Where did all the Big Timelines go?
- Thread starter Grouchio
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For me personally—getting busy in real life. Real life pressures, working, juggling my sobriety... my interest in history and by extension alternate history has taken a bit of hit. I didn't use the forums for nearly a year, and have come back recently. I also tend to get burnt out when it comes to writing alternate history. I throw myself deep into research and get really inspired, and then end up getting tired or lose interest.
My (unfinished) Magnum Opus on this forum, was The Prince of Peace. I started it in '09 and wrote on and off for four years, carrying the TL from 1490 to ~1580. Unfortunately the computer I wrote on it crashed, so aside from losing the timeline, I also lost my dynastic charts which I used to keep track of the alternate marriages, royal families, and children. Without it, I was basically fumbling around in the dark. I've had a few other tls, but that is the one I'm most proud of.
My (unfinished) Magnum Opus on this forum, was The Prince of Peace. I started it in '09 and wrote on and off for four years, carrying the TL from 1490 to ~1580. Unfortunately the computer I wrote on it crashed, so aside from losing the timeline, I also lost my dynastic charts which I used to keep track of the alternate marriages, royal families, and children. Without it, I was basically fumbling around in the dark. I've had a few other tls, but that is the one I'm most proud of.
SsgtC
Banned
Like Drake, real life tends to get in the way. I've got two TLs running right now, one in Post 1900 and one in Fandom, and working 60-70 hours a week takes a toll on your ability to and time to write. Especially when you need to research. And on top of that, I'm also researching and outlining a 3rd TL for Pre 1900 that I'll start actually writing once my Post 1900 TL is done.
Sometimes TLs die because there's no responses, it's hard to justify the time it takes to write a TL to yourself if it seems like you're the only one who cares about the topic. Sometimes they die because the author loses interest in the topic. Sometimes they die because the author loves the POD but can't really get past the point. I cannot tell you how many variations of "Napoleon III does not end the Second Italian War of Independence so early" I have saved.
And of course, all the reasons other people have said.
The Sons of Inti Shall Not Perish is kinda long, and has covered a good chunk of time. Not so with Her Princes are Come Home Again, but hey I'm already shamelessly shilling.
And of course, all the reasons other people have said.
The Sons of Inti Shall Not Perish is kinda long, and has covered a good chunk of time. Not so with Her Princes are Come Home Again, but hey I'm already shamelessly shilling.
Hunter W.
Banned
I have made many timelines that have never really taken off. I normally look at the views and then it cascades on to the second,third, fourth page and then I considered it a failed timeline. Which is really depressing because I try and research and have fun. My big short coming is spelling, and the fact people become picky, regardless of the fact I have seen timelines that have pretty implausible events.
Honestly, the lack of replies is what is scaring me. I've been brainstorming and doing research for quite some time, but I've become so scared of finally getting it started and failing to gather attention. It would hurt pretty badly personally if that were to happen if all the effort was for naught. Anxiety's a bitch.
[Crotchety aura]Imagine how much worse things were in the old days when people had to actually type out a reply to show that they appreciated a timeline, rather than just press this new-fangled "like" button.[/crotchety aura]
More seriously, lack of reader interest - or even apparent lack of reader interest - is one of several factors which can lead a timeline to die. Most big timelimes that last will have a group of commenters who provide regular feedback / encouragement / ideas to the author. If the comments flow stops, the timeline generally does too.
Especially early on. How many big timelines have a first page that's mostly updates?
Eala beorht bune! Eala byrnwiga!Hwær cwom mearg? Hwær cwom mago? Hwær cwom maþþumgyfa?
Hwær cwom symbla gesetu? Hwær sindon seledreamas?
Eala þeodnes þrym! Hu seo þrag gewat,
genap under nihthelm, swa heo no wære.
And then the massiveness of the page full of updates intimidates viewers, because they find it just too much to read in one go.
You have nothing to lose from this. I felt that same way back in the day before the new forum and likes, chugging along what have well have been crap with the only draw of my TL being the POD, and maybe the era.
Agreed, it makes you feel like you are talking to yourself even if you have quite a few likes and people PMing you to restart it. For what it is worth https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...d-times-there-are-not-forgotten-redux.384495/ goes 10 pages so far and has gone from 1865 to 1945 so far and it isn't a total dystopia , although it is one for Southerners and Black Southerners in particular.
fi11222
Banned
It is interesting that the banning policy of this site has been mentioned in connection with the disappearance of "big" TLs
I think it connects to a wider problem our society has and not just this board. People who are able to (and motivated to) write "big" threads are, like all creative people, a little off the mainstream. They may be eccentric or even downright crazy. Of course, at times, such people are going to be offensive, abusive, etc.
If you try to enforce a strict "nothing offensive" policy, you will necessarily weed out such people over time. Either they will end up banned or be discouraged because they have to wear a gag all the time.
And in the end you get a kind of "sancta mediocritas" but no longer any "big" TL.
"Freedom of expression", on campuses and elswhere, is a big topic these days. It is certainly no accident if we have the same problem here.
I think it connects to a wider problem our society has and not just this board. People who are able to (and motivated to) write "big" threads are, like all creative people, a little off the mainstream. They may be eccentric or even downright crazy. Of course, at times, such people are going to be offensive, abusive, etc.
If you try to enforce a strict "nothing offensive" policy, you will necessarily weed out such people over time. Either they will end up banned or be discouraged because they have to wear a gag all the time.
And in the end you get a kind of "sancta mediocritas" but no longer any "big" TL.
"Freedom of expression", on campuses and elswhere, is a big topic these days. It is certainly no accident if we have the same problem here.
I can see that. I've seen on this site and some others where a person has been labeled a troll, while to me said 'troll' looked to be merely someone who had the temerity to voice and defend an unpopular opinion. Now I'm skeptical of any use of the term 'troll' as a lot of the time it seems to me to be an effort to de-legitimize an unpopular argument by slandering it rather than voicing a coherent rebuttal.
A bigger TL by definition means more updates and (likely) more readers meaning more opportunities to step on people's toes, even without any intention of doing so. I know that the actions of certain groups in my TL so offended one reader that they are now rather stridently (as far as I know) against my TL. Given the amount of time and effort required to create a large TL (which is also more likely to be higher quality as a bad TL probably won't live long enough to get to the 'big' category), the need to 'police' your posts could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.
Related to this, although not restricted to big TLs, is this forum's overuse of ASB in my opinion. Now much of the time ASB isn't used in its original sense that only an alien space bat could make this possible, but used seemingly whenever something is unlikely. I vaguely remember another poster complaining about this. They said that if an event could have two outcomes, A and B, A with a 51% and B with a 49%, this forum would treat any timeline with outcome B as ASB. It wouldn't surprise me if a great deal of potentially interesting discussion and TLs have been strangled in infancy by the over-application of ASB.
There have been plenty of excellent posters who have been permanently banned. Thing is though, these people were given an enormous amount of leeway because they produced quality posts. They either broke the rules continuously or broke them in such a bad way that we couldn't let them stay. I see no reason to let people flout the rules just because we like their stuff. I miss the posts of many banned members but all the people I miss have deserved it. If the mods weren't going to ban them, then we might as well give up on having any rules at all.
In any case, there are still excellent TLs happening and great posters on this board. The site is growing bigger and bigger so I see no need to worry. Part of the reason for the lack of "big" TLs may simply be changing tastes. I'm a relative newcomer and I vastly prefer a small, focused timeline with a lot of research and care. A lot of the "big" TLs seem rather poorly researched-which makes sense given how big they are. Even the really good ones can't escape fudging a lot of material simply because there isn't the time, resources, or interest to do anything other than go off "common sense".
As said by others earlier,I think the problem is that much of the talent has now gone into fandom.Fandom's absolutely flooded with TLs right now.
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