A bit of unofficial Althanas research

[Storm Veritas]

Breaker hit the nail on the head. When I first came here in 2007 or 2008 Althanas was first and foremost a "writing workshop"; a game that lied under a place where people could go and get BETTER at writing. For me, it burned like hell at first, because better writers than me pointed out things I was doing wrong and my score reflected elements of laziness and ignorance. I learned more about editing effort, writing styles, mistakes I was making, and got better. I still have an awful lot to learn.

Other people use the site for different means, and that's fine too. I do wish that more people submitted judgments to continue to improve as writers rather than just accelerate the in character development of their accounts, but I've learned to live and let live there. By allowing both options, the community is probably stronger as a whole.

[Lye]

Thank god, I didn't word this poll. Y'all might have pitchforks and molotovs outside. Interesting poll idea. Nice to see some variety in who voted for what as well.

I personally remember Althanas as that elitist site. That was a time where PGs required certain score metrics to join. Then again, it was also infinitely easier to net an 80 than today. Frankly, I'm glad to see us pull away from that mentality a bit. Even though we're starting to adapt a more casual writing atmosphere, I feel the caliber of our members still drive personal expectations toward improvement rather than nonsensical storytelling.

I feel that at the present, we have a balanced representation of writing styles. Only excluding the bare bones "chat style" role play. Which, can be quite wild and problematic. Do you remember AOL RP chat rooms? I do, and no quantity of liquor can make it go away.

[Garron]

I agree fully on all of that, Shin.

[Garron]

Only excluding the bare bones "chat style" role play. Which, can be quite wild and problematic. Do you remember AOL RP chat rooms? I do, and no quantity of liquor can make it go away.

Yes! I remember the old days of chat room RP! You're right about no amount of liquor can make it go away. xD It's where the love of writing creatively all started for me, though. Then it was writing character sheets, stories, story posts, battles and feedback in blogs, then it was on to forums. What a ride it's been.

[darkest.desires.]

Coming from someone that personally absolutely love this site for me it’s a little bit of all the options. I, myself know how intimidating it can be to submit your work for judgement. I love constructive criticism but also do sometimes take things personally. (Breaker, love ya babes for dealing with my emotional self haha.) For me I am a very weak technical writer, I focus more on descriptive elements then punctuation and grammar which hurts me. So I see where everyone is coming from but I don’t think the option was aggressive at all that Chris put.

I do feel that the site should get back to more workshops and also focusing on quality of the threads but sometimes you get an idea and run wild with it. I know I am bad at once I post on the site I don’t go back and read through and edit. I also miss the big threads that we all did together like Breaker posted above. I haven’t really seen any here since I have been back which is sad because that’s also how people branch out and explore other people in an open atmosphere. Hell thoughts what started Breaker and McKinley.

I love you all and I don’t think this poll should be taken personal.

[Philomel]

I think Althanas is what people want it to be, and if people are getting some good out of it, that is what is important. It is important in the foremost that people are here because they want to be, not because they feel any pressure or anything.

For me, it is a place to improve your writing, and that is what I would love people to see it as. I chose the second option, because that is what it is to me. For those who purely see it as a place to write some fun things, and not particuarly improve, I would say that that is okay, as everyone is individual. We still, though, clearly have a large group of people, the majority, it seems from the poll, who are here to improve their writing in some way (whether alongside writing for fun or purely to improve) and that is really encouraging as that is what Althanas was originally intended to do. That is why we have our unique rubric. For those who are here just to have fun writing - I say that there is no shame in that at all. Just remember that there are people who are here to write for improvement sake, and for those people to remember that there are folk here who are here just for fun.

We are all different people, I think is what I am saying. Yes, the majority of us seem to be heading towards wanting to improve writing moreover or equal to writing for fun.

Honestly, this site comes in peaks and troughs. We go through times of little to no activity, then huge surges like we seem to be now. I love this site, love the community and everyone in it. I think this poll was great in finding out what the majority of folk want from the site, but also helped to reveal what others think of it too, and has given us some really valuable insight.

Thank you for everyone who has made comments.

Everyone now have some Headbutt that Philomel made especially for you.

[Briarheart]

I tried to write a thread that would've forced canon-killed all sexual desire on the site so you wouldn't have to see smut threads anymore, but I was told it wouldn't get approved. So I did my part.

[darkest.desires.]

I tried to write a thread that would've forced canon-killed all sexual desire on the site so you wouldn't have to see smut threads anymore, but I was told it wouldn't get approved. So I did my part.

As someone that writes a lot of the smut threads on this site, you stick to what you are good at. I am a lover not a fighter, Andy don't try and change me! -insert over dramatic girl sobbing here.-

[Eteri]

Things change, and I've never been afraid of change on any level. But this isn't change - this is eradication of our identity on an industrial scale. I don't prefer one style of content to another as long as its creative and free thinking. I just don't think smut for the sake of smut qualifies.

Honestly;

It sounds like you really don't like smut threads or threads that contain sexual content. Which is fine; but if its an issue that is affecting the site you can either limit it; or put threads that are purely smut in their own section where they gain less exp?

I personally, when I write smut tend to also throw in a lot of story into it too: there's only been one time where it was pure smut and I personally wouldn't mind it going into like a 'after dark' section of the forum or whatever, and getting less exp for it. That way people can still write all the dirty deeds they want, but it won't be on the main section or the main focus of the site

Exactly, and we're giving people a 65 score for it. Some people don't even have to pay the AP. Bargain.

I see no smut threads in the Workshop? I see one M rated thread, and that isn't smut its got some gore in it but thats it.
And its up to the rp people who pays what AP, if someone with more AP is willing to use it then by all means let them.

[darkest.desires.]

Honestly;

It sounds like you really don't like smut threads or threads that contain sexual content. Which is fine; but if its an issue that is affecting the site you can either limit it; or put threads that are purely smut in their own section where they gain less exp?

I personally, when I write smut tend to also throw in a lot of story into it too: there's only been one time where it was pure smut and I personally wouldn't mind it going into like a 'after dark' section of the forum or whatever, and getting less exp for it. That way people can still write all the dirty deeds they want, but it won't be on the main section or the main focus of the site


I see no smut threads in the Workshop? I see one M rated thread, and that isn't smut its got some gore in it but thats it.
And its up to the rp people who pays what AP, if someone with more AP is willing to use it then by all means let them.

I agree to this a lot. If people don’t like smut then don’t read it. It’s what I am personally good at and also enjoy so I will continue to write it but if it does bother people so much, maybe it should be put in its own section. I am actually shocked with how much smut threads are causing an up roar. To each their own.