Focus on ... GeoCities?

[meg_r]

So, can we do this Focus thing? And can we make it on GeoCities sites, soon to be lost and gone forever?

We now have a list of over 350 sites!

It includes: archives, recslists, awards, fan clubs, episode guides, newbie intros, general resource pages! Dozens of fandoms! Surely everyone can find something worth fanloring in there?

The list is here (or try hxxp://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AtkQF_DFcuILdGswaXRqdkVfekNLdVNXc0o5YzFVSFE&hl=en_GB -change xx to tt; since sometimes it only seems to work when copy & pasted, god, IDEK, okay?)

I've been told it looks intimidating, but it's just a list, I swear. There are some tips for using it on the second sheet (down the bottom, under Tips for using the spreadsheet), but really: add new sites to the bottom; add "Yes" against an entry when you've fanlored it; that's about all there is to it.

For access, just comment with an email address.

Sites which have been fanlored so far are listed here (some are still stubs, obviously). Archives and resource pages are being fanlored under the site name (i.e. Karen's Deepwater or Bend it Like Beckham Archive); single author pages are mostly being added under the author's name, (i.e. Alassenya or Anam).

This is our fannish history, and that's what Fanlore's all about, right?

Comments

[meg_r]

Oh, that looks very useful, thank you!

[meg_r]

Access granted!

No, it's not a category. Most of them are going under Websites or Archives (I changed the Joey/Chandler page to an archive profile template, which I am assuming is the one you meant!)

If you have a look at some of the more filled out of the existing pages (http://fanlore.org/wiki/Special:Whatlinkshere/GeoCities_Rescue_Project), you can see how they are structured (they all link back to that list because they all have an internal wikilink to [[GeoCities Rescue Project]]. I added one to the J/C page so you can see what I mean).

I think I would probably structure it a bit like this one? With a brief overview/quote from the archivist, list of authors, mention the other stuff on the site - the episode guides, photos and photomanips etc - and a screenshot of the front page. As much as you think is interesting, basically.

But I don't think you should worry too much about structure; just get the information up there and if someone else doesn't like how you organised it, they can change it ;}.

[meg_r]

Ahahaha, sorry for my "Here Is How You Use A Wiki" overview then!

[aethel]

I second the motion!

Also, for our convenience, endangered Due South pages are listed on the fandom page. The Sentinel is getting organized, too. I don't know about other fandoms...

Incidentally, I found a Sherlock Holmes site:
http://www.geocities.com/shcases221b/html/index.html

[meg_r]

I added all the due South pages from there the other day, but if new ones are being added, I, uh. gah. I'll try and remember to keep an eye out, unless whoever is adding them would like to add them directly to the list, not that i'm begging or anything, god, please.

We already have approximately 5 million Sentinel sites, but I'll double check we didn't miss any! For a fandom with two awesome central archives, Sentinal was weirdly Geocities-centric.

Oh, I think that Sherlock Holmes one is all his canon work? Although it is obviously a fan site all the same, I have no idea whether or not it counts. Huh. I will add it for now anyway, thanks.

[aethel]

Nothing's been added to the dS list; I just find it easier to scroll through than the master monster list.

I wonder if we can make the process easier by splitting up responsibility by fandom--fans who were actually around in the 90s/early 00s and using particular GeoCities sites would be able to add more context and have a better idea of what sites might be missing from the list. I don't want to make your list longer, but it seems like Buffy and Xena are underrepresented (although they migh be filed under "various").

[meg_r]

The List - I have begun to capitalise it - is currently sorted by fandom, which I hoped would make it easier for people to find what they were looking for, but it is still a bit unwieldy. well, a lot. And honestly, I would happily devolve responsibility onto anyone wishing to take it, but we're not exactly being overrun with volunteers.

You needn't worry about making the list longer; if someone cares enough to save it, we'll tack it on. Various just stands for: writes in too many fandoms to list (or: I was too tired to list them).

You can search for a particular fandom by googling site:geocities.com [fandom]. Fair warning though, it is quite difficult to stop once you start. I got up to page 25 on X-Men the other day.

[aethel]

I couldn't help myself. I googled Xena. Add me to the google spreadsheet? aethel @ gmail dot com

[meg_r]

\o/ Added!

[morgandawn]

Heya, I'd love top be added to the google spreadsheet. I also have a screenshot of the Due South Fraser Torture Archive that is now offline.
morgandawn @gmail.com

[meg_r]

Awesome! Added.

[morgandawn]

this is a much better way to capture data and images quickly than requiring that we add it all to the fanlore page.

is there a shared folder where we can upload our jpgs/screenshots? we cannot upload them to fanlore until the websites have their own pages 9or rather we can but no one will be able to find them)

[meg_r]

I think some people have just been throwing up stubs and screencaps, and leaving the rest, but a shared folder would definitely be useful. Just hold onto them for now? And name them carefully ;}! We'll have to think what's the best way to deal with them.

\o/

[francescacoppa]

This is awesome, Meg, thank you--I just did a pointer to this post from OTW blog, OTW_news etc.

If you could emphasize, also--if you want, take a chance on emailing the authors, archivist, or site admin and remind them that *they can also totally have Archive accounts!* Not that fanloring isn't awesome, but we also want to preserve the fic ESPECIALLY if its not preserved elsewhere, and for that we need SOME RESPONSIBLE PARTY (like I said, the site owner or admin will do) to contact Open Doors and make the request:

http://transformativeworks.org/contact/open%20doors

Re: \o/

[meg_r]

Thanks, I was going to ask if someone could do a pointer. There is a note on the spreadsheet about contacting people. I'll try and emphasise it a bit more, but people are doing it, I can see them!

[onceamy]

*frustrated*

People keep over writing my edits on your spreadsheet—it's happened twice now!

I'm quite disappointed, my fandoms might not be XF and Highlander, but that does not mean that YOU GET TO OVERWRITE MY ADDITIONS. RARGH.

[meg_r]

I'm sorry! I cannot imagine it's on purpose, but how frustrating. Perhaps that huge block of XF sites was just C&P in, demolishing all in it's path? I hope you won't be put off because geez, how many more can there possibly be?! I added a note about being more careful to the spreadsheet.

[onceamy]

Ah, that's probably it.

I'll deal - it just felt like a personal attack. *paranoid*

[anenko]

We should probably try to promote the GRP on a high traffic community like metafandom/fanficrants/fandomsecrets/etc. The project is probably on topic for metafandom, and we might squeak onto the other sites with some begging.

ETA: I just dropped off a comment at metafandom and femslash_today. We'll see what happens!

[meg_r]

Awesome. I sent a message to a bunch of newsletter comms, but not metafandom.

[fannishmuffin]

How do we feel about using SiteSucker to preserve content (maybe just offline?) in case contact attempts fail?

[meg_r]

Well, personally, I feel that a person can save whatever they want to their own harddrive, and I've certainly saved a few stories to mine, but I don't think we can really do it as part of the project.

[anenko]

Has this site already been pointed out? I can't keep track anymore!

http://fandomonium.net/index.php?showtopic=9249 (X-Files, personal and multi-author sites).

Gosh, I feel all industrious

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

My email address so I can add a couple entries to list*
mithrilspork AT gmail DOT com

*assuming you want sites entered onto The List for which Fanlore entries have already been created.

P.S. Today I:
-- learned of Fanlore through FF_Press@Livejournal
-- learned how to create a Wiki entry
-- learned how to make screencaps
-- transfered my Geocities fansite to a new domain to save it
-- downloaded another Geocities fansite whose archivist has vanished from fandom
-- emailed 7 out of 8 artists whose fanwork is ONLY hosted on the abandoned Geocities site, asking permission to host their work
-- created Fanlore Wiki entries for my site and the abandoned site, plus a pairing entry

Which just goes to show you that the smaller the fandom, the more likely it is to have an obsessive compulsive archivist (because it's easier to catalog the entire fandom!)

Re: Gosh, I feel all industrious

[meg_r]

Brilliant! That is way more than I've achieved this week ;). I've added you. Please read the tips on the second sheet before you get stuck in.

Re: Gosh, I feel all industrious

[auronlu.livejournal.com]

Will do, and thank you for making these resources available!