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QC/Filter Questions

Discussion in 'Support' started by hchan1, Jan 5, 2008.

  1. hchan1

    hchan1 Sixth Year

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2008
    Messages:
    184
    Hey,

    New site seems pretty kickin', pairs the ease of use of ff.net with some sweet new features and admins who are actually worth a damn.

    I just wanted to ask if there's any quality control involved in the site itself. As it stands right now, it's relatively obscure so the quality of fic there right now is excellent, but once it gets out it'll head the way of ff.net slowly but surely.

    Also, I know that there will be slash filters, but are they out-and-out banned? Would femmeslash fall into this category as well? I hate the cesspool of yaoi trash ff.net has become as much as anyone, but there are a few gems in there. You just have to scroll past the nasty bits before the mental scarring sets in.

    Apologies if this has been asked before, or if it's going to be in the FAQ. i is n00burger?
     
  2. Spanks

    Spanks Chief Warlock

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    Yeah, I am interested in this question. Do fics have to pass a certain quality level to be posted? Or can anyone just post whatever?
     
  3. Lord Ravenclaw

    Lord Ravenclaw DLP Overlord Admin DLP Supporter

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    If the story is awful, it will not be allowed on PatronusCharm without revisions. We're not going to be grammar nazis (ala FictionAlley), but we're not going to let just anything stay on the site. Post trash and it'll be removed.

    Slash is not out and out banned, but slash that's the main character will have a hard time passing muster. I'm still deliberating on how to deal with slash, but I may leave it if it follows quality guidelines. Honestly though, where have you seen any real good slash stories?

    I'm working on a system for 1.0.2/1.0.3 to place a story under editorial oversight if it's marked as a potentially crap story. This way, moderators will have to approve its chapters for posting. As of now, there's no formal QC or posting guidelines, but bad stories will be removed.
     
  4. Inferi

    Inferi Third Year

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    You could just have a "needs revising" button at the bottom of the chapter screen that registered users could push to bring it to admin attention. Of course that could be abused and make a lot of work for the admins, but you could just give the job to a few mods who's sole responsibility would be to respond to those complaints. That way you guys don't have to sift through all submissions like at fictionally, but just ones that get brought to your attention.
     
  5. Spanks

    Spanks Chief Warlock

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    The button idea could work, but as you said that could make a lot of work for the admins. I have idea though. With the button is also a gauge or maybe a score. Every time a person pushes the "needs revision" button the score or gauge rises. Once it reaches a certain point it is tagged for revision.
     
  6. Tehan

    Tehan Avatar of Khorne DLP Supporter

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    Meaning, if someone pushes it for a genuine reason, it's ignored at first, but if someone's being a dick, they create a few new accounts or get their friends to hit it repeatedly and admin time gets wasted immediately?

    Not the best of ideas.
     
  7. Spanks

    Spanks Chief Warlock

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    How many people do you think would actually do something like that? Not everyone thinks like an asshole as you seem to think. Sure there will be the occasional whack job, but it's a whole lot better than having hundreds of fics being tagged for revision because one person said so.
     
  8. Andro

    Andro Master of Death DLP Supporter

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    DLP folks are pretty zealous about shitty stuff. It probably wouldn't take too long for the Needs-Revision meter to hit the appropriate point.

    As for someone being a dick, I've yet to encounter someone that would go to that much effort to get a story pulled.
     
  9. Zyloch

    Zyloch Fourth Year

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    Whoever is reporting a story should need to give a reason, and their name would be logged also just to make sure he or she isn't being a dick. I think then a revision feature would be good.
     
  10. Lorelei of the Sea

    Lorelei of the Sea Unspeakable

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    Southern California
    Here's a suggestion- have a Revision Meter so the moderators' time isn't wasted because of vendettas, but don't put anything about it in the FAQ. Like Andro said, DLPers tend to jump on anything of shitty quality, and not explicitly saying there needs to be a certain number of reports to get a story looked at could at least partially eliminate people registering more accounts to report it more then once.
     
  11. Spanks

    Spanks Chief Warlock

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    Is there a way to make it so that a person using the same IP address can only flag for revision once per story? This way you won't get a person creating dozens of names to be a dickhead since it won't work for him.
     
  12. Zyloch

    Zyloch Fourth Year

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    Even better, allow each user to be able to flag a story for revision once. In that way, they can unflag it if it was just a simple mistake.

    I suppose IP address can be tracked too, but for some people, it's very easy to change an IP.
     
  13. malaga

    malaga Auror

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    Actually I have read some good slash fics...

    But yeah, quality control will be hard. Maybe a system like we have here, of reviewers? If it gets placed on your site, maybe it could be put in the "For Review" section too, and we could help yea or nay it.
     
  14. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    But the problem is that if PC were to be invaded by the slash fangirls, there would be enough of them to approve all the bad slash fics and disapprove all the good dark!Harry kick-ass fics that we like.

    Popularity alone is not enough.
     
  15. World

    World Oberstgruppenführer DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    If it comes to that, there's still the option of having moderators to kick out the shit.
     
  16. Skeletaure

    Skeletaure Magical Core Enthusiast ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    Perhaps instead of having a small team of moderators having to deal with all of it, there could be a group of "Lord Ravenclaw Approved" members, who's sole purpose is to sift through the abuse reports whenever they have time. If they see something they think is worth putting on probation or deleting, they bring it to the attention of a mod, who makes the decision.

    That way the system can't be abused by just-joined members.
     
  17. World

    World Oberstgruppenführer DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    In other words, moderators. And super-mods, if you so will.

    Although that may not really be necessary for a while.
     
  18. Lord Ravenclaw

    Lord Ravenclaw DLP Overlord Admin DLP Supporter

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    Right now, I'm so underwhelmed at all the issues I've had to deal with, I can do it all solo.
     
  19. Randeemy

    Randeemy Headmaster DLP Supporter

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    England
    Sorry for Necro-ing. But I was purusing PC and suddenly realised that their is no system of quality control. So I thought of a couple of ideas.

    I think one way to combat poor quality fics popping up is to put a minimum word length. That way people actually have to spend time writing 4K+ words to be able to post. It would certainly cut out a lot of the gash you see on FF.net that are 3000 words long and 6 chapters in.

    The other way may be for Raven to write a sort of 'mission statement' highlighting the sites commitment regarding the value in quality and originality of work to authors
     
  20. Kardikek

    Kardikek Groundskeeper

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2006
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    372
    True the 1k word chapters are annoying as hell but a warning text when you're uploading should be enough There are one shots and drabbles that are of pure win while being really short.

    Besides, adding thousands of so called cool features would be hell for the admins, the authors and the readers.