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Greener pastures
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#1
14-12-2013
This is kind of difficult for me, because I'm usually a lurker on this site. I recently found out that the site I've been a heavy contributor to over the last five years (Sim Trek 2 Boldly Go) will be closed at the end of January. I was able to read the writing on the wall; traffic to the site has slowly dwindled to almost nothing, and the principle creators have moved on to other projects.
Needless to say, I'm a bit broken up about SimTrek. I really enjoyed hosting my creations there, and its members became like a second family to me. I know it's improper to toot your own horn, but I felt I was one of SimTrek's driving forces. And now it's closing.
Which kind of leaves me in a weird spot, creatively. After SimTrek's closure, I'll only be hosting my new stuff at my sims blog (which is kind of at the hinterlands of cyberspace; blink and you'll miss it). The type of stuff I create is genre-specific, Star Trek and other types of science fiction, mostly object sets but also a few accesories. To my knowledge there aren't a lot of sites like SimTrek, and while I consider my creations to be high quality, there doesn't seem to be a big fan base for them.
I still have a lot of my earlier stuff at MTS. The quality of it isn't comparable to what I produce now, but at the time it seemed pretty good. I've considered returning to MTS for a while, but when I contributed five years ago, I admittedly wasn't the nicest person ever and this caused some friction. Maybe after five years, they'll have forgotten about me, but still...
Which brings me back to the weird spot. Go it alone, go back to MTS, or find a new home? I can't decide.
Needless to say, I'm a bit broken up about SimTrek. I really enjoyed hosting my creations there, and its members became like a second family to me. I know it's improper to toot your own horn, but I felt I was one of SimTrek's driving forces. And now it's closing.
Which kind of leaves me in a weird spot, creatively. After SimTrek's closure, I'll only be hosting my new stuff at my sims blog (which is kind of at the hinterlands of cyberspace; blink and you'll miss it). The type of stuff I create is genre-specific, Star Trek and other types of science fiction, mostly object sets but also a few accesories. To my knowledge there aren't a lot of sites like SimTrek, and while I consider my creations to be high quality, there doesn't seem to be a big fan base for them.
I still have a lot of my earlier stuff at MTS. The quality of it isn't comparable to what I produce now, but at the time it seemed pretty good. I've considered returning to MTS for a while, but when I contributed five years ago, I admittedly wasn't the nicest person ever and this caused some friction. Maybe after five years, they'll have forgotten about me, but still...
Which brings me back to the weird spot. Go it alone, go back to MTS, or find a new home? I can't decide.
ocelotekatl, proud to be a member of LeeFish since Nov 2013.
#2
14-12-2013
Aww, losing your home on the web really sucks. Sorry to hear that it's closing.
I'm sure you would be welcome to upload here at Leefish if you wish. We may not have a huge audience or be giant Sci-Fi fans, but we're a friendly bunch... and we do have at least one big Star Trek fan here, whom you probably already know.
And actually, MTS has undergone some big changes with regards to uploading lately - they're trying to be quicker, more accepting and more welcoming to folks who want to upload there - that might be a good match with you right now, since both your attitude and the site's attitude have improved. I'm sure they'd welcome you back as long as you play nice and perhaps introduce yourself the way you have here. They also have a social groups feature there. It's kind of like a private discussion forum that you can set up and invite people to join, so you could maybe set one up for yourself and your fellow SimTrek "refugees". You can choose to either make it "members only" or make it public so that anyone is free to read and join.
Tumblr is also a fun place for simming stuff. All you have to do is tag your things properly ("sims 2", "sims 2 download", "star trek", etc.) and people will find it. In fact there are lots of Star Trek fans on tumblr - it's a good place for fandom related stuff (not just Star Trek but lots of fandoms). Many folks complain that the Tumblr community is not friendly, but I've been there for 3 years now and have recieved only 1 or 2 rude messages in all that time. Be nice, follow nice people's blogs, and negativity will stay far away.
I'm sure you would be welcome to upload here at Leefish if you wish. We may not have a huge audience or be giant Sci-Fi fans, but we're a friendly bunch... and we do have at least one big Star Trek fan here, whom you probably already know.
And actually, MTS has undergone some big changes with regards to uploading lately - they're trying to be quicker, more accepting and more welcoming to folks who want to upload there - that might be a good match with you right now, since both your attitude and the site's attitude have improved. I'm sure they'd welcome you back as long as you play nice and perhaps introduce yourself the way you have here. They also have a social groups feature there. It's kind of like a private discussion forum that you can set up and invite people to join, so you could maybe set one up for yourself and your fellow SimTrek "refugees". You can choose to either make it "members only" or make it public so that anyone is free to read and join.
Tumblr is also a fun place for simming stuff. All you have to do is tag your things properly ("sims 2", "sims 2 download", "star trek", etc.) and people will find it. In fact there are lots of Star Trek fans on tumblr - it's a good place for fandom related stuff (not just Star Trek but lots of fandoms). Many folks complain that the Tumblr community is not friendly, but I've been there for 3 years now and have recieved only 1 or 2 rude messages in all that time. Be nice, follow nice people's blogs, and negativity will stay far away.
#4
14-12-2013
If you're up for it, I'd consider doing a hybrid of things - no-one says that you have to do one or the other and can't change your mind. There's nothing to say that you have to make up your mind first thing either.
I agree with Fansee - good tagging, and some regular updating make Tumblr a great resource for uniting fans with each other. No matter what else you do, putting pictures up on Tumblr is a great way to connect.
If MTS is feeling a bit daunting, why not try a 'testing of the waters'. Look for a Star Trek forum on there (I suspect that there would likely be one existing), or make a star trek related post in there somewhere. Make a star-trek related upload, and watch who comments. If there are no comments, then there's a clear indication that setting up a forum there won't be worth it.
In the meantime, hang out here! Nix isn't the only Star Trek fan (although my Trekkiness hasn't really ended up in simming except as a wish to do a trek hood sometime, like many of the other themed hoods I want to do).
There's really two issues - one of social, one of creating. I actually find Leefish to be great for both.
I agree with Fansee - good tagging, and some regular updating make Tumblr a great resource for uniting fans with each other. No matter what else you do, putting pictures up on Tumblr is a great way to connect.
If MTS is feeling a bit daunting, why not try a 'testing of the waters'. Look for a Star Trek forum on there (I suspect that there would likely be one existing), or make a star trek related post in there somewhere. Make a star-trek related upload, and watch who comments. If there are no comments, then there's a clear indication that setting up a forum there won't be worth it.
In the meantime, hang out here! Nix isn't the only Star Trek fan (although my Trekkiness hasn't really ended up in simming except as a wish to do a trek hood sometime, like many of the other themed hoods I want to do).
There's really two issues - one of social, one of creating. I actually find Leefish to be great for both.
#5
15-12-2013
Jason, I dont know what you did in the past on MTS. I do know that there is a real effort going on at MTS to be more open and less judgmental. We all make mistakes along the way - its hard to change, but I think that if you know what it was that caused your issues in the past and look at what the site is trying to do now then MTS could be a place for you.
Leefish can be a place for you too - again, I try and overcome my tendencies to being a control freak; I don't always succeed, but I try.
Tumblr; I dunno, I sometimes think that Tumblr is going to have to change in order to grow, there are a lot of aspects of the tumblr set up I don't like and some parts of the community there can be a bit too competitive for me. I have a real thing about popularity contest type behaviour.
Leefish can be a place for you too - again, I try and overcome my tendencies to being a control freak; I don't always succeed, but I try.
Tumblr; I dunno, I sometimes think that Tumblr is going to have to change in order to grow, there are a lot of aspects of the tumblr set up I don't like and some parts of the community there can be a bit too competitive for me. I have a real thing about popularity contest type behaviour.
#6
16-12-2013
Okay. Thanks for the suggestions, all. I'll definitely take this under advisement.
The support here seems overwhelming. I think for the time being, I'll start migrating some of my most recent stuff to Leefish and slowly reintroduce myself at MTS.
The support here seems overwhelming. I think for the time being, I'll start migrating some of my most recent stuff to Leefish and slowly reintroduce myself at MTS.
#7
16-12-2013
You'd be very welcome back at MTS, if you want to post there. We don't give a flying fart what happened five years ago. Most of the MTS mods weren't even around five years ago, so would have no idea what happened back then anyway (I didn't know either, until you said, and I've been there 8 years). And I hope you'll forgive us for the way we acted, too - we've been trying to strike a balance between hosting good content and supporting and encouraging creators for years and we have often got it badly wrong, but I really believe that we're much, much closer to the mark now than we ever have been before.
Ofc, Leefish is also an awesome site, and you'd do very well to settle in here too.
Most of the MTS mods weren't even around five years ago, so would have no idea what happened back then anyway (I didn't know either, until you said, and I've been there 8 years). And I hope you'll forgive us for the way we acted, too - we've been trying to strike a balance between hosting good content and supporting and encouraging creators for years and we have often got it badly wrong, but I really believe that we're much, much closer to the mark now than we ever have been before.Ofc, Leefish is also an awesome site, and you'd do very well to settle in here too.
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