This site is shite.

So - on the surface this was a negative posting - but I now have the information I need. Ta! Oh and sorry TC & MB, it did infuriate me that I received no emails in response, now I know why. It's being so negative that keeps me positive.

Sorry forgot: I don't kid myself Ely that this is nothing more than vanity publishing. Now when I get my first cheque through the post; no I won't frame it even if it is for only $5 (Sorry American computer-no pound signs). No it's going straight in the bank - then I'm a proper writer. I might keep the bank statement that it appears on though. [%sig%]

?

I've always enjoyed being an improper writer...

So people can only call themselves "Proper Writers" when some publishing house sends them money, usually as a result of hitching up to the latest trend in trashy novels?? Silly boy.

as much as i greet i remember that it is still an outlet to post work. The forums can be a difficult place. Sometimes i think they can only do so much and we dont really see everything that goes behind the scenes. Maybe its something like that

An in a way. When i first started using abc i got int ouch with the office and told them iw ould try and set up a night for them. The people who run it where very amicable with me and communicated with me foir abit to sort the night out. They sent me a big parcel of flyers and posters. I was moving about the time so never got them. So i asked for more to be sent up and they did but then my life started to go a bit off and the night i was trying to arrange folded ect. This was at a cost to the site and i remember complaining about the measily £20 or £40 quid i sent. From a writers point of view it is probably one of the best places on the web to post work for various reasons, maybe, and from someone who is a bit socially excluded its ok . And from someone who is well lets just say 'going throuigh difficult times just now' and who sometimes gets theraputical releif from the site*coughs*. But anyway. But i know how you feel, thats just life playing its games.

Well your contributions are usually shite.

Jees it's free. It's not run for a profit. They're not doing it to piss you off. They're switching from one system to another without any help from you. Give them a break. [%sig%]

fatalky I can only hope you are being ironic. Or perhaps you are having a bad day. In my eyes this is the finest site on the internet. I cannot adequately put into words what a fantastic service is on offer here for so many different kinds of people, if they will only look. And as Lou has already pointed out it's free.

How do I know that they're changing from one system to another? That's my point. Information please. I'm a computer ingenue, I'm a creative writing site ingenue, I'm an ingenue, ingenue. Where have I seen, 'I'm sorry we're having a few problems please bear with us.' That changes everything. Then I know to be patient. Flash - I don't know you and I'm surprised you've taken an interest in my contributions. I must be doing something right. When I decided to become a drummer and devote my life to it, I was told 'don't give up the day job.' I ended up having to give it up (the day job) for many years, because I became professional. I.E. I'm not too concerned with what you think, Flash. But can I, with not an O or A level to my name - get published? Other than satirical, lampooning letters of the great and good to the Guardian? Watch this space!

And another one.

Despite your most unfortunate tone, fatalky, you do have a point about the lack of information for users regarding technical changes. Innuendo and hints about changes to the site aren't really very helpful and if I was a newcomer today, I'd probably not bother after a very short while. The site was not set up for homeless people, but for anyone who wants to write. Also, starting a thread called 'this site is shite', may well get you the attention you seek, but is not entirely helpful.

Very much agree Tim, a bit more information about the new upgrade (which I've heard is in progress) would be very useful as presently, the site is languishing in the doldrums somewhat.

very much agree with Lou.

But the Utterly Lovely thread, which has gone, was nice. I especially liked the bit when someone mentioned nice smelling rose water. My daugher had just that minute placed petals into a pretty bottle. It smelt lovely.

Fatalky deserves some answers, as do all users of this site. 1. ABCtales has never run a writing workshop in Kings Cross. 2. We are not crap. We have to get by on very limited resources to provide a website for creative writers and readers that is free to use. 3. We do not believe that people who render themselves homeless deserve crap. We are committed to helping them through our association with The Big Issue. 4. This site was not set up for the homeless. It was set up for readers and writers, with a commitment to help people who are homeless. 5. This site has grave technical problems, one of them being Mark Brown’s email system which is receiving only intermittently. Many emails to him have disappeared into the ether. All that being said, let me explain to everyone where we are. As John Handelaar has alluded to elsewhere in the threads, he is currently building a brand new site for us. The management of ABCtales has said nothing about this publicly because we didn’t want to raise hopes prematurely. Building and testing a website take time. We have suffered false dawns before so will not launch any new website until we are thoroughly convinced it works, provides all the functionality that we want and that we think a writers’ website should offer, and we have tested it to breaking and it has proved robust. When we have a new and efficient website online we can then set about rebuilding our community of users to the levels of a couple of years ago. That won’t happen overnight, but we will work hard to promote the new site, build the usage and then be in a position to create revenue opportunities to secure the ongoing operation and development of the site for the benefit of you users. Tony Cook is on holiday so I speak on his behalf and with his knowledge. He single-handedly funds this site at the moment. I think he deserves better than some of the current criticism. Stephen Gardiner

Hear, hear!

I am very grateful for the good work all at ABC do, especially with such limited resources But I haven't posted much in the past year or more because of the technical problems and I find uploading and site speed more hassle than it's worth. Which is a shame because I used to go to the "most recent" list and read other folk's stuff and receive lots of really helpful criticism (and compliments) about my work from others. That has gone and I use the site only for the phorums really, but I hope that the upgrade takes us back to the glory days! j

Yeh yeh yeh - I was having a bad day. What - ev - er. Tartini - I believe that this site originated from a creative writing group, out of The Big Issue. Being an ex-homeless person, that's how I originally heard about this site. There was also, at the time, talk of setting up a publishing company. Any word on that TC or MB? And why do I have to write something provocative as in this particular thread, to get information, but then only from fellow contributors, not from the people running the site? If it's too difficult TC & MB - say so, so that we know. Just a note when people log on, that you're snowed under - please be patient. Do you need volunteers? Anyway, another gripe. Why when I eventually manage to log on to my folder, do I see a set of reference numbers. If I want to edit a story I don't know which reference number to click on. Why not have titles. It just seems unecessarily clumsy. And finally - yes this is a very good site - when it works. [%sig%]

Here's a thought: why don't you find ASNOTHER way to get your writing published on the net for free? there must be loads. And if you and false Dawn don't like it you can lump it into a bucket and ride out of town. Or you could ask for a refund... oh hang on.

Fatalky, No, this site didn't originate out of a creative writing site at the Big Issue although that may be where you first heard of it. You got a response from me and I am a member of ABCtales management. Re your new gripe, as I said above, this site has grave technical problems which have proved insoluble. So we are building a new one. Stephen Gardiner General Manager and Spiritual Advisor

Thanks Stephen, that's all I wanted-information. And I'll just be patient, though that's not in my canon.

well what is in your cannon.... balls?

Oh, now you’ve conjured up Tommy and Bobby in my head! Stephen, thanks for letting us know about the building of a new site idea. There must be a gigantic amount of work that needs to be done by team members when a site is upgraded/changed, that is unseen to the writer who wonders why they can no longer edit stuff they used to be able to, and understandably may get frustrated. It’s good to know changes will be coming! [%sig%]