Dear Readers,
This is very hard for me, but before I get to the difficult part, I want to announce the newest chapters of Angharad’s ongoing paranormal adventure story “ SNAFU” and the next chapter of Melanie Brown’s “Reluctant Prom Date”. I want to publicly thank Angharad and Melanie for continuing to send their new chapters to Sapphire’s Place, even though I haven’t been updating the site regularly.
I guess I better get on to the hard part… It’s been almost 5 months since the last update, and at THAT time I was “planning” on regular updates…but too much has happened since then.
First, I attempted to update the site with the newest scripting language, like some of the other newer site, making Sapphire’s Place easer to maintain and update… and here where things started to go downhill.
I have been involved with PC’s for over 30 years, and am a certified network engineer with more certifications ( and initials ) then I care to type out, and have been creating and managing all sorts of websites for almost as long as the web has been in existence — in fact, Sapphire’s Place started off as the first non-password protected/hidden TG Story archive on the internet. We have been one of the premiere TG fiction sites, launching some of the best authors in the history of our community. All those years I did everything by myself. But, lately I’ve hit a wall — even with all that experience, these scripting sites make no sense at all to me, and my constantly hitting my head against the wall has broken me. In my thirty years I have never hit a computer problem I couldn’t solve — until now.
But it didn’t end there, as I was I was failing on the redesign of Sapphire’s Place, I started having major equipment failures, everything from my external backup hard drive to both my monitor and video card. It has gotten to the point that I dreaded sitting down to the system to even do day-to-day chores and or surfing. I took me months to save up the funds to replace the graphics card and the monitor. It got to the point that I was so far behind that I couldn’t bear to work on the site anymore.
I’m burnt out, big time. I can’t do this anymore… I need to take some major time off without having to stare at the back-log of working on the site. Also, because it’s taken me so long that the authors have not been sending me the new chapters or new stories anymore ( with the exception of Angharad and Melanie, as mentioned already ) .
I am NOT going to shut Sapphire’s Place down, and I will continue to pay for the site, but I need a couple of people to take the site over while I recharge and recover — which may take a couple of years. I am NOT just looking for some temp replacements, but I am looking for some ongoing Partners. The new editors and site web-masters would NOT be asked to assume ANY financial burden, just the day to day operations of the site, and the yahoo mailing list. I figure that maybe two or three people to spread the workload among them, and to gain a broader range of skill sets.
I am also hoping that with the site “ under new management” that the authors that have taken exception my delays and failures would once again start sending their work in to the new team, once again making Sapphire’s Place the shining star of the community.
So… I’m posting this open letter to other sites, rather than to just my own. This has been hard for me to even consider this move, as opposed to just calling it quits and shutting the whole thing down. I have been corresponding to a couple of people about how I have been feeling, and one generous person has offered to help take up the burden of Sapphire’s Place, if she was not alone, as she is NOT the expert that the site needs.
So… the fate of Sapphire’s Place is in the community’s hands, and here I site hoping and praying that the “Calvary “ is on the way.
I want to thank everyone who has supported me and Sapphire’s Place throughout the years, the friends and relationships I have gained, you are in my thoughts, and I also hope that I have not been such a huge disappointment that we have used up all your good-will.
Sapphire
( [email protected] )
Ps: please uses Sapphire’s Place in the subject field if you are replying to this, as I don’t want to miss any one of them.
Comments
I've sent an email
I'd be happy to either take over as webmistress or assist whoever does takeover.
Sapphire's and the TG mailing list are important community resources and Sapphire is one of the online communities founders. I'm sure there will be other volunteers.
Take the time off you need Sapphire and many of us here will be ready to help.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
The Wall and Sapphire's Place
It has been my experience that when repeatedly bumping your head up against a wall, the wall wins. It may seem like a loss, but in admitting you need the help of other people you are actually a winner as often the sum is greater than the parts. I have no skills that would be of use to you, except to wish you and your yet-to-be-recuited team all the best.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and thanks to all those friends who will step in to help.
m
They know they can survive
Sapphire, a precious gemstone...I remember
...I was a graduate student at a major faith-based university, with all the internet privileges and responsibilities. Confusion and doubt and guilt and shame plagued me then, and they sometimes rear their ugly heads just to let me know they're still around. I was doing research and analysis and homework for my psych degree and lo and behold, I came upon a site with lovely flowing pink satin as a background. I knew in some way that I was transgendered...settled somewhat as you can expect merely by my being here, I suppose. But what was Transgender Fiction? I knew that Sapphire was a precious gem, so I looked inside. Mmm...links to other sites, some of which no longer exist. And stories...well, I like to read; my favorite pasttime...What's this? "The Reluctant Girlfriend?" I wondered what it could be? Almost fifteen years later, and that timid grad student who had risked identification through the university IT department now sits happily at a computer writing stories of guys who want to dress like girls, guys who want to be girls, some girls who used to be guys....all because of one little visit to a web site while cautiously looking over my shoulder. I hope that you are able to gain the strength and relief you vitally require, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me in no small part to take my first step. Thank you so much and God bless. Andrea Lena DiMaggio
She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Possa Dio riccamente vi benedica, tutto il mio amore, Andrea
Love, Andrea Lena
Sapphire,
I myself have enjoyed reading the stories that you have posted at your site. I hope that you find the help that you need and that they can bring back the original authors and bring in more as well.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Sapphire’s Place
Sapphire,
I agree with all the sentiments above. I can't really help with the site, I only know hardware - but I wish you had let it be known that you needed new equipment, I have stuff lying around that I'm too lazy to put on ebay - I can't contribute cash, but I would have been happy to send you some of the things I've been meaning to sell. In fact, that offer still stands, just let me know. (But if you want a CRT monitor, someone else will have to pay for shipping)
Bob
Sometimes you're the ball, sometimes you're the bat...rarely, you get to be the glove - try hard not to drop the ball.
Sometimes you're the ball, sometimes you're the bat...rarely, you get to be the glove - try hard not to drop the ball.
Hugs, Condolences, And Support
I am one of those readers who was a bit heartbroken when Sapphireplace kind of hit the wall and the updates stopped. It was my most favorite of all the sites. I loved your selection of authors and your taste in stories. I still do. I'll always be grateful for introducing me to the way a quality tg fiction site could be.
I'm sorry it was such a burden, but I truly understand what happened. Once you built a site on a labor-intensive platform, it was almost impossible to migrate out of it. As a former systems professional, I've seen much bigger operations than a one-woman website find themselves in similarly expensive pickles. Even with virtually unlimited funds to buy their way out holes like that, it rarely went smoothly.
I was burdened with a similar situation to yours, a large and active mailing list with a niche audience, for a hobby that was just consuming too much of my time. I let it slide, virtually unmanaged for a few years before asking someone to take it over for me and the community. It was one of the hardest things I ever did, to admit I couldn't handle it myself, and to hand over something I built to someone else. OTOH, the sense of guilt was lifted, and I realized what a heavy weight it had been on my heart. You're doing a great thing, hon, not just for the community, but for yourself.
I hope you can find someone not only to take on the day-to-day management of the current site, but maybe also some budding techgeeks who would want to take on a separate project to migrate the whole shebang to a Content Management System that would be easier to operate, much as Top Shelf runs on Drupal (except maybe something a bit simpler, more stable and not always being upgraded. :-) On top of that, maybe you could move your operation to one of the less expensive hosting services instead of bearing the expense of running your own show from scratch.
I'll always have a special place in my heart for Sapphireplace, and I look forward to its rejuvenation!
I first discovered
Sapphire's Place when I started transitioning. It was a great comfort to me (besides having lots of good stories to read!) and helped me feel less alone. It wasn't until I'd read dozens, if not hundreds, of stories there that I discovered Big Closet. I haven't been there much lately, but I still check in from time to time. I think it's a good idea to take a break and let someone else take over for a while. I'd help myself, but my website design/maintenance knowledge is woefully lacking, and I'm ever so flakey, too! ;)
Good luck, and get some rest!
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America