FF.net down

[redswordheart.livejournal.com]

This site has to be the most unreliable POS in the history of the web. It seems like it can't go even two months without going offline.

Comments

Re: This gets funny for a while...xP

[(Anonymous)]

I've actually been visiting for nearly nine years, now, and I fully agree that FFN should hold the World Record for Active Website with the Greatest Downtime Ratio. It was already having such issues even then - although it had been around for several years, already - but it didn't really hit the C***shoot it is now (in terms of both administration and the quality of user/traffic submissions) until about three years ago, when the whole thing supposedly changed hands.

The 'new' crew immediately unveiled a slew of submission regulations, many of which were applied retroactively with neither warning nor explanation, and quickly ceased the behaviour of producing accurate and reliable reports detailing unscheduled downtime and advance reports warning of downtime for upgrades and maintenance, and of sending even automated responses to support requests and reports of improperly regulated stories. The greatest majority of authors whose stories were removed then or since still have yet to receive appropriate applicable causes, and many whom persistently requested or investigated such information either were banished or closed their accounts of their own accord, with still others being told of unsubstantiated (and uninvestigated) reports of regulation infraction before being stonewalled.

Numerous 'upgrades' to various systems connected to the main database have resulted in the elimination or greatly reduced functionality of many features instigated by the previous administration and several of the few sensible features the current administration have introduced themselves, even ignoring their constant experiments with the localized search engine as they continuously debate whether it need be functional or friendly (and, perhaps, how best to infuriate those whom utilize it) without asking nor accepting input from their user-base.

Both you and the 'strawman' commentators above make mention of payment and donation, and such commentary makes me curious as to how many account-holders pay for premium membership, or are even aware that such is an option. The only additional feature that I recall offhand is a local email address, but I believe there were others whenever I closely inspected the Account pages. Oddly enough, this premium membership is one feature which I strongly recall being temporarily removed completely by both the current and previous administrations, whatever their causes.

The advertisements are another longstanding cause for dispute betwixt traffickers and administration. There used to be a selection of affiliated sites which could be located on the frontpage and (iIrc) at the bottom of all but the story pages and author profiles. Later, these were gradually eliminated from FFN as simple banner ads were installed across the top and then bottom of each page, followed by interactive banner ads and then box ads on the profile pages. Still later, frame-window advertisements similar to 'pop-ins' were added as these became popular with other websites, although FFN is the only website of my awareness which continues to ignore their near-constant incompatibility with some browsers *cough*IE*cough*. Over a duration of several months, the current administration also experimented with pop-up and pop-under advertisements, but seems to have realized the causes behind the unpopular reputations of these methods.

Before anyone asks or accuses, this information all comes from the standpoint of a frequent trafficker with no connection to either administration, although I have had minor frustrations with them and have been in contact with those whom have suffered major frustrations.

...I feel like I just wrote half an article for Wiki...somebody shoot me....

Re: This gets funny for a while...xP

[ariwazhere.livejournal.com]

Holy shit dood...O.o You did write half an article for wiki. FF.net has/had(?) a premium thing...I must be under a rock then. I feel so bad for you for going through this for nine years and you're still sticking it out. You have Ganas. I don't know about the payment thing, but I'm going by what the people on Luna do. Since Lunaescence.com is run mostly by college students who still do actually go to school, they ask users who can if they can donate. They have the little pay pal icon on the bottom of the navigation bar. And Luna has a sh*tload of Fanfiction both anime, game and other. Luna is run by college students who most likely have a sh*tload mountain of work, yet manage to keep the site running smoothly and warn you when there's gonna be downtime. The donations are used to keep the site on the server, which when they did have downtime for a few months was because they moved to a new bigger one. They said it's about $180 a month. I don't know what the admins on FF do, but if Mentally drained college students do a better job than them, then D*mn. Just D*mn. Nice article by the way. =P

Re: This gets funny for a while...xP

[hanfastolfe.livejournal.com]

I've been cruising ff.n off and on over the last decade and I've got to say, I agree with what you've written. I've seen them try so many different ways of tracking errors it's not even funny. At one point I had to WHOIS the domain and e-mail xing personally because NOTHING ELSE WORKED.

They seem to care more about adding extra doodads that don't really help. They care more about their little scene divider removers than they do about basic site functionality, as one example.

Urgh.