Okay, this is scary. Not only do I have the usual monthly update, I went and rearranged the place! =)

Couldn’t help it tho’, I finally got tired of the layout of the main page and decided to change things around a bit. Hope y’all like the new layout. I was even inspired to rearrange my own website AND move my site here to the server at DOHFF so I can get away from those stupid annoying pop-ups and in page advertising from Fullacrap City. ARGH! Anyway, Lord knows my own site has looked the same for about four or five years as well. Time for a new home and a new look!

New content would help too. I’m working on that! Really, I am! =)

Just a gentle reminder, although at this point I’m still taking .doc format I really really really really encourage y’all to send me your stories in .html (.htm) format.

I’m still working on adding stories to the C2 at FF.net. Sometimes I update the stories in the C2 but don’t make any reference to updating it here at DOHFF (atleast, not right away). I would recommend that y’all subscribe to the C2 so you get a nice lil’ email saying that stories have been added. Pretty handy!

There are still open positions for staff help!! LOL

Wow….an update and we’re only 8 days into August. When’s the last time I did that?! Uhhh…..a number of years ago I think. =)

Just a gentle reminder, although at this point I’m still taking .doc format I really really really really encourage y’all to send me your stories in .html (.htm) format.

I’m still working on adding stories to the C2 at FF.net. Sometimes I update the stories in the C2 but don’t make any reference to updating it here at DOHFF (atleast, not right away). I would recommend that y’all subscribe to the C2 so you get a nice lil’ email saying that stories have been added. Pretty handy!

There are still open positions for staff help!! LOL

I’ve decided to start archiving my lil’ notes and blah blahs here from the front page (new link above: Previously on DOHFF….). Might be of some use to some historian in the future, who knows. ROFL

Anyway, for those of you who paid attention last month and saw the new Sims pic below with MaryAnne and Brian and a subtle reference to a future Kin story…..good for you!! =) For the rest of you….the heck with ya!! ROFL.

Yes, we’re working on something. No, we don’t know when it’ll be finished. No, I’m not going to tell anymore than that about it. KHEE!! Y’ll just gonna have to wait! =)

Please note I am updating the submission guideline. Again. LOL

First, several folks as of late have submitted stories that are also posted to Fanfiction.net. Initially I had no problem with this but then I realized…why make more work for myself? LOL. So from now on, if you’ve already posted stories here at DOHFF and post additional stories at FF.net I will put a note on your author page with a link to your FF.net profile. Please let me know, however, that you’ve posted to FF.net so I can update accordingly here. Also so I can add you to the C2 community at FF.net.

Second…the bulk of time spent doing updates here at DOHFF is in converting the stories themselves to html format. Here’s how I have to do it….

1. Download file to laptop computer.
2. Open up in Word, convert file from .doc or other format to html format
3. Email updated file(s) back to myself.
4. Using desktop computer, which contains the web page program needed to maintain DOHFF, open email, download files.
5. Place files in appropriate folders for DOHFF.
6. Establish index pages for stories with multiple chapters. Establish links for the chapters.
7. Update Author (or single story) page with link to story.
8. Upload stories and updated pages of DOHFF

This may seem pretty simple, but due to time constraints it literally takes me days to do this. I often use my laptop computer at night so that’s when I download stories and I use my desktop computer to check email in the morning before I go to work, that’s when I download the updated files. Then I have to find time to sit at the desktop and do #5 through #8. This is why I update once a month and my cutoff date for submissions is the 20th.

I know what you’re thinkin’. Why don’t you get the web page program for the laptop, or get Word for the desktop? Well, the web page program I use costs upwards of $400. And Microsoft Word costs upwards of $300. I’m cheap and don’t want to spend the money. LOL. What I have currently works I’m just between two computers.

So…now that you’ve heard my tale of woe, I’m thinkin’ two things. One, to encourage y’all to sign up at fanfiction.net where you can post your stories yourself (it’s easy to do!) and have DOHFF maintained as an archive while pointing visitors to the C2 community and to various author’s profiles for new fics. And, two, accept submissions in html format only. This would cut down on the amount of time I spend converting files to html and perhaps I could update the place more than once a month.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m a fanfic writer too (Lisa’s Dukes of Hazzard Fanfic Page). Although I haven’t posted anything new in about a year and a half, I’m hoping to change that. I guess basically what I’m trying to do is find a way to continue with DOHFF and still find time to write in the fandom I’ve enjoyed being in for the past 10 years. There was a time, not too long ago when this fandom was pretty much dead (early in the post-TNN days). It’s wonderful to see it coming back to life again. I’d like to be part of it. If I’m gonna be chained to my computer, I wanna be writing fics. LOL.

I apologize if this sounds whiney or bitchy at all but…I hope y’all understand. I’m not upset at anybody specifically and this isn’t anything new and sudden. I’ve been considering these two issues for quite awhile now. I’m just trying to find a way to work smarter at all this, instead of harder. I want DOHFF to continue on and to be here as a fic archive at least. But I also want to be able to take a more active part in this fandom again and not have people thinking I’ve left.

Thank you for your understanding. =)