physical Fanlistings, Taboolistings, and others too numerous and cumbersome to mention). Unless you are a webdesigner living under a proverbial rock you have probably at least heard of a fanlistings, and may indeed own one. (I personally own several).
A fanlisting is basically what it sounds like, an internet list of fans listed in one of the aforementioned directories. They are predated by the internet clique which went out of fashion, then the way of the dinosaurs after the fanlistings really took off. To normal and sane people this doesn’t sound to exciting, I mean, it’s a great way to show people you love a topic, it’s a great way to get a few superficial hits. And if you join a few you can put some shiny banners on your site. A fanlisting owner that doesn’t update their listing risks having it kicked out of the network, so a “bigger fan” can have it. It’s all good fun. Or so it would seem.
The thing is, The Fanlistings put in a rule, a seemingly innocent rule, but a rule that turns sweet innocent Fanlisting building and maintaining into a nightmare. Only one person can own an ‘official’ and ‘listed’ Fanlisting at a time. I’m sure we can all see where this is going.
Suddenly Fanlistings are serious business and people get ultra-competitive to own the really big ones (Like the obvious Harry Potter, for the cute Baby Goths The Nightmare Before Christmas, and whatever Anime is #1 at the moment of writing). Every day people threaten to Quit The Internet™ if they don’t get the coveted listing. And to be perfectly honest it really pisses me off. As one of those webmistresses who plays ‘now you see me, now you don’t’ on the internet, I only get approved for Fanlistings that no one else wants (also because I take a hell of a long time in the design phase). If I Quit The Internet™ every time I was rejected, I might actually do something useful.
But, while not mentioning any names (and changing all of the listings she mentions– I’ve bolded my changes, the rest are as-is) you stumble across blogs like this:
21 December 2008. - I got 1 low blow and a high five, both in the same day. I got rejected, yes, fucking rejected (I’m very very sorry, but I’ve passed from depressed to angry) for *****, yes *****. The one fanlisting Joeblow said “If they don’t give it to you my faith in manking would totally be lost” the one fanlisting I longed to own since I can remember, the one I was so desperate to have an answer for, yes, Some Actor. So I’m quiting anime fanlistings. I have not decided yet what to do with An Anime Series, I’ll probably keep it but I’m not sure and I’m definitly keeping An Anime Episode, because that fanlisting means a lot to me, it was my first fanlisting so yeah. I don’t know what to do with “What’s up People?!” I don’t want to close it but I don’t want to keep it but I lost the stupid members list so bah. That’s it. If I don’t get T… that book I’m waiting the response of, I’ll die. But anyway, I was trying not to die alive when I recived the most sacred email ever, Someone’s response over the adoption of Another Actor, yes, the one who used to be in my top wishlist and now is on my other wishlist, yes, my Actor, my love <3 I’m adopting him!. So, thank you so much Someone, you helped me a lot today.
I mean you’ll have to excuse my insensitivity, as this truly is the end of the entire universe.
The first thing that popped into my mind is my favourite “I’m quitting forever, you guys suck! Except, you know, I’m not” which is such a common thing on the internet. It goes back to my attention whoring, which I rant about ad nauseum. It’s just too freaking CRAZY for me.
I mean, I’m sure the girl who wrote that is perfectly sane and rational. In fact, I’ll bet she’s a perfectly sweet person. But you read that and immediately think she is out of her mind and way too dramatic for her own good. This rilled up about a website to list fans…
Freedom is almost afoot
Okay, I’m not going to lie, I’ve been off school a few days now… blissfully done my first semester exams and such. But for some reason I’m having trouble getting myself modivated to do anything website related. Which is bad, because I owe three third parties websites right now and I just can’t bring myself to spend time on webwork. Not so good considering I want to have my whole domain cleaned out and freshened up for the new year, and try to get all the websites I owe out and to the people who are owed. Christmas can take some of the blame, by the way, as it’s technically Christmas now — Happy Christmas, loves!
It’s funny because really, I don’t want to do anything, even writing this blog feels more like a moral obligation than something I want to do. It’s weird, occasionally I’ve been knows to get a bit listless in the colder months, but not this bad. I don’t know, I’ll try shoving myself around a bit.
After tomorrow I have probably got more time to write and I have two fanlistings to build, which should round out the ones I have and not lead to my applying for more unless something I would kill for hits the floor.
P.S.
Love Amber more for my layout, it is sexy as hell. Plus, give her a congrats on all the awesomeness that had been going on in Amberland of late.
No Time.
I really don’t have time to be writing this until exams are over (three to go).
However, I just thought I’d point out how STUNNING my new digs are thanks to a stunning Christmas gift from Amber! She’s also my new hostee, hosting Dark Rose on top of Empty Cage.
Love her. I demand. Any ways, back to studying, be back soon!
Motivation
Damnit, I’ll use Kubrick until I actually come up with a layout that doesn’t look like arse.
Just freaking WATCH me.
Oh, Happy Dagger
Who’s stressed?
Woo! Kae’s stressed!
Whose websites all (like every single one, baby) need serious attention and redesign so they don’t look like ass.
You’re looking at it baby!
… Yea, it’ll happen. I have been working on EC, but I really need to get my act together and dooo it. I have just been very uninspired.
P.S.
Now hosting Josephine <3
Freaking GIMP
One thing I didn’t really think about with my whole OS switch is the compatibility with my single most favourite program. Paint Shop Pro 8. I think everyone finds a graphics franchise they like and they stick to it. Which is fine, don’t get me wrong, but now I’m stuck in a bit of a pickle, I can’t design websites right now to save my life. Not that I was the graphics queen before, but this certainly hasn’t helped. I shudder to say the Magical Mystery Tour Fanlisting is finished because it looks terrible, I ripped off the Felicity Worthington layout, and stuck a new (ugly) header up there.
I’m looking at Empty cage now knowing it needs a new look and simple a lot of tender loving care that I wish I had the time and energy for. Of all my courses you’ll be pretty surprised to know that it is Latin that is kicking my ass the hardest. And beyond Empty Cage, I want to update and optimise (to the point of validation) all of my websites, and shrine them… and… and… make more. I’ve also, as I mentioned before promised websites to two other people. I feel bad that I don’t have the bug to do anything website right now. Blargh.
To be honest I don’t feel much like doing anything. I log on the internet, the hours vanish, but I just feel a bit tired of… stuff…
There you go. certified crazy. I want to just be as smart as I know I am capable of but I’m too damn lazy for it. I think I need to get more exercize, let my brain move a bit more. Make myself more alert and stuff, I felt smarter when I was in Europe and on the go.
The Missing Mistress
I have been an absolutely terrible webmistress lately, and for that I apologise to the un-viewers that I have. Normally I’m an addictive website owner, but lately I haven’t been feeling it. Not that anything will be happening to Empty Cage, I love this little domain too much for that. But sluggishness in everything should be expected.
Despite the well meant advice from Amber (I really do listen to everything you say and take all of your advice) I will be hosting some people on here. There is way more space then I could ever possibly use. I won’t have a whole page and applications and stuff, but people like Josephine and Vanessa (as well as anyone I know in life) are more than welcome to ask me for some room. Strangers can too, I suppose, but I’ll be kind of picky.
For current web projects, I’m working on a website for the UPSA (my University’s Undergraduate Philosophy Association) and Shadow RO, a Ragnarok Server I’m on. Likely these two layouts will be very similar. Then of course the Magical Mystery Tour Fanlisting. I just need to work out the details. From there it’s all about Cursed and Empty Cage.
Check out my new Linux guide though.
Welcome to the Machine.
My posting frequency has indeed been found wanting!
I’m just still getting into the whole school game. After all, this is my first time in school for a year!
Frosh
I have a lot of ‘real life’ sort of updates today (including some web ones, but let’s focus on me haha) and, despite the fact that Syd, my laptop is not yet back from the shop, I can type fairly well on this IBM, even though it sounds positively terrible. It’s on it’s last legs for sure. So, let us begin!
I have finally started school first of all, which is tons of fun in and of itself. I am officially a Philosophy student at the University of Ottawa! A grand school in our nations capital the campus is beautiful, and I’m still a bit haggard from ‘101 week’ which is what they call frosh week. I’m still a non-drinker (I hate the taste, though I have had a few drinks to keep the peace with some rambunctious drunk people), but it is so much motion, and so much meeting, that for someone like me it gets exhausting! I went to maybe half of the events.
Because I’m forcing myself not to be a social recluse here, as I usually am, my goal has been to find venues that I’m comfortable in and meet people, as well as trying to get to know people in my classes in an effort to if not find a ‘best friend’ have people that I could hang out with should I feel so inclined. So far I’ve had some moderate success in this — there’s a pretty nice looking guy in my Latin class who I talk to all the time, and a nice, albeit hyperish girl in my English class who has me in stitches the entire class.
I also try to go to the Thursday night Philosophy Discussion Groups, allowing me to observe people and their theories — this being the only venue that I drink at (if even this!) as we do hold it in the basement of a pub, and I get offered about thirty drinks a night, usually I pull what Andrew would call a ‘Sue Saunderson’ and accept one drink and nurse it all night. Normally I’d be all ‘fierce I don’t drink’ but I’m legal, and I find people get very standoffish and defensive if you just don’t drink, as if because you don’t drink you expect them to not drink. To be honest, I don’t really care too much, but it’s a subconscious thing, and I’d rather not have people be chilly towards me because of my choice. One beer over the course of about four hours once a week doesn’t really concern me too much. As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t even really count, I find I still have about half a glass by the time I leave, which someone else is more than happy to relieve me of.
Other than that, I don’t know if I mentioned on here, but I bought myself an electric guitar this summer! It’s a Seafoam Green Fender Squier, a good solid beginner’s instrument I hear, and I got it really cheap. Andrew provided an amp, and after getting some picks, a patch cord, and a headphone adaptor I find I can kill hours with it. I’m not really following a course or tutorial or taking lessons. In fact, usually I just dig up a tab, and try playing it until it sounds right. Mostly, though, I love to just sit, close my eyes and pluck the strings randomly and see what sort of sounds the thing can make, trying to come up with words for the sounds. If I didn’t have headphones I’m sure my room mate would commit suicide while I did this. Because it isn’t really music, just sound. So far my only accomplishment was finding a way to play power chords comfortably. While Dan showed me how to play them ages ago it was always a painful hyper extension for me, and I was worried my hands were simply too small for the instrument. Did I need a children’s guitar? God I would have lost it, after all, Andrew and Daniel always laugh, because I had to hold a PS2 controller with one hand hooked over the top to hit all the right buttons! Fortunately, after playing with the angle I held the instrument at, I managed to find a comfortable way to play power chords. All-in-all, I’ve really been enjoying learning to play the guitar, I’m absolute rubbish, and can only play things like ‘the intro to Daytripper, Smoke on the Water, and Smells like teen Spirit’ but it’s relaxing for me, and helping me with my goal of not always being on the internet.
My classes are all great except English. English is ‘essay writing’ and we’re currently reviewing nouns and verbs. Yes, seriously! In a University course I am learning that an adjective describes a noun. Other than that I have Philosophy Critical Thinking and Reasoning, History 1500s-1900s, Latin I, and Technical Theatre I. I’ll write more on my courses later, suffice to say, I’m in them, I enjoy them, and only two are big enough to be in lecture halls.
In my little web kingdom, I have (obviously) successfully moved hosts. My next steps involve filling the domain (still!) and changing the entry classification system (use a mix of tags and categories), moving Cursed onto a CMS so I’ll actually be inclined to update. It is my hope to get Cursed completely up-to-date with the finishing of the manga. I want it perfectly comprehensive so I can leave it alone. As well as a new layout. Next I want Loyalties to be a proper shrine, so it will likely also move onto a CMS. I’m looking at Chyrp, if anyone has any input on that. As Amber mentioned Wordpress is pretty heavy duty. Finally, Wonderland, and Enigma are my last two on my immediate to-do list.
Anyways, I do have more to add, like my need to get a job, my trials getting into a computer course, my deepest desire to take driving lessons, and how badly studying for my A+ Technician exam is going, but I need to get ready for Latin. Cheerio.
A small memorial
Rest in Peace Rick Wright.
All the best at the Great Gig in the Sky.