Forum:My Sojourn

Fiction Wikia, the place where you can write fiction.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Users 3 Site 4 Misc

[edit] Overview

So, I was away for quite a bit.

But I was watching you.

Which today, MightyErick pointed out on Quest. Of course, considering the ample load of hints that I dropped, both explicitly and implicitly, I should have expected someone to have made this conclusion sooner. However, the fact that it took so long indicates that most people on this site are either not paying full attention or are less intelligent/perceptive than anticipated.

I made a variety of conclusions about this site:

[edit] Users

I had realized a long time ago that people behaved differently when I contributed than when I was not around, and I wanted to see what effect my disappearance would have on regular contributors to this site. I was disappointed by some.

User:Fythring has clearly demonstrated a devotion to this site even in my absence (which greatly reduced site traffic), contributing significantly to the collection and welcoming new users. As a result I will give Fythring rollback rights. In addition, should Fythring apply for adminship, barring unusual circumstances, I will give the adminship flag.

User:Mightyerick has shown an affinity for a variety of sites of the creative hub and is in the running to be its coordinator should I resign that post. Mightyerick has also demonstrated his intelligence and insightfulness through uncovering User:Abcxyzzzz's true identity. As a preliminary reward, I will give Mightyerick rollback rights.

User:Serprex continued to use the summaries for spamming pointless comments, which clearly goes against the correct use of edit summaries, and despite repeated reminders to the contrary. Indeed, Serprex upped the spamming as a result, indicating that he is in some respects a rogue user. I believe a form of censure is now in order. I have blocked Serprex for the light duration of one day, as a warning.

[edit] Site

My sojourn has also pointed out a few things about this site:

If for any significant period of time no one contributes to this site, it temporarily dies, and the inertia to get it rolling again requires significant effort by an individual editor, as User:Abcxyzzzz's edits showed, single-handedly increasing site traffic by several hundred percent within three days. Also significant was the "withdrawal effect" that resulted when I ceased activity: site activity dropped 90% within a few days. The user base here is not very dedicated to Novelas.

Both the archives and the ratings template are neglected, revealing a tendency of users on this site to slack off and avoid work, even though doing so would improve the site, especially with updating the archives. No one took up the task of listing stories in archives in lieu of me. For that I am deeply saddened. I would have thought that more of you would be enthusiastic about the system. If any of you have input as to how to get the system to work, or have suggestions for a different system altogether, please tell me.

I also wanted to see if new fiction would be kept up do date by someone loyal to the cause. Unfortunately, User:Serprex deleted that section off the sidebar very soon after I left, indicating that he despised the idea to begin with. As a result I will probably not be ressurecting the idea.

[edit] Misc

I noticed that people noticed when I disappeared. However, that was as far as it went. No emails sent to me, not much asking about me on my user page, nothing. On the other hand, I didn't see any backstabbing or vandalism against me, for which I am thankful.

Do not ever think that I am not dedicated to Novelas. Even if I seem to cease activity for many, many days on this site, it does not mean that I have quit. You had best keep your guard up and not disappoint.

Sockpuppetry claims against me are futile. At no point have I used two accounts to vote on the same thing.

Hints I dropped included (but are not limited to):

1. YZH in the image with the balls of light;
2. That I put this image on both Novelas and Imagination;
3. That I made discrepancies regarding my signature and user name;
4. That my second appeared from nowhere with an immense knowledge of wikitext;
5. That my second advocated the same things as I did;
6. That my second posted stories with the same style and avidness as I did;
7. That my second rated stories the same way I did;
8. That my second's story fit very closely along the lines of other stories I wrote (indicating most of you did not read my stories);
9. That my second appeared in the debate with ToaBionicle on RunescapeFanFiction wiki;
10. That my second was just as avid with me about changing main pages very early on;
11. That my second used edit summaries in the same sparse style as I did;
12. That my second did not receive a message from me regarding the Idea project;
13. Both accounts worked with photoshopped images;
14. Both accounts worked with the same crude 3D graphics engine that I had developed (The Wisp article on RunescapeFanFiction wiki and the scene in a former version of my user page);
15. I ceased activity just as my second started working;
16. I did not pick up activity after traditional midterms ended over spring break;
17. The wikistat on my user page was still at 'just fine' when I ceased activity;
18. Similar vocabulary base and linguistic style;
19. Reused character names including Tel, Loiryn, Sara, etc.;
20. For those of you who have been on this site long, something about Artifact should have been a big clue.

NOTE: While using my second I adopted a persona. Therefore, the interests that my second has may not be the same as those that I actually hold. On the other hand, any ratings I gave through my second are accurate reflections.

    14:22, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

I've seen a couple people leave suddenly before. How I miss Modred and Olsdude. As for the taking off of New Fiction, I did that in while updating the hub and noted that RecentChanges is the automatically updated New Fiction. Same for the archives, Categories always seemed good enough. As for this whole plot, I find it a bit overly elaborate. But then again, I'm usually more open to blunt methods. I did at some points find ABC to be similar, but I'm sure there are many who would argue against me similar to you. As for Emailing you, I take it that if I left you would simply wave me good riddance? That being said, I in no way mean to say I had waved you good ridance, as I find you're all too often to accuse me of hiding subtle messages. And in that last one there is no subtle messageUser:Serprex23:31, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

Damm it, Yun! It's bad enough you used a sockpuppet in a strange "I'll be watching them as they don't see me" scheme worthy of bad mystery fiction. Look, you're a nice writer, and very applied to doing what you want, that I can say, you certainly is good for Novellas, and the only reason I didn't update the Archives is because I simply forgot about it, but come on, you're being more arrogant than the worse arrogance caricatures! "indicates that most people on this site are either not paying full attention or are less intelligent/perceptive than anticipated" is a case in point, excuuuse me if I wasn't smart enough to check everybody in the Internet for sockpuppeting while I try to mind my own business! (I usually just assume everybody are different aspects of the same AI and leave it at that).

Not that MightyErick doesn't deserve kudos for seeing through your ruse, but he had certain...er, advantages (like how he actually had access to the Internet during your sojourn, knew how American colleges worked, and that I, for one, would never touch stuff called "ToaBionicle" or "Rune Scape Fanfiction wikia" with a ten kilometre pole).

Usually I just give the "Roll eyes and say 'whatever' then keep going" treatment that saved my life many times in the Internet, but now you're having a hell of a "I was RIGHT everybody else is WRONG" episodes mixed with a large dose of paranoia. In the "Users" section, for instance, while giving rollback rights to Fythring and Erick is a smart move and I'd do it if I wasn't away for so long (gotta restablish credibility) and knew how to, some of your comments are just crazy:

"I will give the adminship flag [to Fythring]" and "I believe a form of censure is now in order. I have blocked Serprex for the light duration of one day, as a warning," you see, I was away for a month and didn't see you get nominated DICTATOR of our little spot in the Internet, I thought we had a community here, where stuff like that got discussed, or even VOTED, if you excuse my little silly me, and that your sole OPINION wasn't enough to block and upgrade accounts, I'm sorry for my lack of perception and intelligence.

I'm sorry if I don't see how BLOCKING a person's account is a "warning" (wouldn't a warning be something we obeyed to NOT suffer stuff like this?), and I didn't see you saying "I'm gonna block ya if ya do that again, dude!" so you can't just do tha...oh, wait, dictator, yeah, I forgot. So I expect you to at least TRY to discuss arbitrary action like that, or even maybe, you know, ACTUALLY WARN the victim next time you get a paranoia episode "Mr. they don't write on Novellas while I'm not watching, gotta pretend I'm not watching and watch, yes, YES! They will get what's coming to them" (Now that's a long name). And perhaps this kind of crap has something to do with the reason for "No emails sent to me, not much asking about me on my user page, nothing," wouldn't you agree?

Also, I hope you don't mind me unblocking Serp due to the aforementioned lack of warning. --Nonimportant 23:59, 27 March 2008 (UTC)

While I must say Nonimportant articulated much for me, I will correct that I have been warned of blocking a few times so I know Yunz was just waiting to pull the trigger on that. Then again, I recall him agreeing that blocking me when I wasn't an open threat would be silly. But whatever, that block is kinda null anywaysUser:Serprex00:04, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

Greetings Nonimportant,

It is always possible to phrase things in such a way that make people look really bad. It is always possible to flame people when one is swamped by the realization one would have gotten from above article. However, it is also possible to calm yourself down a bit. That said, let me explain some of my actions.

I never had the pretense of being a dictator. It would not be fair for you to accuse me of such. With regards to my statements regarding Fythring, it means that I am throwing my support behind someone's future nomination - which is common in American politics. Seeing as I am the only active bureaucrat on this site, it would only make sense for me to grant admin flags. Of course, I will see to it that due diligence is done - that Fythring gets a majority of votes - before I do so. I understand where you are coming from with your argument, Nonimportant, seeing as how you don't owe your adminship status to my actions even though by then I was already a bureaucrat. However, that is not an excuse to attack me - and my opinions - so vehemently. On the other hand, I do consider myself has having a big influence on Novelas over the past two years, enough so that I consider myself its patriarch. I suppose that might have gotten to me, especially in light of how lethargic the community often is.

As for Serprex's actions, warning had already been given through Abc's comments, and Serprex merely taunted it and proceeded to flaunt it. Additionally, the block was a warning because it had IP autoblocking deactivated, so Serprex's access to the site was by no means restricted. I originally hoped that it would be enough to get him to stop, but he continues to refuse. By now he has been warned four times.

Please do not take any of the above comments as a personal attack. I realize that you have only recently returned to this site, and I of course would not have expected you to uncover the truth. However, if you and others allow yourselves to speak with abandon and at times accuse or even flame others, then it would be hypocritical to deny me the right to speak freely also, which you have just attempted to do. And no one said I couldn't do what I have been doing for the past month.

I value everyone on this site and mean no harm to any of you. It would be saddening to see this site fall apart from such a petty debate.

Sincerely,    00:23, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

Sure, "Mr. Patriarch" (way shorter, but still funny), never denied your right of reply, neither did I mean to attack your character, only said you were acting crazy. But nah, I'd never leave until I got thrown outta the window with a vengeance (my lack of edits yesterday can be explained with mere two words: Shadow Hearts). And I was in a bad mood already that day (couldn't even write anything besides that rant, meh), and your trick was only the feather on the camel's ba...Uh, the relatively heavy weight on the camel's back. Besides, too much time and too little Internet got me gritty. Gritty like a bat...or perhaps a molerat. --Nonimportant 21:51, 29 March 2008 (UTC)

... *Sneezes at the confusing language above*    22:01, 29 March 2008 (UTC)