Alternatives?

[lovecraft68]

If Lit dies, I die.
not fully. I use the same identity over on fetlife, but seldom hang out there.
And not literally. If I die literally, that's likely the cancer, not Lit.
just after 23 years here, can't even imagine starting over.

Same here and I haven't been here as long as you or have health issues that affect how much effort I make. I'd just see it as a chapter closing.

 

[SimonDoom]

There are two types of computer users.

Those who keep backups, and those who who have yet to peer into the Abyss.

Is there anyone who's used a computer for any significant period of time who hasn't stared into the abyss? Watched the sea monsters laugh as they drag your data down into the depths, never to be seen again, and flip you off as they go?

 

[lovecraft68]

There are two types of computer users.

Those who keep backups, and those who who have yet to peer into the Abyss.

I didn't think the abyss was real.

Then I was Rick Rolled and I knew true fear

 

[BobbyBrandt]

The Way Back Machine might be a savior for some if this site ever closes.

 

[onehitwanda]

The Way Back Machine might be a savior for some if this site ever closes.

Entropy will consume it, just like everything else.

 

[TheNovelist2000]

Losing contact with authors on the Lit forums would be a huge loss for me. As much as I enjoy writing stories and having people read them, I enjoy discussing the craft here even more. One of my biggest motivators is knowing there are other people who take this craft seriously. It makes me happy to know there are people out there who care about erotica as much as I do.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Is there anyone who's used a computer for any significant period of time who hasn't stared into the abyss? Watched the sea monsters laugh as they drag your data down into the depths, never to be seen again, and flip you off as they go?

I have SO FAR managed to avoid a major data loss, but then I got paranoid about backups early because when I was a teenager I saw a family friend lose her entire Master's thesis and have to retype it.

 

[TheWorldBuilder]

places like ASSTR

Is that still going?

 

[Erozetta]

I have a flash drive with a folder called The Great Toshiba Explosion of (I forget the year).


My husband recovered my documents. He got thoroughly thanked with so many cookies. That's not a euphemism.

 

[iwatchus]

I saw someone above say they kept their backups on a thumb drive. Thumb drives are not reasonable long term back up media. They can and will go spontaneously bad. Create a free account on something like drop box and upload them there. Encrypt your stories before uploading the if you want to be paranoid. But don't count on thumb drives.

I was reminded about the warning people about this from an incident I saw with a student several years ago. They were finishing about the undergraduate final project, with the only copy on a thumb drive. They went to make a final edit and the drive had gone bad. Less than 24 hours before it was due. The poor student was sitting in a chair in the hallway of the academic building I was in just sobbing.

 

[TheWorldBuilder]

There's an important file I'm currently working on with the master on a reversible (USB-A / USB-C) drive, but it's backed up regularly to  four different locations (two separate laptops, this tablet and a storage card).

 

[gunhilltrain]

I'm curious if there's a site out there like Lit? The current discourse is that things are looking bleak, at least that's my interpretation of what's being said. I don't often visit the boards, but lately...

So, if things go tits up, where do we go?

I know a couple of other sites, but I shouldn't mention them by name here. I'll send you a message later when I have some time.

 

[SimonDoom]

Is that still going?

As I said, I haven't frequented other places for years, so I don't know.

 

[Jorunn]

When AI takes over running Lit, and fills it with AI written stories, and AI webcams, then I will believe in AI.

 

[onehitwanda]

I have SO FAR managed to avoid a major data loss, but then I got paranoid about backups early because when I was a teenager I saw a family friend lose her entire Master's thesis and have to retype it.

Amazon S3 is very, very cheap. It's [one of] my off-site-backups.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

There are no real alternatives for Lit. As much as I criticize the site, I can easily admit that overall, Lit is better than every other story site. There are sites that do some things better, but altogether, Lit wins the contest. I would love it if there were proper alternatives, but it seems erotic stories aren't a big enough thing for a real competition.

That being said, I don't think there's any reason for panic. These issues are likely temporary.

 

[SimonDoom]

I have SO FAR managed to avoid a major data loss, but then I got paranoid about backups early because when I was a teenager I saw a family friend lose her entire Master's thesis and have to retype it.

Somehow, this does not surprise me! But you were aware of the abyss; that's how you avoided it. I don't know how anyone can use computers for long and not become aware of it or suffer loss from it if they don't take precautions. I learned the hard way.

 

[gunhilltrain]

This is a good question. I have three stories pending, and it seems that most of the stories from the authors I follow aren’t getting published either. Also, Laurel and Manu aren’t going to live forever, and I wonder what would happen if something bad were to happen to either of them, or if they lost interest in keeping the site running. I’ve heard some authors mention Lush or other sites, but in my opinion, Xnxx has a strong readership and a solid history of producing good stories. The downside is that you have to jump through hoops to publish there, and I still haven’t figured out how to access my account.

There have been discussions on AH before about what the future of Lit, if any, will be. It's speculation, but the site won't tell us what's going on or what they plan to do. It might just go poof suddenly, and we'll get no warning.

If anybody cares about the details of what his shows, I will clutter AH with an explanation. I will say that it was abrupt and properly caught most of those people by surprise,

https://montanahistoriclandscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/img_4685.jpeg

 

[crookedletter]

I haven't been out there enough to know the alternatives; I found Lit because I'd read some things here, then when I wrote my own it seemed the natural place to put them.

But I would suggest that the volume of activity on Lit proves there's a pretty sizable niche it fills. If Lit were to go down or go silent then its readers -- and its writers -- would have to go somewhere. Whether that's to a currently available alternative or to something new to spring up out of the Lit-sized hole: as long as there are people wanting to read free smut and writers wanting readers, I have to imagine the internet has some other dark corner we can fit into.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Is that still going?

Sort of. There is an old archive. There is also a site with a different name for newer entries. Just as sleazy from what little I have seen.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

There are some writers who type directly into Lit. While I do not, I paste, there are times when I do a few edits here as I read through on the preview screen.

My edits are always done in file. Even my final previewing in the submission form, if I catch something, I edit it it my file, then repost.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

and I’m usually too lazy to copy and paste

Yup, that's it.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I've been writing for eleven years and have had three computer failures and two hard drive corruptions (bit rot) in that time, losing all files. I've given up on any belief that digital files are permanent.

If I thought my content was really worth preserving for the 22nd century, I'd print it all out and keep a paper copy.

What would be useful would be for someone to tell me how to rip a full set of my Lit content down to a computer, so I could have another go at keeping a complete copy of my content. Some idiot proof method that I can hide from the immediate family!

It's called USB drive. Every so often copy everything over. If your hard drive fails (which I've had happen twice) you still have your latest save.

 

[lovecraft68]

I wonder if either Lush or SOL could handle the large influx of authors coming over if anything happens here. Some authors won't bother, but I think quite a few will look for another place.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

It's called USB drive. Every so often copy everything over. If your hard drive fails (which I've had happen twice) you still have your latest save.

I wonder how many people here still use a Hard Disk Drive?