A Brain Wave, or some not-so-crystal-clear thoughts

Author:

Roberta J Cabot

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* Crystal's picture is from Crystal's Story Site

A Sudden Brainwave, or
some not so crystal clear thoughts

I think I mentioned in some of the stuff I uploaded here that the first story I ever posted on the internet I posted in Crystal's Story Site. It took years of getting up the nerve to even try posting (yes, indeed - years), and when I did, I decided to post it in Crystal's website, and only later did I also post them here in BCTS, where they eventually found a good home. I'm sure many had the same kind of experience, and, like me, the first site they ever posted in surely had special meaning to them, just like all the "firsts" that people go through. So, for me, StorySite is special. Besides, StorySite is one of the pioneer websites among the TS/TG communities on the internet. If just for this, it should be thought of as special.

However, almost two years ago, with the loss of Ave's services, Crystal's site stopped accepting new posts. Thankfully, though, the site is still up, though static now, and people can still read the thousands of stories that were uploaded prior to this event. In fact, it's CyberBoard is still running and accepting messages up to now.

Unfortunately, I was one of the unlucky ones whose stories were not archived properly, and now they cannot be seen in the static StorySite lists anymore, even though the Reader Comments for my stories can still be seen. Good thing I posted them in BCTS as well.

Anyway...

Erin has been posting regular updates about the rescue project they are doing to revive or resuscitate Bob's sites and links, and perhaps put up an organization to make it easier for them to keep these sites, as well as BC and its sister sites, up and running.

I was therefore wondering if...

It would be a good idea to include, in this "association" of managed sites, Crystal's site.

I am sure there are lots of considerations, and pros and cons for this idea, but I thought it worth it to have it out there so people can discuss. I am not suggesting this is necessarily a good idea, but maybe it's a good-enough idea for discussion.

Like I said, there surely are considerations to be thought of, the most important of these being - (1) will the BCTS/Stardust Network think that this is worth pursuing, and (2) if Crystal will even agree to this. Crystal will surely have some proprietary feelings towards her site (and rightly so, since it is her site after all). Also, Crystal has said that an effort to revive the site is underway: how will this affect Crystal's revival project?

There will also be technical difficulties, I am sure, as well as difficulties relating to legal, ownership and site management matters. So it will not be an easy project.

Still, maybe it's worth it to discuss the idea?

What do you think, guys?

To see Bobbie's blogposts, click this link:   http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/blog/bobbie-c
To see Bobbie's stories in BCTS, click this link:   http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/14775/roberta-j-cabot
To see Bobbie's Family Girl Blogs, click this link: http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/28818/family-girl-blogs
To see Bobbie's old Working Girl Blogs, click this link:   http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/19261/working-girl-blogs

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Storysite

Storysite is hosted on one of Piper's servers so it will be moved to one of the new group of QnEZ, LLC servers. The management however will still be up to Crystal.

Hugs,
Erin

= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.

One server?

I thought Storysite had been split into two complementary sites, based at different locations? I had some of my stuff here reposted on StorySiteTwo when StorySite was down for reworking, but even that has stalled now.

It's a great shame that the website design turned out to be a turkey. I'm talking about the underlying mechanisms, now, not the graphic layout and GUI which was reasonable. I understand a whole lot of hand-coding was involved, and that can get nasty as a site scales.

It's a shame it has come to this. I am not in favor of the Single Point of Failure; the more TG websites that exist the better.

Penny

Crystal's was the first TG site I ever visited ...

... after finding out from a one time student about the genre, and for that matter, about transgender and realizing it meant ME, too, just over 10 years ago. The student wanted me to look over a story she wanted to post.

She had been a boy, when I had worked with her 4-5 years earlier, or so she presented herself in the emails we exchanged. When 'He' was 18, 'he' could ask for direct contact, and did, startling me when SHE emailed me after getting permission. She had an accepting family with plenty of money, so she'd already had SRS when she contacted me, before her 19th birthday.

I learned a lot by reading the stories, and sorting the wheat, ( stories that explained things ), from the chaff, ( wishful thinking and out and out fantasy.

I learned enough, after 57 years, to know what to look for to learn more. I pretty much held off for 2 more years, until mt wife was gone.

Boy, what a whirlwind the next few years were.

Crystal was the first site operator I ever contacted,, about the conclusion of her story, "I Can't Go Home Like this", where part 65 was posted in August of 2002.

She indicated that the final 5 parts would be posted, 'soon'. I hope soon arrives someday.

Holly

Itâ€™s not given to anyone to have no regrets; only to decide, through the choices we make, which regrets weâ€™ll have,
David Weber â€“ In Fury Born

Holly

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

Holly