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Deeker's Message of the Week

February 17, 2008

Discontinued Stories Poll Results

On 12/30/07 I posted a poll regarding the handling of the Discontinued stories. Over 200 responses came in, and for that I say "thank you." I have been busy with several other projects, which is why the results have been so long delayed. Here at last are those results:

Number of responses received: 203

How often do you read the discontinued stories?

Response Count Percent Graph
Frequently 35 17.2%
Fairly often 40 19.7%
Sometimes 74 36.5%
Rarely 29 14.3%
Never 22 10.8%

Looks like a lot of you read them still, and I imagine they'd be read more if they were linked individually.

Comments:

The problem with your analogy with movies and books is that we also aren't allowed to see the product. Yes, it's not a finished story. But the reader has seen the story and has the potential to finish it, in their mind
When I'm looking for old good stories I go to the discontinued ones.
Some of my favorite stories are in the discontinued section
I find them really good and I think they should be linked liked the Contributed Stories.
The reason I don't read them that often is because they're not instantly accessible like the other stories. If they were easier to access, I'd read them more.
please keep and perhaps offer them up for continuation/completion by another author.
you can't even click to open the stories to read them
although some of the discontinued stories have a definite "unfinished" feel, others are certainly worth reading. i feel that all stories on the subject of our interest should be kept accessible, because such writing is relatively rare.
Thank you very much for this site, I am grateful
I unzip the discontinued stories and read through them. I have also posted some of them on my own site for people read if they like.
Keep the Discontinued...just up to date
i like to be able to read all the storys
I would let them go and free up some space!! Way to go deeker!!
I actually thought you couldn't read them. Lol.
amazing. best site ever
I think that the author of said stories should have his story stored somewhere in his own archive and thereby be able to resubmit it when he sohappens to find time to do so.
they sometimes work great to get new ideas for my own stories
If there was something I liked previously, I may read it again.
it doesn't open wehen you click on the storie title
wish I could open them on site and not new to zip fike
I have read almost every story on here, but never goto the Discons
ntget rid of them!!!!!
Most of the stories are quite old, some i have read, some I start reading and just get disinterested real quick.
I rarely read them but would still like to see the on this site
The only discontinued stories that I have read are the ones that are still on the contributed stories board.
i can't read thenm becuse i can't click on them to open them
Keep them
If I knew how to access the stories, I'd read them.
i love them
I have the list downloaded in Zip-form on my computer
I would take a vote on the best stories, and keep only those.
WOULD BE NICE TO KEEP THEM AS THERE ARE SOME GOOD ONES
You cant access them without downloading all of them.
If they're discontinued...they're really not worth reading to me.
I do occasionally go through the discontinued stories ... makes me sad because some of them are really good but there is no ending.
Some of the discontinued stories are interesting to read even though they are not complete.
There are some really good stories out there that I hope will eventually get finnished!
I have, so far, read all but a hundred or so of the discontinued stories.
Disney has a "Vault" Perhaps you can just pull them out occasionally
if i rewmember theres one i like in there

How often do you read the stories that are "in progress"?

Response Count Percent Graph
Frequently 0 0.0%
Fairly often 0 0.0%
Sometimes 0 0.0%
Rarely 0 0.0%
Never 0 0.0%

I have no idea why the data for this question was not captured!

Comments:

I read them if they're good.
I like to follow them
I love the idea that like TV series, I get to enjoy new updates to peoples stories as they become available.
That's one of the main reasons I visit this site, along with the "Sightings" and the "Surveys" sections.
Enjoy seeing stories evolve.
I like to check out the new stories that are eather updated or new
I read them frequently when I have the time.
i like finished storys best
I always like reading new stories!!
In effect, they are like "installment" stories.
i wish they were completed
I read parts as tehy get poasted, and hope that they get compleeted
I like new stories coming through. I like the stories that run as a serial.
Im allways watching for the updates.
it would be good if they where all completed
I like the Storys
As long as the person writing the story intends to continue writing, I'll read it. or if the story is finished, I'll read it.
i love these
If I like the story, I anxiously wait for updates. If not, I ignore it. I check first thing every Monday morning to see what's new, and download the Zip file of updates of course.
ALWAYS UP FOR A NEW AUTHOR ON THE RISE
Every week. I'm very religious about doing so the first time I get a chance.
its the main reasoni come here

Do you think the Discontinued Stories should be individually listed/linked like all the other story groups?

Response Count Percent Graph
Yes 124 61.1%
No 31 15.3%
Doesn't matter 45 22.2%

And individually listed they shall be. Since the majority of you want them to be listed I will post them in their own section as they are now, but select stories will be made available, my criteria for which ones make the cut to be based on a variety of criteria. I will announce it here in the MOTW when the stories are individually posted.

Comments:

It would be helpful but if it's to much to ask ou don't have too. I mean your a zombie working on the new anyways.
More people would read them, if they were individually listed.
Of Course, theyre all really good.
That'd be perfect because then we could all read them without having to download the .zip file (also, not everyone has access to WinZip)
Would make them much easier to access, though will eat up your memory.
I'm not sure about how to list these stories. Possibly they give some people pleasure in their incomplete form and possibly someone might decide it's a story thet he would like to carry to a conclusion.
i've downloaded the zip file, but it is less stimulating to read the stories when they're not linked from your site.
I put doesn't matter because I am not quite sure.
then we could read them with out downloading them
6 months is more than enough time to give the story the axe.
Some discontinued stories are complete in their own right, some good reads may be unavailable if they are gone.
You should also put a pair of check boxes at the end of each story so that the reader can cast a vote to keep or dump the story
keep them in the same area
The list would belome fat too long and too combersome to manage after a short period of time
Definately
Either that or put (Discontinued) by each story that has not been updated. You may also wish to contact the authors of stories to see if and/or when they will be finishing, or at least updating, their works.
A ZIP FILE IS FINE THEN I CAN UPDATE MY SYSTEM WITH THE NEW ZIP AND REPLACE THE OLD ONE
I think they should ... I really like the coding system for the other story pages ... they help a lot
I'm fine with the way it is now. It doesen't take too much to download the story.
It would be easier to read them like that, rather than having to download all of them but it would not matter to me either way. I have the computer space for it.
store them as a indexts archive listing

If the discontinued stories were removed from the site completely (no zip file) how much would you miss them?

Response Count Percent Graph
Very much 86 42.4%
Moderately 34 16.7%
Somewhat 39 19.2%
Not really 25 12.3%
Not at all 15 7.4%

I'll take this as a hint to keep 'em around.

Comments:

That's like removing years of hard work.
I already have it downloaded, so I would not be losing them.
I love them,
There are some stories that were discontinued that I enjoy very much.
I would like the chance to read them again
I would miss them. But I will put them on my own site.
I like going back and readint them
although some stories are not finished, some of my favorite stories come from the discontinued section. some of the stories in that section are quite long as well. i think it would be good to keep them and to only offer it as a zip file, like you are now. just because they arn't finished does not mean they arn't good.
they should just be on a separate page or something.
I would like to read them
Luv Ya Bu-By!!!!
Because in can't read every week
Well, once gone, new people would not miss them, but I would.
You cant miss somthing that you have not read
Plz keep them
It is nice being able to read them ocationaly.
It really depends on the story, but I have them all archived on my PC and on disk, so I will be good no matter what.
PLEASE KEEP THEM IN A ZIP SO THEY CAN STILL BE DWN LOADED AS U UPDATE
I know maintaining a list and coding all of them might be a lot of work but I think just a zip file would be good. There are newcomers who might be interested in reading them ... like so many of us are
I like some of the discontuned stories.
finished or not, they represent history of the site; please don't delete them.
It is like when you decide to throw some insignificant thing away that has been collecting dust for years, and the minute it is gone you all of a suden realize you need it for something.
At first, I didn't like to download the DC stories but now I don't mind. When there are no new editions to the In-Progress (IP) stories, I just read the DC ones I have. Bottom line, though, I will miss them a lot.
i hate loss of data

How do you feel the discontinued stories should be handled?

Response Count Percent Graph
Only have them posted as a zip file 70 34.5%
Have them individually listed and linked 95 46.8%
Do away with them altogether but allow 15 7.4%
Do away with them altogether, delete 11 5.4%
Only post completed stories 0 0.0%
No opinion 6 3.0%

Again, the majority has spoken in favor of individually listing and linking the stories.

Comments:

This method is pretty good.
Theyre good stories why waste them?
Is posting off site an option as zip files or not as zip files?
Offer to have somebody finish them.
especially the content codes are a big help when in search for new ideas
Make it known that when a story is considered discontinued, it is put into the public domain, and anybody with time, and creativity can then finish them.
Perhaps split thezipped files. This could take some work and thought tho. Like do you split small stories apart from the large stories or split according alphabet. May be split according to classifications.
Preferred, but Zipped is OK, just don't flush them.
Let the readers cast a keep or dump vote
If it becomes as issue then mabie only compleated stories should be published
Discontinued stories takes up unnecessary storage space on servers (costs money to keep).
I would like to see them listed the same as any other stories, but I know you are a busy man.
Have other volunteers in this group offer to finish.
Have the zip method available but do the individual stuff. To make it easier for the readers, as well as yourself.

How do you feel the stories "in progress" should be handled?

Response Count Percent Graph
Only accept and post stories that are complete upon initial submission 13 6.4%
Accept stories that are in progress but only post them once they are completed 22 10.8%
Post new material as the stories are updated 161 79.3%

Since this is how it has been done this is how it shall continue.

Comments:

It gives the viewers something to read each week. =)
your site is great, and i really appreciate it.
Getting regular feedback from readers is one of the best parts of writing each installment of my stories.
i think your current method is good. it gives the writer a chance for feed back to see if they are going in the right direction or wethere or not to contenue at all. if you only accepted stories that were complete i think that storries that are longer would not be submited as much. some stories take a while to write, especialy those that are going for a realistic feel. also some stories are just epic in length, like some of your stories.
please don't change this. the story updates are the main reason for my weekly visits
If stories are updated regular, the zip them into an incomplete folder.
Let authors submit updated stories (same title exactly) to replace the old one. So all stories are always finished except as authors add to them.
It is nice to sometimes read something and then make up the rest of the story in your head
and notate the story is updated
I would say just post them when completed, but this would axe any possibly good stories that might be worth reading despite being incomplete. Frankly, I don't read them all for their completeness. Sometimes I just fixate on certain chapters or scenes as a means of, well, I think you get the idea.
IF THERE BECOME TO MANY TO HANDLE THEN POST THEM UPON COMPLETION
I like when stories are inprogress it lets me see if I think that I will like it with out having to read the entire thing. The Updated Stories Section also lets me see when a story I like has been updated.
I think it can be very benificial to writers if they have the support of the community along the writing process.
Post them as they come; the other options would leave readers starving for stories.
i love to read them as they come out but i could see holding 2-3 chapter before posting to give time to the writer
It's like a good TV show, the writers make you wait for something juicy to come out until next week. I also like it this way because I can read an installment casually throughout the week before the next installment comes out.
Some are new writers submitting to ask if they should continue, some are pretty good

How would you recommend ways to reduce the number of stories that wind up becoming "discontinued" on the site?

Response Count Percent Graph
Only post completed stories 26 12.8%
Extend the number of days before declaring a story discontinued 51 25.1%
Reduce the number of days before declaring a story discontinued 12 5.9%
Use sound judgement to determine a story's likelihood of completion before posting it 59 29.1%
Rely on the ratings to determine if a story is worth keeping on the site before 90 days is up 73 36.0%

Comments:

I'll agree with the votes here, if a story's ratings don't warrant keeping it around (an average rating of less than 2.00 sounds like a fair threshhold), then out it goes!

Keep doing it the way you're doing it now
Just treat discontinued the same way. I don't mind reading a story that isn't finished at all.
You might also try doing some kind of email system that lets the author know it has been 'X' number of weeks since the story has been updated and it will be 'X' number of weeks before the story is concidered dropped. I don't know if this is something that can be automated or not.
Allow readers to contact author to find out about next sked update. (you used to list email addresses!)
do you keep email addresses from people who have posted stories? perhaps a reminder email after a certain period: "how is your story going?"
maybe contact the author and ask them when they plan on finishing it
do not use rating as all stories are wonderful and need not be rated
Iam sure about this question
Have the author leave an address (e-mail) to which he/she/it can be reached at, inquire about the status of the story line and then go from there.
there is no 'good way'. everything you do would keep a lot of authors from writing ...even if there's just one out of ten who's worth anything or will complete his story it's worth all the work you do to get him to write and publish
Drop the ratings; they are useless. Substitute a discussion board offering advice and commentary for stories in progress. Monitor the board and delete anything crude or unkind. Another idea: turn the unfinished stories into "open" stories for anybody to finish. If there are multiple completion efforts, let the readers "vote" for the best fnish (or next installment).
I also think high ratings should be enough to keep a discontinued uncompleted story around, on a case by case basis.
open up the possibility of having someone else continue on with the story after the time period is up
It is hard to judge how likly a story is to be completed, and I know at least one artist has finished because of feedback sent to the email address suplied
Some stories that are incomplete, read really well, the should receive recognition of this, perhaps make one "Story of the Month", or show stories listed by the same author, so people can how digilant will be an authors story.
Since you are doing all the work, investigate possibility of automating author update process. Similar to a BBS author editing posts.
Mabie not before 90 days but mabie after
Stories that are not well written or whose ratings are continuously low can probably be safely axed.
AND IF NEEDED WAIT TILL IT IS COMPLETED
I know it is more work for you but ... ask the author how commited to the story they are ... and if they decide not to write anymore the least they could do is throw together a half way decent ending to the story instead of leaving it unfinished
If a story goes past 90 days with out an update but the ratings are high it should be left up. You could post a message in the MOTW section asking if any one else would like to finnish it. Also if a story is 60 days with out an update and has low ratings it should be taken down.
For updatable stories updates stress the need for an email adress to be provided, then contact them after 90 days (also ask if somebody who is willing could continue that story if he/she is no longer able to) without some sort of reply, discontinue the story
Talk to the author and get a feel from them if they are ever going to finish the story
Get back in touch with the author of the story, maybe? I have read at least ten stories that come off of one person's simple plot idea in the DC section.

Why do you suppose stories wind up discontinued?

Response Count Percent Graph
The author ran out of ideas/writer's block 127 62.6%
The story was a "flash in the pan" 56 27.6%
The story was written by the seat of the author's pants (diapers)/no planning or outline in mind 75 36.9%
The author lost interest in the story 119 58.6%
The author became too busy with other projects 126 62.1%
The author's parents/family interfered 52 25.6%
Illness/injury 23 11.3%
Mental/emotional or personal issues 27 13.3%
The author lost interest in/desire for diapers altogether 38 18.7%
Lack of feedback/response (when sought) 64 31.5%
Negative feedback/criticism 48 23.6%
Lack of confidence/fear of criticism 45 22.2%
Fear of getting caught writing it 51 25.1%
Fear of someone the author doesn't want reading it finding it online 41 20.2%

I'm not surprised by the most popular reasons people gave.

Comments:

Not everyone is a great writer, so when they get stuck, they quit.
Too often we haven't had a working review/feedback ability. We do now but how well utilized?
I would imagine there was poor to no planning. It's obvious some of these authors have trouble writing essays let alone a short story.
Not sure
Not really sure.
The author was either imprisoned (as with the author of both "Kidnapping diapers and Videotape." and "Wayhard Foster Child" ) or he lives a paranoid schizotypal lifestyle. Also, I believe in many cases the author is struggling with a negative self-image, and ever present guilt that what he is writing is so far away from societal norms and familial/ peer acceptance that he discontinues out of disgust with himself. Also another reason I feel that many write these stories initially but never finish is because they are struggling with their own demons. This could be their abuse of mind-altering substances, or a deap-seated feeling of bewilderment and frustration with one's desire for diapers in a sexual context.
Need to strip out the author name and company from the word/html document
Perhaps some authors realize their writing is too poor to be worth continuing.
As you can see I think there are mulpile reasons (some of which why you have never reciveda post from me for the story forems)
Some author that really good should be encouraged. Not so clever author may wish to some tutoring.
Or just plain lazy...Still, an incomplete story might be good, much better than some 8K stories that are poorly written.
People need time to write a book.
I'll read the story as long as the person has every intention of finishing it. If not, it shouldn't be posted; period.
The reasons I checked are reasons I myself do not finish or post most of the stories I write. Frankly, I usually end up deleting them so my parents will not find them if they decide to snoop.
It's a lot of work, writing a story, most people don't realize this and give up half way through.
If I like a story, I try to give as much feedback as I possibly can. If possible, I like to have at least one good email conversation with the author. I can/will critique them, give them pointers, tell them when they were too wordy and various other things.

Have you written a story that has become discontinued on this site?

Response Count Percent Graph
Yes 17 8.4%
No 171 84.2%

Comments:

Yes one of my stories did become discontinued once because it took me so long to get around to writing more. However I eventually finished the story.
I just read them never write them
still in progress and sometimes even need more than a month for an update ...but will be completed
I may write a story someday :)
In my case, lazy.
I had a writers Block.
I have only submitted short pieces of nonfiction.
IF I SHOULD POST A STORY IT WILL BE COMPLETED
If only because I haven't submitted
Actually it was not originally okayed for this site but someone posted it to it after I closed my site down.
I have tried to send things in but every time I try, something goes wrong in the emailing process. Something happens with the email actually being sent. Though, I have written stories, they haven't been submitted.
not on this site but on another non diaper site

What were your reasons for your story(ies) to become discontinued?

Response Count Percent Graph
I ran out of ideas/writer's block 12 70.6%
The story was a "flash in the pan" 1 5.9%
The story was written by the seat of my pants (diapers)/no planning or outline in mind 2 11.8%
I lost interest in the story 7 41.2%
I became too busy with other projects 16 94.1%
My parents/family interfered 2 11.8%
Illness/injury 2 11.8%
Mental/emotional or personal issues 0 0.0%
I lost interest in/desire for diapers altogether 0 0.0%
Lack of feedback/response (when sought) 3 17.6%
Negative feedback/criticism 1 5.9%
Lack of confidence/fear of criticism 1 5.9%
Fear of getting caught writing it 12 70.6%
Fear of someone I don't want reading it finding it online 4 23.5%

Being too busy and running out of ideas make sense to me. The high number of those who indicated fear of being caught does surprise me, though.

Comments:

My hard drive was broken and I lost access to it.
never wrote any
Lazy
never had a storie to share
DOES NOT APPLY TO ME AS OF YET
When I originally started the story Titanic I had made a outline of every chapter and how I was going to end the story. Unfortunately as things happen I lost the outline and because of it lost my way on the story.
All of these reasons are for the stories I have written and tried to submit to the site.

The current time allowed before a story is declared discontinued is 90 days. How many days do you feel should be allowed?

Response Count Percent Graph
90 days/3 months (leave it as is) 78 38.4%
Less than 30 days/1 month 3 1.5%
30 days/1 month 4 2.0%
45 days/6 weeks 5 2.5%
60 days/2 months 18 8.9%
120 days/4 months 19 9.4%
150 days/5 months 3 1.5%
180 days/6 months 25 12.3%
Between 180 days/6 months and 270 days/9 months 7 3.4%
Between 270 days/9 months and 365 days/1 year 7 3.4%
More than 1 year 6 3.0%
Only post completed stories and do away with current method 9 4.4%

I'll leave things the way they are.

Comments:

A story in progress is like a serial; I look forward to the next installment
Read Above about Contact
Depend on the length of each installment, A short story whould have a shorter time, longer stories get more time.
However, many current discontinued stories deserve to exist.
150 Days
This would depend on if the story has good feed back and if its a popular story
I feel three months is quite fare, though I would allow a person to put the story back on the Contributed list if an update becomes available. I know of one story (not on this site) that has been updated for the first time in over a year and a half.
REDUCE YOUR WORK LOAD AND SEE IF IT WILL PUSH FOR THE UPDATES AND A ENDING
If you cannot come up with a new chapter in two months then they probably never will
With emailing the author
Somewhere between 60 and 90 days would be sufficient enough time to get back into writing a story.

The current time allowed before a discontinued story is no longer listed is 180 days. How many days do you feel should be allowed before a story is removed from listing?

Response Count Percent Graph
180 days/6 months (leave it as is) 64 31.5%
Less than 30 days/1 month 2 1.0%
30 days/1 month 2 1.0%
45 days/6 weeks 0 0.0%
60 days/2 months 9 4.4%
90 days/3 months 13 6.4%
120 days/4 months 0 0.0%
150 days/5 months 5 2.5%
Between 180 days/6 months and 270 days/9 months 19 9.4%
Between 270 days/9 months and 365 days/1 year 23 11.3%
More than 1 year 25 12.3%
Only post completed stories and do away with current method10 4.9%

I'll leave things the way they are.

Comments:

Just leave discontinued stories up.
I'd give the writer a full year with lots of email notices
I do recall that several stories had to be "brought back from the tomb" when the author did update after a long while.
3 months to write the next chapter is a long enough time, another month warning when marked as discontinued should be enough
A reminder to an author that their story may be removed in 1 month.
Of course this brings up another problem, one you have probably considered and discounted. What to do with poorly written, unpopular, or just plai bad, stories
This would depend on if the story has good feed back and if its a popular story
Just so long as I have time to archive it on my own computer, I am happy.
PLEASE KEEP THEM IN A UPDATED ZIP THO
Does this mean that is removed from the discontuned section all to gether?
as long as bandwidth allows you to keep it up
There have been some stories that I have looked for, and am still looking for, that I like. Those stories are somewhere on the net and were DC'd from this site a few years back...

What advantages do you feel there are with posting stories in progress?

Response Count Percent Graph
The author can guage the initial response before putting forth additional effort 110 54.2%
The author can pace himself more easily 112 55.2%
The author can solicit suggestions and continue accordingly 110 54.2%

Comments:

less stories would be posted, if only completed stories were allowed.
I think any writer will respect you, but i don't think they will be affected by your opinion at all. No writer will be rushed into a story.
Many times I have altered my stories based on feedback given. An example would be 13-Days in which readers kept urging me to keep going and because of that 13-Days ended up longer then I had planned and eventually flowed into 2 sequels and a 4th book is in the works.
Even the "greatest" writer ever J.K. Rowling herself post in progress for her saga (and changed directions and facts!)
a story is never complete; an incomplete story is a just a story that is shorter.
writing is something that takes time, and peer advise is helpful to writers
mainreasons for weekly visits of the page especially story archive
gives people reason to come back.
If there were a "comment board" for suggestions, writers could react to posted ideas and refine their sotries.
No advantage, I think it's up to the author. He/she submits what they wish. An update process that does not require you to manage updates might solve the problem
It also allows the author to see just how it appears on the page, since many stories are not submitted in HTML format.
AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE ONLY USE THE PC TO DO TYPING THUS IT TAKES TIME IF THEY HAVE NO TYPING SKILLS
Writers can gauge if the story is worth another chapter or should be ended ... they can get readers opinions as to where the story should go and how it unfolds
I like reading it little by little that way I don't get board reading a huge story. I can also see where a story is going and detrmine if it will be worth reading in the future.
We get the story sooner, also it means I can read a 100 K story a week, not spend several days reading one novel legnth one
I find it a good thing to do, to brainstorm with a list of ideas given to me by others (i guess you could say peers). It helps my audience listen to my story, which is what i want in the first place.

What advantages do you feel there are with posting only completed stories?

Response Count Percent Graph
It eliminates the problem of amassing discontinued stories 75 36.9%
Readers are not left disappointed when a story they like is not finished 106 52.2%
People who write stories to completion are more likely to be dedicated to the story and thus tend to be better writers 54 26.6%

This was one of the reasons I considered making some changes, which, as the results indicate, I will not be making now..

Comments:

yes only posting completed stories would be less work for you but I believe you are going to receive A LOT less submitions in the long run.
i don't see any advantages
Posting only completed stories only the author may not feel that there story is worth posting so will not sumbit one.
Perhaps fewer novices would give writing a try. That could be good (or bad).
most writers want to hear feed back on what they write and for up coming parts on how to change it
I disagree with the 3rd completely, I think taht you would lose some serious writers (stories would have never happed) if had to go all the way before posting
dedicated to the story and thus tend to be better writers +++++ Big YES on that one.
I do not like the idea of no story series.
Storys take time
Making sure the story is complete will make it more likely that a person will read it. I don't like the prospect, since stories like yours would then be removed. Besides, some stories really can never be completed.
Disadvantages: we'll have a LOT fewer stories and much more sporadic updates.
I think the current way allows people to gain access to more ideas. If a person starts a story and doesent follow through it gives someone else, who read and liked the story, to pick up where the author left off and finish the story or write a similar one of their own.
But that's the take and give when people do something for free
Even with the three points listed abover for this question, I would still rather have the incomplete stories over the completed ones. If anything, it gives me reason to come back to this site.

Do you perceive overall quality differences in writing/content in completed stories versus stories that are written on the go (whether eventually completed or not)?

Response Count Percent Graph
Significant differences 18 8.9%
Moderate differences 48 23.6%
Some differences 51 25.1%
No overall differences 52 25.6%

I was expecting more people to indicate significant differences, but then, what you, the readers see is only what has made the cut. All too often what I see are poorly written, shittily spelled stories that are complete crap that don't make it to the site. Most often these rejected stories are subitted as works in progress, as new and fully completed stories tend to be of better quality.

Comments:

May be less polished, but if they are never seen/read are they ever really written.
I haven't checked.
ive read stories on here that were long and i hated them, and stories that are half complete and loved them also it is better post as it is writen because i dont have the time to sit down and read a big story in one sitting.
Actually, some of the longest (finished) stories are some of the worst. The best stories may be long or short... it doesn't seem to matter.
This question really depends on the writer. Some incomplete stories are well thought out in advace, and some completed stories have no value in my mind. Kind of a vague question.
stories that actually have something to them and are not the basic 'i got caught in diapers, now i am babied' are well written and often are posted in segments. i am saying that posting them as you recieve them is the best way to continue doing it.
The good writers submit better stuff, whether finished or not.
depends on the author (the pun is there if you want it)
Differences are not due to complete versus incomplete, but rather to the content of the story and the style of the writer.
There are some terrific stories like Ashley's Diaper Adventures which came out in multiple parts over multiple months ... well worth the wait and too long to read in one sitting anyway
Very minor stuff if the author planned or outlined it before hand. Also many continuously updated stories are longer than their precompleted counter parts, which is a good thing.
All stories ever written on 'our' subject has one story line. Boy/Girl + Diaper = Story. No matter what anyone says, it's kind of hard to come up with plot ideas that have been done a million times over. Though, completed story ideas do contribute to those 'spur of the moment' stories.

Do you perceive overall quality differences in writing/content in completed stories versus stories that are declared discontinued?

Response Count Percent Graph
Significant differences 21 10.3%
Moderate differences 33 16.3%
Some differences 54 26.6%
No overall differences 49 24.1%

Again, my view is somewhat biased on account of what I see versus what everyone else sees.

Comments:

Some well written stories have big differences.
Some of the incomplete stories really intrigued me, but I can't speak as to overall quality
See above.
I do agree that writer will follow through on the story progression better if all stories are considered complete.
depends on the author (the pun is there if you want it)
Please see above.
Some stories, though not all, that are discontuned were written by porer writers who gave up on them. As a result the quality of the story was lower than that of a compleated story, writen by a stronger writer.

Moving forward, what would you like to see listed on the site as far as discontinued and in-progress stories are concerned?

Response Count Percent Graph
Post completed stories only 17 8.4%
Post completed and in-progress stories only; delete stories that expire altogether 34 16.7%
Continue to list discontinued stories as is currently done 65 32.0%
Make discontinued stories individually available 50 24.6%

See above comments.

How would you encourage authors to stick with their stories and write them to completion?

I would tell them that is is very good and keep going.
friendly message, or warning sent out.
I don't think this can be done.
I have a great deal of trouble with endings also I work about 12 to 14 hours a day and forget that i have a story in progress.
A kind email to the author to let them know their story is about to be discontinued. Also feedback is always appriciated. (My stories: 13-Days, 13-Nights, 13-Sails, Goodbye Normal jeans, Snowed In, Alvin Ever After: Alvin in the First, Alvin Ever After: Alvin in the Second, Close Encounters 1-2-&3)
Provide positive feedback if you like the story.
You don't have to write linerally, you can write chapter 1,2 and 5 then bring them together. write down ideas as they come to you not just in the order they appear in the story.
FAN MAIL
We want to know what happens, it kills us!
write the whole story at once
if you leave the readers hanging then they probably won't want to read the writer's other stories for fear of being left waiting for the end of a storie that will not come
A contact e-mail would be nice to be required to submit a story, that way Deeker can inquire as to the progress of such a story when the time is nearing its expiration.
other authors who complete their stories work as a good example. positive feedback from readers vie e-mail, number of hits (how often read). my own story is titled 'Summer, Friends and Celebrities'
I written Mike's story and Carl's two other have died after being posted do to lack of time to write them because of job change.
Let readers interact with writers with other readers as an audience. Let readers propose alternative plot lines, conclusions, or even whole chapters.
Ask how chapters are going to be story, Ask when the next installment could be expected.
Require a few chapters done first.
I have submitted only one story - Mommys Best Baby (discontinued). Good question. Perhaps a forum to post unfinished work and get feedback on story line, developement, etc. Forum could be on another site so you would not need to manage. Although I would prefer that such be on Deeker.com
some kind of incentive
Just get it done.
Give them possitive feedback on their stories
keep writing their thoughts and feelings down when they come into their minds
provide suggestions for stories beforehand (post on site)
show how many hits a story got so the author knows what interest there is in his/her story
Give the authors honest feedback and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I personally love to know just what people think of my work, and I know many if not most authors feel the same.
WELL I DO LIKE THE SURVEY AT THE END OF EACH ONE BUT A YES OR NO ANSWER FOR THE AUTHOR TO VEIW WOULD HELP THEM I THINK
I like the rating system now used at the bottom of the page.
"The Dance," "The Hooligan." I think having a monthly competition would be interesting. voting, etc.
There is no way other than that their readers are counting on them, they're doing this for free, its like a volenteer job.
have them give an email adress and hav an auto emailer send them an email saying when there stories get discontinued
I wrote all the JD stories - John Dazel
I would offer help via email and make sure they stick with it and finish what they start.

How would you advise me (Deeker) to encourage and enforce completion of stories before posting? What other advice would you offer to me to get a handle on this problem?

send them a friendly message, or a warning that their story will move to discontinued status.
I think you are the onely one who decides what you do.
Send out a reminder to finish it or it will be gone
Emailing the author to let them know they are about to be discontinued. Offer to assist them if they have writers block or need ideas.
D, I like "fanfiction" I get frustrated when they lapse but I don't discard them. Had one update after 2 years at end of Nov.
Not sure how to motivate these people.
don't view it as a problem. get some help maintaining the site.
get on their ass
Not really sure, maybe have an automatic reminder to finsish the stories
i have nothing for ya
Contact like above, you can not do anything else.
number of hits of a story shown could help and encourage authors to go on. put the authors name in the listings so you can sort for authors and easily find other works of a special author
Not sure.
Deeker is a great writer. Let him offer personal guidance to writers with problems.
If an author has several incomplete stories on the site, do not accept un-finished works from them. I know that some people will find a way around this, but every little bit helps.
no
List completed stories in a specific section.
Tough one....
It seems to me that the object is to reduce your editorial workload. So go ahead cut what needs to be cut. Please offer the discontinued stories as a zip file, at least for a while. I would also suggest investigating a method to eliminate the very poor stories by moving them to something similar or identical to discontinued. The question now becomes, what criteria identifies a very poor story?
no, I like things the way they are.
I dont know
keep asking about the uncompleted stories and keep reminding the authors
communicate with authors on a daily basis
no change
I would write the authors of stories that have not been updated in a while to see what's going on, and base my decisions on their responses.
MAKE AVAILABLE THE POLLS ON HOW MUCH A STORY WAS READ TO THE AUTHOR AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS
There is probably little you can do with some authors. The ones who really are invested in the process will complete the story.
My best advice is get people emails (though it will lead to some loss of anonymity, which some like) for longer stories, that way you can contact them, remind them that we're out here,
How about a story competition? You will only take stories that meet the criteria: completed, on topic, etc. I don't know how the winner would be chosen, or what they will get, but I am sure something can be figured out.

Which discontinued stories would you like to see completed?

hmmm I have many that I want to see completed...
?
Boy that would be a long list.
"The Amazing Theo As: bgcolor="#99ccff"Little Baby Joey'", "The Ad", "My Best Friend That Is A Girl"
Gohan's Second Babyhood
I can't open them to see what I would like to see completed
Most, if not all especailly the ones that start out with "Chapter 1"
Adopted, Bill, The Family Curse, Felix, Little Man, Panic, Ryans Plan, A Second Chance,
the quads
adopted and a second chance, two of my all time favorite stories ( allong with Becoming a diaper boy)
a second chance
14 year old baby, 8 year old toddler
BILL STORY
Not sure.
Too bloody many.
forever in diapers... hehehe there is one but i can't remember the title right now
?
all of them
shuttle launch, halloween boy
there are alot of stories i would to see completed but don't remember the names
freddy choice, hollowen story
Not sure.
My own of course. I really should finish it and resubmit. But as a new story (different name). That way you could flush to discontinued when the time comes.
IDK
any of them really. i personally like them all
Second Chance
I don't want them to end necessarily, but I would like to see more content from you. (Deeker)
TO BE ON A HONEST NOTE ALL OF THEM HAVE POTENTAL. AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE ABOUT 3/4 COMPLETED...AND HAVE READ ALMOST ALL THE STORIES
The Boys Next Door / Me and Ade / Ben Still Wets the Bed / At My Mother's Friend's House
My favorit discontuned story was one called "Barry's Boys"
bill
second chance
ummm, hard to say off the top of my head, only one I remeber right now was "Felix"
Bill,Cody and the Baby Start Over Program 2: Ashes of the Sith,The Family Curse,Incontinent Rage,Josh Taylors Story
Oh, gosh...Felix, Fourth of July, Halloween Boy, and (I believe these last four are incomplete) Huggies for Justin, Hypnotism, Ryans Plan, and In the Summertime
diapers for aj

Are you willing to resume work on any discontinued stories on this site?

Response Count Percent Graph
Yes 20 9.9%
Maybe 62 30.5%
No 36 17.7%

Comments:

If I have time and ideas...
I'm not a writer
I forget witch ones I have still inprogess
I might be interested ONLY if the author was ok with it too however it is sometimes hard to pick up where someone else left off. An example would be the titanic story from long ago. The author tried to get me to complete it but I just wasn't feeling connected to the story nor felt that I knew enough about it to do it justice.
I unfortunately don't have the time, and I wouldn't feel right resuming someone else's story because I'm worried about not writing up to their standards.
My writing skills suck. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to write a story, and wouldn't want to put additional pressure on the writer.
The problem is that the new writer will likely have a different writing style than the original author, which may or may not be bad.
i would, if i could write good. im affraid that i would butcher any story
with permission of the author
If the leagal issues are cleared up first (I am verry private in this and do not want to go to cort and have it talked about)
If the leagal issues are cleared up first (I am verry private in this and do not want to go to cort and have it talked about)
Accepting finished only is a good motivation, but might yield more short stories, and fewer long.
my writing sucks
I have thought of taking over the unfinished work of others, but I have not yet done so. It would be a tricky business, mostly because I would be filling the boots of another author. I often feel that I know the character and style of the stories at least as well as the author, but I may have differing interests and ideas that might conflict with those of the original. Though I may well be free to take the story in any direction I so choose, I may wish to continue in the interests and spirit of the original author.
DOES NOT APPLY AT THIS TIME
I am NOT good at writing and for me to try to complete a story would be a dis-service not only to the original author but to all the readers as well
but I'm bad at sticking to things so I could continue maybe to the end, but only one at a time, let me look through, I'll give you an email
i haden't thought of this till now, but if i were asked to give it a go i would definetly not say no
I may if enough people would like me too and maybe if they are willing to give me a few suggestions.
On my own, of course. Though, I don't have any on the site at all. On other authors' stories? Maybe, but it probably wouldn't come out the same. However, they never finished the story so that wouldn't really matter.

Do you feel that there any ethical or perhaps even legal issues regarding taking someone else's incomplete work and building on it yourself, or do you feel that it's fair game (abandoned intellectual property) if it's not finished?

Response Count Percent Graph
Yes, there are possible legal issues 21 10.3%
Ethical issues, yes; legal, no 17 8.4%
I have mixed feelings 56 27.6%
No, it's fair game if they don't complete it 59 29.1%

I was hoping this would be the amswer the majority would indicate. As far as I know, nobody has ever been sued for allegedly plagiazing somenone else's diaper story.

Comments:

Well the author probly forgot about it.
You can expand on a story, but you have the reference the original author for the first part of the story, and say that you only wrote the second part of the story.
You can't post someone else's story with your name on it, unless it are 2 seperate stories which refer to another.
If the writer gives the OK but only if the people in the story don't in the way they acting
Since the story was posted to the internet after being given to you. I dought that there would be much if any legal issues.
If I felt differently as I did, I wouldn't complete someone's story without asking them first. Then once they agreed, I would continue it. However,my previous feelings contradict that statement.
But does it really matter what our opinion is? Is there a copy right? Does the website owner own the story rights or does the author. Regardless who owns it, why would it matter what our opinion is?
It becomes an AU (Alternate Universe) or a Fan-fanfiction if another author dabbles with the characters and stories.
I think it's fair game as long as each authors work is noted. Also do you reserve the right to edit stories?
maybe, im not sure
It depends on intent of the author, if the author abandoned it then it is like abandoning a child, they are still the parental unit to the child but legally it is theirs. Now if they have no intent on even doing anything with the child or work in this case, then it is fair game because not only was it abandoned but there was no intent to pick it back up again in a timely manner. So free pickings after that, eh?
I would do it with permission of the author
As the author I know where I want the story to go and how it is to unfold. If someone else picks it up they need to give credit where do and note where they pickit up from.
The only stipulation should be identification of what is (and isn't) original.
If I remember correctly, anything you have written, and can verify, falls under a de-facto copyright. I'm not sure on this, but I vaguely recall hearing something of the sort when I was doing computer programming, as it's covered by the same cluase.
if you write a disclaimer for whoever decides to post a story letting them know it is fair game after the specific time period is up, then no, there shouldn't be any 'legal' issues. plus, you wouldnt be gaining any profit of doing so, would you?
As for this question .... contact a lawer. Intellectual Property is way to crazy to shoot int eh dark on. (hopefully someone here can give you good free leagal advice here)
An author story should still belong to them, However if an author offers permision, or you can evidence of deceased author, then I don't see a problem, so long as the original author still has his named listed.
if some one wants to continue a story that has been deemed discontinued, let them, however the author should have the option to not let the continuing author to post the story on this site with the same name. :)
Realistically, how many people are going to sue over rights to a diaper story for which no moey was exchanged? But I can see someoe getting disturbed if unwanted modification occurred. How about a check box at submission time where the author may invite others to co-create future episodes. This would require that you keep unfinished stories on the site so more work for you. How about the BBS idea? I belive that such a place already exists. Thanks for all your work, we really appreciate this site.
Why do stories need to be discontinued? I look at Deeker being a site for "Short Stories". Not every story has to have lots of parts.
if it is at risk of being completely removed from tje site, the original author has abanfoned it, therefore maybe
Obtain original author's permission first.
If you do this it could really be fun but there should be a way that if a writer does not want this done to their story they can clarify that. Also it should be stated in the trms of serivce that the writers should read and submit to.
If the wrighters want to go on strike who needs them.
It is illegal to repost work that doesn't belong to you (plagiarism) and unfortunately, Deeker, can be sued for posting copyrighted work that was 'forged' on his site.
It really depends on the story. I would if nothing else seek permission from the author and make it quite clear that the author has given it to me.
BEST TO ASK THE AUTHOR AND SEE IF THEY SAY GO AHEAD OR WHATEVER ... THEN AGAIN WHEN A STORY IS POSTED IT IS NOT COPYRITE PROTECTED THUS IT COULD BE CONSIDERED FAIR GAME UNLESS THE AUTHOR REQUEST OTHER WISE THEN IT IS JSUT GOOD PRACTICE TO RESPECT THERE WISHES ON THE CLAIM
We're not talking about the next Harry Potter book here ... we're talking about a diaper story. There is no money to be had ... I've yet to see any of these diaper stories at Barnes & Noble so get over it. If they want to finish their story then let them but more than likely they aren't even around anymore
People don't generally copyright their works here.
When the person submitts their story they should have to indicate in advance wehter they would mind someone else finishing the story if it is declared discontuned. Also if the additions to the discontuned story carry a disclamer saying they are not the work of the original author then there should be no ethical problem, this would even allow for muptible ends to a single story. I can't see there being any legal problems, most people would be too embarrased to sue and most sotries don't carry any kind of credible copyright.
Unless you have claim to the story (which you don't) it's their property, at least until they die, maybe include in the story submission form "If discontinued, the copyright of this story will revert to Deeker.com" or some such thing, also email those whome you have emails for and ask for the rights to allow somebody to continue that story
i can foresee ethical issues, though depending on the work doubt i would have them myselff
I believe that it can be a legal problem but if the author has okayed it with someone else to complete their work then no I dont see any problem with it.
If they don't touch it in a certain amount of time, then I think it should be fair game. If it were mine, I would want to finish it, so that's where my mixed feelings come from.

* * * * *

Have a good week, everyone! Stay happily and thickly diapered!

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