With FA's continued semi-downtime, I've decided to create a Weasyl account (https://www.weasyl.com/profile/twilightchaos) . I still like Inkbunny but there just doesn't seem to be a lot of traffic here, so I'm giving Weasyl a shot to see what the traffic is like over there. Once FA gets up and running normally (or semi-normally), I'll continue to use it and update it just the same as Inkbunny and Weasyl. However I'm getting the feeling that more and more people are just going to abandoning FA altogether as years pass because the site, for whatever intra-political or technical problems it has, cannot keep itself updated and secure. Problems abound and this isn't the place for discussion, debate, or conjecture on why, because maybe "why" doesn't matter anymore..
In life I believe that many things can be likened to a house. When a house falls into disrepair, there are two ways to fix it. One is to try and patch or fix the problem. But sometimes the problem lies within the foundation, or the damage too widespread for it to be economical to fix. Sometimes it's just easier, quicker, cheaper to raze it and rebuild from the ground up. That's why diplomacy and negotiation don't always work, it's why cars get disposed of after a serious accident, and perhaps it is time that the furry community, by and large (and mostly bi and large :P ), take a look at FA and ask themselves if they really want to continue supporting a site that always seems to be falling further behind.
True enough. Also, 2 and half year-old journal here :P Not that I'm complaining or anything, just find it funny to get a comment after all this time.
In the time since I've made this journal, I've really not been impressed by Weasyl, and I really know if I'll update there anymore. That site still feels like early beta. The page layouts are a unwieldy mess, the search function is still primitive, users are still doing a poor job of making custom thumbnails, and the userbase still seems to be a tiny fraction of FA's. Literally the ONLY thing they seem to have going for them, is that they currently lack the drama FA has, and that's probably due to a lack of people there, ironically.
I feel like I'm in a no-win situation when it comes to these art sites. If I continue posting to FA, then I'm acting as an "enabler" for a bad site. If I don't post on FA, then my work gets next to no views elsewhere. I suppose artists who depend on art as income have a much harder choice; as mine is simply a question of vanity or principle.
It's not that I want FA to fail, it's just that I don't see it getting any better and I don't want to be a part of it. If FA made huge, [Donald Trump] YUUUUGEEE [/Donald Trump] strides to revamping code, securing itself, and getting diplomatic staff, I'd happily stay. But I don't see it happening.
True enough. Also, 2 and half year-old journal here :P Not that I'm complaining or anything, just
It's an unfortunate situation all round. As you say, at least you're in a position to choose. Many artists feel tied to FA, and can't justify the investment of time to start things up elsewhere. (Which of course is why it was worth IMVU buying it out.)
FA has had many, many chances to improve. They burnt up their goodwill, and then some. Yet, it's also outlasted many competitors. Given their size, prospective competitors have to work twice as hard just to keep up.
It's an unfortunate situation all round. As you say, at least you're in a position to choose. Many a
