Question on Good Blogging Platforms

[labingi]

So my essay from a few years ago on pregnancy in TV science fiction got cited on Wikipedia, but alas the website where it was published is defunct, so the Wikipedia link is now dead. I'd like to post the essay elsewhere so I can provide an updated Wikipedia reference, but I'm not sure where. I don't want it to just disappear in another few years when another domain expires.

Suggestions?

Should I post it on my personal Dreamwidth or LJ (listing it as a reissue of the original publication so it doesn't just look like someone's personal blog entry)?

Is there somewhere else I should shop it that's likely to remain in business or maintain a stable archive?

(It's not a formal critical essay with researched citations, aside from referencing specific shows' episodes--i.e. primary sources. It's more a fan meta essay in a sort of casual-academic tone. Probably about 2 printed pages.)

Comments

[vilakins]

I'd suggest google sites; easy to set up and unlikely to disappear.

I'd also like to read your essay.

[elf]

There's notfic, which was created for that kind of essay.

(And dammit. I want an AO3 for meta. Soon.)

AO3 has grudgingly admitted that meta is not entirely off-purpose and probably won't be booted out. (And certainly isn't being looked for to be thrown out.) But that's still a bit fuzzy for me; I wouldn't want to host meta there with the intent of linking to it.

[labingi]

Thanks for the suggestion and the interest. I hope to get the essay up soon.

[labingi]

Interesting! Thanks for the tips! Yes, I'd also be gleeful about meta on AO3. I do understand their reluctance to take on something that would doubtless require a massive server upgrade--it's hard enough for them to support the fic. But it would be awesome!

[elf]

I gather it's not about amount of content, but issues of, one, it's often hard to identify a "fandom" for meta and troublesome to tag them with half a dozen or more fandoms (or pairings) (so, the header structure would need to be redesigned for "how meta should be labeled" instead of "how fic should be labeled), and two, they don't want eight zillion bits of "meta" that are "Did you see the newest Torchwood? Lemme squee about how awesome Jack Harness looked with his shirt ripped."

I'm in the camp that thinks this is no worse than some of what gets posted as fic. If they're allowing single haiku to be "fic," along with atrociously-punctuated drabbles, I'm not seeing a drop in quality by encouraging meta. But the header issue is real... there's no good way to label any kind of non-fic content on AO3. They probably need multiple sections of the archive for different media types: fic, meta, possibly filk, vids, art, maybe other things. (Cosplay? Gamestuffs?)

[labingi]

Interesting! Yes, I agree with you that there should be a separate section (or site?) for meta. I would not want wade through hundreds of meta hits if I'm looking for fic or hundreds of fic hits if I'm looking for meta.

The content issue is thorny. I also think it's probably least suspect to allow anything, but I do think a tiny squee is a little different from a tiny drabble: a drabble can be a specific art form. It's hard to image three lines of meta that are worthwhile to anyone, unless it's the most brilliant aphorism ever. Were I on the board, I might float the idea of a minimum length requirement, but I say that tentatively.