You just bought Literotica...what do you change?

[lovecraft68]

Congrats, you just hit Power Ball! You decide you want something to do all day while you no longer work and decide to make Laurel an offer she can't refuse. She hands you the keys to erotic story kingdom and you...

What?

Do you invest heavily into it to improve it?
Leave it as is?
What do you add?
What do you take away
What do you change completely
What stays the same?

Could you keep your personal feelings out of it as in not boot a category you don't like? Or would the site become an extension of just your personal favs and kinks?

 

[Biker_Faerie]

Remove the politics section of the bulletin board

 

[LoneMilf]

Remove the politics section of the bulletin board

Dangerous move - you would probably just get all that bile spilling into the other sections instead..

 

[lovecraft68]

1-I'd keep Lit's underage rule because I don't want to see stories about 14 year old kids having sex. Laurel once said a long time ago that if she caved based on age of consent in most places and lowered it to 16 people would then be pushing to go lower, and she's most likely right

But...the rule is limited to underaged sex. Enough with you can't say "The first time I gave head I was 16" you can say it, but don't describe the scene. You can kiss at 15(OMG!) but again keep it vague. In other words no outright sex, but we no longer have to pretend no one has ever touched another person or seen anyone naked before their 18th birthday.

2-The rape rule-I'm going to surprise people here who know I don't like those stories, but I accept they are a legit kink and we are talking fiction. No more "victim has to enjoy it" that's gross misinformation that perpetuates the no never means no attitude a lot of men already have. So I'm going to allow actual NC stories, but there will be limits, no snuff no beatings...it has to stay with the sexual act.

3-As part of #2 Mind Control(which is pure NC like it or not) will be placed with the NC category so we now have MC/NC all your non con in one place.

4-Continuing on 2/3 Reluctance is now in place of MC in its own category. Reluctance is very different from NC and creates the issue of people not knowing how to find a story that is reluctant vs NC so now everyone knows where their kink is.

This will stop all the issues involving my rape story was booted, but look at all of these....nope, they all fly providing they're sane and all in one place

5-Anal is gone, this does not need a category

6-In its place the much requested Bi-sexual category. Its not my thing to read, write, watch, but it is for a lot of people and they deserve what they were once blatantly lied to about.

7-Hotwife/cuck category. This is a growing and polarizing kink and at this point is abused badly in LW and under read in fetish, so it gets its own category. Of course it still will deal with the real men trolls who need to abuse anything they don't like(or will it? Hmmm) but fans of it now have a place to try and even the score and support authors writing their kinks.

This may also calm loving wives down a bit and make it a less nasty place to write and read.

8-Tip jar. Lit recently created a way for readers to support an author's Patreon or buy an e-book from a linked site. but not everyone here sells and many don't want the extra work of a patreon

So...on every story here no matter how old, there will be a button for Paypal/Venmo/Cashapp and others and if you read as story and like it, you can hit the button and send a one time tip, could even be a buck.

This not only would be very encouraging to authors to keep writing, but also reward them for their hard work and a thank you from me, you're new overlord for growing this site and making it what it is.

9-Higher payout for contests and maybe start giving prizes for the author sponsored events, even if its gift cards, the site makes money it can give more back.

10-Investing in a paid staff of screeners so the rules are 100% enforced and based on rule, and nothing else. The forum moderators will be paid a little something, but there will be more and some new ones. Too many of the ones we have simply play favorites or use their position to bully people.

11-Monetizing the site. Going to do a little Musk flex and create some type of premium membership that for a few dollars a month gives you access to some special features the authors will create and get some extra $$$ from if people access them.

12-Other than mods and better tech, my only change to the forums is...the political forum will be removed. There is no discussion there only vitriolic hatred, lies, misinformation and 4th grade level name calling. It has no place on an erotica site, and the new GB mod will be spending their day removing all political threads that the PB jack asses will try to post there and they will all get two warnings before I begin personally banning them and I will have all day to do so.

13-Best for last. Goodbye anonymous. If this costs the site traffic, so be it. The site will be well funded and that income will grow because I will be growing it. I'd rather have a smaller base of readers that are here for the right reasons then have a larger one that a percentage of come here just to spew hate and abuse authors and readers. It could end up costing some views and votes and comments, but what we're left with is a far better class of reader, and once people realize they don't have to deal with anony spew the readership will grow again.

 

[lovecraft68]

Remove the politics section of the bulletin board

See #12 in my post because I totally agree.

 

[lovecraft68]

Dangerous move - you would probably just get all that bile spilling into the other sections instead..

In my version the newly appointed mods will fix that and that includes banning the people who keep trying to post in the GB(where all the political crap used to be before Laurel moved it because it was ruining her favorite forum...and hence that crowd threw so much hate at her they drove her from the boards because at the start she spent all day moving their threads)

 

[HordHolm]

1-I'd keep Lit's underage rule because I don't want to see stories about 14 year old kids having sex. Laurel once said a long time ago that if she caved based on age of consent in most places and lowered it to 16 people would then be pushing to go lower, and she's most likely right

But...the rule is limited to underaged sex. Enough with you can't say "The first time I gave head I was 16" you can say it, but don't describe the scene. You can kiss at 15(OMG!) but again keep it vague. In other words no outright sex, but we no longer have to pretend no one has ever touched another person or seen anyone naked before their 18th birthday.

2-The rape rule-I'm going to surprise people here who know I don't like those stories, but I accept they are a legit kink and we are talking fiction. No more "victim has to enjoy it" that's gross misinformation that perpetuates the no never means no attitude a lot of men already have. So I'm going to allow actual NC stories, but there will be limits, no snuff no beatings...it has to stay with the sexual act.

3-As part of #2 Mind Control(which is pure NC like it or not) will be placed with the NC category so we now have MC/NC all your non con in one place.

4-Continuing on 2/3 Reluctance is now in place of MC in its own category. Reluctance is very different from NC and creates the issue of people not knowing how to find a story that is reluctant vs NC so now everyone knows where their kink is.

This will stop all the issues involving my rape story was booted, but look at all of these....nope, they all fly providing they're sane and all in one place

5-Anal is gone, this does not need a category

6-In its place the much requested Bi-sexual category. Its not my thing to read, write, watch, but it is for a lot of people and they deserve what they were once blatantly lied to about.

7-Hotwife/cuck category. This is a growing and polarizing kink and at this point is abused badly in LW and under read in fetish, so it gets its own category. Of course it still will deal with the real men trolls who need to abuse anything they don't like(or will it? Hmmm) but fans of it now have a place to try and even the score and support authors writing their kinks.

This may also calm loving wives down a bit and make it a less nasty place to write and read.

8-Tip jar. Lit recently created a way for readers to support an author's Patreon or buy an e-book from a linked site. but not everyone here sells and many don't want the extra work of a patreon

So...on every story here no matter how old, there will be a button for Paypal/Venmo/Cashapp and others and if you read as story and like it, you can hit the button and send a one time tip, could even be a buck.

This not only would be very encouraging to authors to keep writing, but also reward them for their hard work and a thank you from me, you're new overlord for growing this site and making it what it is.

9-Higher payout for contests and maybe start giving prizes for the author sponsored events, even if its gift cards, the site makes money it can give more back.

10-Investing in a paid staff of screeners so the rules are 100% enforced and based on rule, and nothing else. The forum moderators will be paid a little something, but there will be more and some new ones. Too many of the ones we have simply play favorites or use their position to bully people.

11-Monetizing the site. Going to do a little Musk flex and create some type of premium membership that for a few dollars a month gives you access to some special features the authors will create and get some extra $$$ from if people access them.

12-Other than mods and better tech, my only change to the forums is...the political forum will be removed. There is no discussion there only vitriolic hatred, lies, misinformation and 4th grade level name calling. It has no place on an erotica site, and the new GB mod will be spending their day removing all political threads that the PB jack asses will try to post there and they will all get two warnings before I begin personally banning them and I will have all day to do so.

13-Best for last. Goodbye anonymous. If this costs the site traffic, so be it. The site will be well funded and that income will grow because I will be growing it. I'd rather have a smaller base of readers that are here for the right reasons then have a larger one that a percentage of come here just to spew hate and abuse authors and readers. It could end up costing some views and votes and comments, but what we're left with is a far better class of reader, and once people realize they don't have to deal with anony spew the readership will grow again.

There's certainly some interesting ideas here - shame it's all fantasy.

One interesting thought does arise from it, of course, and that it is that sadly Laurel isn't immortal and one day, inevitably, this site will either be in new hands or will close. I wonder what new owners would make of it (I'm pretty sure it would be fairly heavily focussed on the monetizing aspects and an update to the look and accessibility/functionality of the site).

 

[lovecraft68]

There's certainly some interesting ideas here - shame it's all fantasy.

One interesting thought does arise from it, of course, and that it is that sadly Laurel isn't immortal and one day, inevitably, this site will either be in new hands or will close. I wonder what new owners would make of it (I'm pretty sure it would be fairly heavily focussed on the monetizing aspects and an update to the look and accessibility/functionality of the site).

Yeah, when you create something and its your baby it can go two ways. You can try to put it in the hands of someone you truly trust not to ruin what you created or you can decide to close the doors and take it with you.

I owned a comic shop for several years, and when we decided it was time to close due to a variety of factors we had three people offer to buy the existing business. We talked about it, the debate was a one large lump some payout or....spread the money out over time as I'd keep the e-bay store and sell everything I wanted to keep from the house with no overhead.

My wife left it up to me because although she supported it, it was my dream, she'd never read a comic in her life. In the end I opted to close it and the reasons weren't financial it just hit me that I built that thing from the ground up...we got a good deal on our first years rent because the place was a gutted shell and we did all the work, the floors, ceiling, carpets the slotwall fixtures, wiring, you name it we got it done.

So many great memories with my kids there, seeing how happy the neighborhood kids were to come and play the card games there. That was the one reason I thought about letting someone else take it, so kids could come and enjoy the games and get into comics, but I asked the prospective buyers a lot of questions and for whatever reason none of them really wanted to keep the tournaments and kid friendly things going so that pushed me to close that and again always back to it was mine. I didn't want to see someone else take the keys to the ride so we closed.

I still have an e-bay store, still buy and sell and do an occasional con, and looking back I never regretted the decision...especially seeing the person who made the top offer ended up in jail two years later for embezzling and attempted murder to cover up said embezzlement

 

[Duleigh]

The very front page, that awful, ugly jumbled unorganized pile of links reminicent of a 1990s porn site. It's a disaster so it will fit on a phone, that gets fixed while the ink on the check is still damp

 

[TheRedChamber]

I mean, I wouldn't rush to do anything. I'd probably sit down, take a good long look at the books, and try to understand why things are the way they are from my new position behind the curtain. But, I'm also assuming that Powerball stretches far enough to give some investment capital so...

1) Go through slowly removing the links to stuff that doesn't work or hasn't been updated in a while
2) I'd put in the Bisexual category on principle, even though I'm not expecting it to be particularly popular (happy to be wrong)
3) But only as a stop-gap as I'd start discussion both on the forums and as a Lit 'Story' asking for feedback about category reorganization. I've got some ideas myself, but you can't ever 100% capture everything and I'd want to be careful.
4) I probably wouldn't change the overall feeling in terms of colour and layout of the site, but I might try and make it a little more modern-looking.
5) I'd do a few minor quality-of-life things that specifically irritate me - for example, I'd have the story length visible on every place you can click into a story and I'd have a 'Go to part one' within easy reach of every story. I'd also have features to just see stand-alone stories/part ones in the weekly lists.
6) I'd probably move forward with the interaction fiction stuff as that personally interests me though it may just be my own white whale.
7) I'd probably keep a lot of the events and competitions but integrate them more closely with the categories (so 'Christmas' would appear at the top of the categories list and behave a lot like a normal category (although stories would also appear in their usual category lists as well)
8) I'd need to think about NonConsent - I don't think I'd ban it completely nor allow anything goes, but I also don't think the current rules as stated are what I'd want.

I'd probably do more, but that's what I've got for the moment.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I agree with most of the suggestions. The only one I am strongly opposed to is disallowing anonymous readers. I'd go along with blocking anons from voting, but not from reading and commenting.

Some changes I would make-

More categories. There is no good reason not to add them. I would add Bisexual and Historical immediately, then survey both readers and authors for other suggestions. I would consider some kind of "General" category. Many of my stories cross categories and end up going in Novels and Novellas. But there is no such solution for shorter works.

As has been mentioned many times, separate Top Lists for stand alone stories and series.

And most of all- self editing. I would establish a threshold, based on some sort of combination of time on the site and number of works published, that would allow authors who meet the criteria being given the privilege of editing their own work at will. Abuse of the ability would result in its revocation.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

Ooh this is fun.
Definitely 2nd a tip jar function.
And cleaning up the jumbled home page. I do kind of find it charming. Like it's cute in a way so I'd keep the 90s vintage anesthetics, and I would never get rid of Literotica girl (I'd spruce her up with some pixels though). I would however get rid of the pay per minute videos and the Webcam services - I don't disagree with them but I don't see them as value adding to a website meant for written erotic stories.
I would expand the art section, maybe turn it into NSFW deviant art / art station. Hard ban on AI art and they will come in droves.
Finally, a way to convert the stories into e book formats.

 

[LoneMilf]

More categories. There is no good reason not to add them. I would add Bisexual and Historical immediately, then survey both readers and authors for other suggestions. I would consider some kind of "General" category. Many of my stories cross categories and end up going in Novels and Novellas. But there is no such solution for shorter works.

Wouldn't that just make it even more difficult to choose a category for a story? Now it would have elements of even more different categories... Unless you also make it possible to select multiple categories for a story - which might be a good idea in any case

 

[MelissaBaby]

Wouldn't that just make it even more difficult to choose a category for a story? Now it would have elements of even more different categories... Unless you also make it possible to select multiple categories for a story - which might be a good idea in any case

It could make it harder with some stories, which is why I also suggested a General category. Allowing stories to be listed in multiple categories would wreak havoc on the monthly contests.

Oh, there's something I'd do, get the monthlies straightened out and on schedule.

 

[jaF0]

ALL violent stories would be gone, including most if not all Non-Con.

Some category realignment and refinement.

Scores, ratings, voting ... gone for the general files. Only allowed for contest entrants.

Poli and GB would be limited to veteran members, something like over 90 days and 100 posts. No newbs.

Most all picture threads would be removed and other limitations placed on those that remain.

Might create a short story forum section for stories too small for the main story side.

 

[jaF0]

I would however get rid of the pay per minute videos and the Webcam services - I don't disagree with them but I don't see them as value adding to a website meant for written erotic stories.

I'm pretty sure that's where they make the money that keeps the site running and funds the contest prizes.

 

[la_ruche]

Implement a function so old threads (+2y?) cannot be resurrected.

 

[jaF0]

8) I'd need to think about NonConsent - I don't think I'd ban it completely nor allow anything goes, but I also don't think the current rules as stated are what I'd want.

Possibly that could be a separate walled section that you'd have to opt in to view.

The only one I am strongly opposed to is disallowing anonymous readers. I'd go along with blocking anons from voting, but not from reading and commenting.

Not to go Political, but that may be coming under some laws and proposed laws requiring age verification.

 

[Trionyx]

How about working on allowing direct access from this side over to the story side? See a commentator you’re curious about? Just click on the name and you’ll be offered the ability to go directly to their stories.

 

[jaF0]

Implement a function so old threads (+2y?) cannot be resurrected.

Most boards (including those that use this software) have an alert for old threads 'This thread hasn't had a reply in XXX days. Are You sure you want to post here?' or something similar. What I might like is that only the original poster could revive them.

 

[Wonderer67]

Interesting idea and fun Sunday morning non sexual fantasy.

Like other have said - ditch the political forum. Moderate the fuck out of the fucking douchebags who live there till they get weeded out.

Add a story length (in words or pages).

Like the idea of being able to edit stories.

Otherwise I have been enjoying my lit experience for many years (I was a lurker for abt 15 years before I created an id.)

 

[jaF0]

How about working on allowing direct access from this side over to the story side? See a commentator you’re curious about? Just click on the name and you’ll be offered the ability to go directly to their stories.

That's a flaw that goes back many years. I think it has to do with the complexity of running varied software on different servers. I think it could be worked out though.

 

[Bramblethorn]

That's a flaw that goes back many years. I think it has to do with the complexity of running varied software on different servers. I think it could be worked out though.

I'd guess it comes from using a standard forum package which wasn't designed to automatically link forum IDs to non-forum pages?

 

[LoneMilf]

Implement a function so old threads (+2y?) cannot be resurrected.

Why? What's the harm? Just because something is old doesn't mean it can't be interesting

 

[jaF0]

In my version the newly appointed mods will fix that and that includes banning the people who keep trying to post in the GB(where all the political crap used to be before Laurel moved it because it was ruining her favorite forum...and hence that crowd threw so much hate at her they drove her from the boards because at the start she spent all day moving their threads)

The main problem there is she won't delegate sufficient tasks. Our roles and access are very limited. Appointing a few more Mods, SuperMods and Admins would be a huge step in cleaning things up. But all such suggestions have gone unanswered, same as new category and other suggestions for the Story Side.