This is a message especially for What Makes the Desert Beautiful authors, I hope at least some of you are on Tumblr! I will post this on our LiveJournal too and on WMTDB itself. Please spread the word if you can, to reach as many authors as possible:).
Because I have BIG NEWS: What Makes the Desert Beautiful is going to be imported to the Archive of Our Own (AO3)! The WMTDB archive was built with an old fashioned eFiction script and after nearly 18 years it is no longer maintainable to keep the website running because of this outdated system and its security issues. So to ensure safekeeping of all fanfics, I have decided to move them to AO3.
I have contacted the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) for assistance in moving the What Makes the Desert Beautiful archive’s content to a collection on the multi-fandom archive they maintain, the Archive of Our Own (AO3), and set up automatic redirects for any future readers following old links. (Specifically, I will be working with the Open Doors committee. You can read about their recent import projects at this link.)
Here is where I would like to ask for your help!
1. If you already have an AO3 account and have posted your What Makes the Desert Beautiful works there, please let me know your nickandgreg.net pseud(s) and e-mail address(es) as well, so that we won’t import your stories. (There is a tutorial on the Open Doors website with instructions for mass-adding stories to the new collection on the AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/WhatMakesTheDesertBeautiful)
2. If you don’t already have an AO3 account but would like one to import your stories yourself, please let me know your nickandgreg.net pseud(s), and the preferred e-mail address to send the AO3 invite to. (There is a tutorial on the Open Doors website with instructions for importing stories and adding them to the new collection on the AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/WhatMakesTheDesertBeautiful)
3. If you would NOT like your works moved, please send me your nickandgreg.net pseud(s) and e-mail address(es) so that we will not add them. (If you would not mind them being preserved but do not want your name attached to them any longer, please let me know that too—we can orphan your works instead of leaving them behind to be deleted.)
We’ll be collecting responses over the next several weeks before we start importing works. All works imported on a creator’s behalf will be attributed with their name in the summary of the work. As we import works, we will e-mail notifications to the address associated with the work. (If you know of any authors that no longer have access to their nickandgreg.net e-mail address, please tell them to contact me directly.)
When all stories have been accounted for, the Open Doors committee will set up the URL redirects, and I will permanently close down the site. (Even though this whole process will take a while, please don't postpone getting in touch!)
Please let me know if you have any questions, and thanks!
