2000 views! And a question to all of you. · 4:09pm Apr 9th, 2017
Hello all! I'm dropping a new chapter of the story today which I hope you will all enjoy, but at the same time I wanted to make an announcement. As it happens, we've reached a new milestone - 2000 views! Time to dance in the streets!
OK, well technically at the time this is written, there are only 1989 views, but I assume that it will climb up to the big 2-0-0-0 soon enough. And, at any rate, I wanted to write out a full blog post for a couple other things I wanted to address.
First of all, I am extremely pleased to announce that I recently received a review from Chris, whom some of you may know as a curator of the Royal Canterlot Library here on Fimfiction. As a big fan of the RCL's work, I was beyond excited when I saw that he had chosen to spotlight the story a few days ago on his website, and I would encourage all of you to go read the review and show your support to a stand-out member of the community. Chris' site has a host of excellent reviews of stories both classic and unknown, which is a big help to those of us that need to budget our reading time wisely. Thanks again to Chris for deciding to spend time on my story - it was much appreciated!
On that note, learning about community reviews like these are one of my favorite parts of contributing on this site. If any of you should find a reviewer to whom you would like to submit this story, or if you should like to review it yourselves, please feel free to and let me know. I decided that I'll be cataloging any such critiques for future reference, and adding them to the story's description page. Constructive criticism is a huge help to developing writers like me, so I would love to have the support.
However, the larger reason for my writing this post is to pose a question to all of you. Specifically, I'm embarking on a new project for the World Within the Web universe, and would like your help.
If you recall my previous lore posts, you will remember that they included maps I drafted for each of the sites. For some time now, I've had people asking if I could release the entire world map of the Known Internet, including all of the major powers that inhabit the larger setting. I was happy to do so... except that I only had very rough drafts that outlined where things generally were. But no longer! I intend to create the full world map, complete with everything one needs to see and know about the World Within the Web, which I hope to release at some point in the near future. To do so, however, I need your help.
I consider myself relatively well versed in online communities and cultures, but I know there is narrow limit to how much I really know and am familiar with. My greatest fear in making such a map is that I would leave out important sites and features that people expect to see, and thus would spend time making a map that is indelibly flawed. To avoid this, I turn to all of you. What sites, communities, and fandoms do you wish to see in the World Within the Web, and what do you think is vital for the map? Aside from well-known sites I may already know, what are some more obscure locations that should be included? Do you have any ideas on what form they might take? Please, let me know! Your support thus far has kept this story alive, and your input now would greatly improve the work I'm currently doing.
Additionally, I had a few specific questions about the world that I would appreciate your opinions on:
1. Not all sites get their own country or landmass in the world - instead, they work better as organizations or religions spread throughout the Web. Previously, I have mentioned that "Tubeadours," here roving companies of actors and musicians, are the analogue of YouTube videos and content creators. Do you think, however, that the actual site of YouTube should receive a nation in-world? Or would it be best for it to just be the organized companies?
2. Similar question to above: what do you think about Twitter? My initial thought was that it should be some kind of trans-Internet messenger service, but now I wonder if it shouldn't be an actual territory threatened by the encroaching Red Hats.
3. I'm thinking that PayPal could act as a massive bank. Thoughts?
4. Content-sharing websites pose an interesting dilemma, since they are mostly used to spread around work made by other people. What I'm thinking now is that I'll have them as trading companies that operate out of chartered port cities spread across the web. So far, I will definitely be including Imgur, Instagram, Pinterest, and Flicka. What do you think of that idea, and are there any others that should be included as well?
5. An important part of the world's physical layout is that sites closer to Central - the "inner rim" - are more under Moderator control, while those on the outskirts closer to the Deep Web - the "outer rim" are more anarchic, like the Chan. To ensure that this pattern is adhered to, are there any sites you know of that are particularly weak in terms of moderator activity, with less control over the content and activity allowed?
Please let me know your thoughts on all of this. Really, your ideas on this world will be a huge help to me, and I cannot wait to hear what you recommend!
I'm glad to see you are planning on completing or at least expending your lore.
These map on your blog caugth my eye and were a big part of why I started reading your story.
I'm lacking your drawing hand so I gave up on it, but as kid, creating map of fantasy land was a hobby of mine. So seein your story being completed by these incredible map woke some nostalgia inside of me. I was hooked.
I would expect the sheer number of internet forum to be present, most likely as an ensemble rather then being a myriad of small entities. Maybe a tribal (or even nomadic) region?
Cosidering that a lot of forum user are not exactly part of the internet culture and more going in and out to discuss something of common interest, it would mak sense.
The tribes closer to the inner rim would be under the influence of the moderator and more "structured" while tribes living further would have a more unruly behavior.
Content sharing site could be major trade hub with artist and artisan setting their worshops there.
Although your idea of making them guild and companies of wandering artist/merchant is nice too.
I love the idea of paypal being a bank,
I think that somehow, online gaming should be included. Maybe simply with games. Maybe closer to the Roman games then the modern olympics.
I also recommend you include one way or another things and phenomenon that aren't from the occidental cultures.
Stuff like the disturbing thing founds in japan, the great firewall of china, hongkong online gambling activity and so on.
And while I am not very far into this work of your (something I am slowly correcting), I find that at this point somethings are sadly missing: the troll, how can it be called internet, be a sorta high fantasy setting without real actual troll? And of course as we all know, the internet is for
porn andcats. Please add them.As to the internet..... I can't say i know a whole lot, the only thing that comes to mind is xkcd's Map of the Internet
The review thing grats though... still just do not get what is with everyone being so obsessed with that guy. I just.. have never been able to really get into his reviews, very rarely agree with them, and even when I do just, they seem so...... not that useful to me. IDK what it is, I just have never been able to find his reviews worth it. My own, well, generally only do them after they are done, beside,s pretty sure the massive walls of text give a good idea of my viewpoints.
As to the questions.
1.I'm fine with keeping them as just groups don't have one homeland. More a profession then anything else. Maybe a few locations in certain major Sites that have a high presence, that serve as training halls and the like. Maybe given Tropers are what they are, those halls could also be kind of like the fandom wiki's in places that are controlled by large fandoms. Places where all the knowledge of the fandom is contained and passed on. Where the storytellers of the fandom are trained, etc....
2.Communications service sounds good.
3. That sounds rather perfect.
4.Also, this makes sense. It is pretty much what they are made for. OHHHH Can have certain fandoms run their own little trading companies for their stuff, like Derpi and FimFiction for the Bronies to trade their art and stories.
5.No clue beyond the sites you've already brought up.
4490222 That map is very funny, thank you for reminding me of it's existence.