Hello everyone! Well, I'm sure you lot don't need reminding, so as we all very well know, the final installment of the Harry Potter series comes out July 21. *Allows pause for site-wide squee'ing* Naturally, we here at MNFF are hard at work preparing for said release, and we've recently decided precisely how we'll be handling it. Please read carefully, as we cannot stress enough how fundamentally crucial this information is to both authors and readers alike.
A separate but very similar policy for our Beta Forums is still being ironed out, but we feel confident in saying that the forums will remain open (even when the queue is closed between the 19th and 23rd) in some capacity. We'll be reporting the full details on that very shortly, so stay tuned.
In closing, we urge everyone to exercise caution and compassion throughout and following the upcoming release of Deathly Hallows; not just here at MuggleNet, but wherever you might go, on-line or otherwise. We enjoy a good laugh as much as the next person, but please realize that spoiling the end of a long-lived series such as Harry Potter for fans who've spent years waiting for the end is anything but funny. It is only rude, hurtful, and a terribly pitiful display of immaturity. For those who would not even consider spoiling the book for someone else (because we know the great majority of you never would): we beg that you pay extra close attention in all your communications on MNFF so that you do not unintentionally let a secret slip. Furthermore, while we will do everything in our power to keep the secrets of the last book safe and off our site, it is perfectly possible that something might slip through the cracks before we catch it. As such, we advise that anyone who has not finished the book and is truly worried about being spoiled, simply not visit ours or any other Harry Potter related site until you have, indeed, finished it.
As always, thank you all for taking the time to read this extensive post. Please do not hesitate to contact one of us with any questions, comments, or concerns you might have. Happy writing!
I’m sorry if I offended anyone by pointing out that the average time for the review process of an H/Hr romance is twice as long as for homosexual pairings, but I believe my statistical analysis would stand up to scrutiny. Analysis of posting times for one-chapter stories is an easy process. The raw data is taken directly from MNFF title postings and I would be happy to explain how I determined the average posting times. While I have not applied my analytical method to determine the average posting times of all categories: historical, mystery, dark angsty, etc. I think the method could be a useful tool for site administrators to keep track of posting times, because if you know there is a problem in one or two areas, then you can take steps to correct those inequities. I find it a bit rude that you would attack my analytical methods, using inflammatory words like "scaremongering", without taking the time to understand the method. I certainly do not want to spoil DH for anyone, nor do I want to be told how it ends before I get a chance to read it. But the marvelous thing about JKRs writing is that knowing the end does not ruin the books, they are as much fun to read a second or third time as they are the first time. And by the way, I’d much rather spend my hobby time posting new chapters or responding to reviews than doing a statistical analysis. However, I can’t submit the third chapter of my new story until the second chapter is posted and it’s been in the queue for 35 days now.
King, believe it or not we do have systems in place to ensure fictions do not get left behind. We have our own statistics that we all make reference to to ensure that no category gets badly backed up and that there are no seriously outstanding fictions in the queue. We pull these statistics from the highly accurate action log of the site and from the current status of the queue. Our authors do not need this information because they should know that if they have a story that has been in the queue for more than a week they can contact us. As of this date there are no fictions in queue that are 35 days old. You have one fiction in the queue dated 25/6/07. Now, unless my maths is faulty - and I don't think it is - that's not 35 days. Your grievance with this chapter could be easily solved by contacting the moderator of that category. There was no need for you to do analysis. You have only, apparently, looked at one-shots. One-shots are not the only stories submitted to site. And comparing the speed of put through for H/HR to the SSP cats does not really bear comparison unless you factor in the quantity submitted to both categories over a given period of time. H/Hr gets more submissions than SSP. Either way, I'm truly sorry you feel affronted by my response, but you would be better off spending your time writing than undertaking analysis that is unneccesary and one-sided without the benefit of all the information. I suggest that if you want to resond to this you do so via email as I don't feel this discussion belongs here at all. Ultimately we ask our authors to trust us to look after their submissions in a timely manner, and I think for the most part we do just that.
King, I don't believe this is either the time or the place for this discussion. If you have a problem with the length of time your chapter may have been in queue, please contact the moderator in charge of the category (click on Staff in the left column and you will be able to determine who that is). I'm sorry you felt the need to waste so much time compiling your statistics, but I assure you, in the future it will be easier to drop an email to your moderator.
Additionally, my email is phoenixmnff@hotmail.com if you would like to follow up on this matter appropriately, meaning in private, not in the comments for the DH release policies. Thank you.
What really seems to be "scaremongering" is the rules mods are trying to enforce regarding DH spoilers; deleting an account (for spoiler posting) is one thing blocking viewing of any and all parts is another. You do realize at least one person will accidentally post something deemed a spoiler?
Regardless of the accuracy of king's statistics I have to applaud them for trying to alert people to something that is need to know, especially now with the stakes so high. Right or wrong, if it does nothing else, it creates an awareness for users and moderators. Subsequent comments were also informational I had no idea what the guide time was or that after that time you could contact a moderator. I also have to agree with king that it is a bit rude to use words like "scaremongering" in light of the policies moderators have chosen to adopt; It would also seem uncalled for considering the goal should be to keep this sites readership and authorship as the site would not exist without it, something I hope the mods do not come to realize when they have to pull accounts for violation and angry e-mail start pouring in from those wanting to read their favorite fan fic in and/ or people start taking their readership elsewhere. Oh and just because 99% of authors decide to tolerate something or don't say something about an issue doesn't mean they wouldn't like to change it.
MNFF moderators strive to have all chapters moderated within one week of submission. Ten days is the maximum a chapter will sit in a category until it is "swept" away by a mod not assigned to the category. All mods work in General, D/A, and Humor. Category specific mods are listed on the staff page (again by clicking staff in the left hand column). All mods are accessible to the authors. There is a contact button for a reason. Again, my email is phoenixmnff@hotmail.com. Mods can't address issues they don't know exist. Keeping silent on your opinions does not give you the right to be rude when things are not handled the way you would like them to be. Finally, we would hope that all members of this site will exercise common sense. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who take joy in being cruel to others. *see person who shouted Dumbledore is dead in comment above* We are working to protect our members. If you have common sense enough not to use spoilers in your fictions or in your posts, you should have nothing to worry about in regards to this policy.
Something to clarify why your story may have been in queue for 35 days, king, and for all other authors who may feel that their stories have been in queue over seven days. Every time you edit your story, the date you submitted it will change to the date you edited it, thus pushing your story even further down our queue list. That is one reason why we encourage you to submit your story only when ready (the other is because it gives your story nasty long breaks in between each paragraph)
First: King, I'm the HHr mod. If you have a Forum account, PM me. Otherwise, e-mail me. I'm pretty familiar with your story, and I could help a lot more if I was contacted directly.
Second: If there is a user that spoils a part of DH for our other users, we don't want him/her as a part of our readership or authorship. And the site's goal is to be a quality, helpful, and safe haven for HP Fan Fic fans and writers-- not to be the most popular, or to have the largest readership, at the expense of those values.
From here on out, any and all comments not directly pertaining to this Spoilers Policy will be deleted and ignored. To those who did comment on the policy, whether your comments were positive or negative: thank you. We appreciate your feedback. :)
sweetness! i'm so glad that there will be no spoilers! i will probably have the book finished by the time i get back online, though. But thanks for all the rules! i really appreciate all the new precautions and stuff in case i get on here before i finish the book :-)
OMG ppl thanks so much 4 putting up this notice. I'm so happy to be a part of MNFF where rules r so strict abt spoilers, cuz believe me it really sucks when u know the ending of a book! I was really freaked out by the April fool prank of mugglenet but thankfully tht was just a prank!
Thanks again,
menka
my plans were to just not go online until I finished the book but this way I can still read fan fiction
Wow it's almost like we are all in the OotP and should not let any death eaters know anything!
SevenAndMoreToGo, I like that analysis of it. It's so true
It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that such extreme measures are being taken. I know that my personal spoiler policy will be even more extreme than the one in place on here, which is saying a lot.
Being banned from the mainsite and MuggleNet would just about kill me. Litteraly. Not being on the forums absolutely kills me, and I might die without MuggleNet and MNFF.
I'm glad that the Mods are so dedicated to this site that they are putting up such a great policy.
Thanks Mods!
What if you have a story in progress (i.e. with chapter or chapters already posted on the site) and by happenstance, a part of your story is actually in DH? For example, if you are writing a Neville/Luna story and Neville and Luna become an item in DH or you have a story based on the premise that Draco ends up in the care of the Order and that actually comes to pass. Can you not update that story until after the spoiler restriction is over, or will it be allowed because the story was already in progress and as such, can't really be considered a 'spoiler' as much as a lucky guess?
I'm not suggesting that anyone will have guessed the exact events in DH, but there have been a lot of likely scenarios bounced around, and some of them may very well end up as canon.
Thank the founders (cept salazar of course (no offence to slytherin lovers)) that these were put in place. i plan on finishing the book in like the first couple days cause technically its not mine but in the time that im waiting im gonna have to read ff and it would kill me if someone revealed part of the book to me when i've been waiting since like 2nd grade (or whenever the books came out). so anyway thx for the strict rules, even though they mean that the series is finally over *goes into depression then comes out of it* P.S. ~GODRIC RULEZ!!!!!~
Great measures! Even though they seem to be a bit extreme at first sight ...
I have a question. When the book comes out, can we have a line or two stating our general opinion of the book? Without any allusions to the plot, of course ...
An example would be: "I loved DH! It was amazing!"
Or is that not allowed?
Thanks in advance.
Mugglechump - If the story was already progressing as such, I believe it's fine. When we're looking over the stories, we mods can always look back on your previous chapters to glance over them just to make sure your story was already headed that way.
Dumbledore Prince - That is allowed as long as you don't go into specifics about what you liked/disliked about DH.
Deathly Hallows! *sobs hysterically*
The end!! NO, i don't want it to come... but i do! OH, buggers
Hi all, back from Mexico!!! twas a mission trip for my church!
Deathly Hallows *sob* it's over!? It can't be over, what about the part where Harry and Ginny get married, have kiddies, grow old and live together forever?! Bugger! *locks herself in her bedroom and cries*
>:^(
King, I hate to tell you this, because you obviously spent some time on that, but the difference in posting times for categories is not a new thing and is reasonably well-known. Each category has one or more designated moderators. Now, us moderators being human, we have different demands on our time at different times so it will take longer for some cats to move than others at different times. Volume also has an impact on how long it takes a category to move. 99% of our authors accept this quite happily without feeling the need to go make charts about it and collate figures. Your statistics are nice, but they simply don't hold up due to too many variables in the submissions process. Your comment is nothing short of scaremongering, trying to put the wind up authors of certain categories. We offer a guide time of seven days for ALL categories. If an individual author has had their story in queue for more than that length of time then they are free to contact a mod for an explanation. We do our absolute best to move submissions as quickly as possible, and we are more than aware there will be an increased volume post-DH. We are currently addressing this issue, but we also ask that our lovely authors remain patient after the release. If, during the rush in August, your story is in queue for more than seven days then hopefully you will be a little more patient. Every email we get takes time to answer; time that could be spent modding. All we ask is that people use their common sense at this exciting and busy time.*squishes authors*