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A Message From Herself; who is being held incommunicado!
Topic Started: Oct 5 2007, 02:54 AM (12,746 Views)
suzdal
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Minister of Silly Hats
Citizen of the Association
It is most charming of Our Illustrious Raison d'Etre (did I get that right, spence-ji?) to make such an offer. I, too, came to Shejidan from a positive mention in the :cherryh: Blog. Then I googled around to find this place. It was very like a pilgrimage and arriving was very like arriving at the Promised Forum. I like the fact that one discovers clues to our existence through reading of the :cherryh: Blog. I mean, after all, a passion for :cherryh: is what we all have in common. How could one be happy here if one did not read the Blog faithfully?

I vote for no additional promotion. I hesitate to call it secret. That sounds unwelcoming and cliquish. Veiled? Obscure? Mysterious?

Some of you have met me. I'm sure you will find it unsurprising to learn that I have never been called 'mysterious' with any sobriety.

Peace,
Suzdal
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Reptile

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I would like more traffic if it is an indication that :cherryh: is getting the sales, readership, and attention that her works deserve.

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Vetch
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Mahen Anthropologist
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Busifer,Apr 14 2008
10:32 AM
In my experience the difference between a troll-intense flameboard and a civilised discussion group is the following -

> The general tone of the board. If everyone is polite the behaviour spreads. This is to say role models are important.

> A set of rules.

> A group of members actively policing.

> A shared interest in the topic/s.

The actual number of members have nothing to do with what happens. So being scared of flamewars suddenly taking over Shejidan is moot.

That said I'm still pro 'secrecy', for other reasons. Do we want to be officially linked to CJC? A matter of integrity, for both parts...

Late, but I want to answer this, which is true, as far as I can tell.
But.
I know some boards, big and small, and only two of them are without random silliness (of the dumb kind) or trolling. This one, and another one, which is a really really huge board (about tarot).
That big tarot board has no trolling at all. So yea, it can be done. But on a big board that comes with a price: very very very strict rules. No OT-ing at all, no posting in the wrong thread or forum. The mods there are busy all the time. They are actively and always policing the boards. They are polite, but without mercy.
It's a nice board, it's very lively and fun if you stick to the rules, but it's restrictive, too.

I feel that Shejidan is mostly self-regulating; meaning: the community here is doing it. Yea, we go OT, we sometimes post in the 'wrong' forum or thread etc., but that's ok, imo, because it happens in the flow of discussion, and normally doesn't get too much, and things are just relaxed and sensible over here. Very very rarely is there any need for the guild to intervene.

That's the benefit of a small forum. And, just as Busifer says: "The general tone of the board. If everyone is polite the behaviour spreads. This is to say role models are important."


BTW, I don't think that a link on Her site will result in random hordes of trolls invading Shejidan. But as many others I do like the fact that one has to find this place by actively searching. It's... a game, it's magic, it's kinda romantic... :flower:
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kyran

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I always get here via her site :) so she has to keep writing it so I don't spend too much time there finding where here is
how long 'about' does it take til the next book is in the shops?
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joekc6nlx
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kendo bain sidhe
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I might add that a society that has no regular "police" force, but does have a professional Assassins Guild, has every reason in the world to remain civilized towards each other.

Much could be said for the armed citizen in Robert A. Heinlein's novel, "Assignment In Eternity" (I'm doing this from memory, so if it's the wrong novel, please, please, please, tell me!) If you are not polite, you can be challenged - the outcome of which could be an abrupt rearrangement of your molecules to become worm food.

I try very hard not to impress my warlike tendencies on anyone else, and to respect the rights of others to their opinions. Along with that, if I see someone is being a pain, I tend to ignore them, even though the temptation is there to File Intent.
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Resa
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Drawer of Stuff
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After reading my associates responses to the question, I'm officially going with staying in the shadows.

A good point has been made -- it hurts no one to do a little work to find Shejidan. I, myself, found it after reading the first few books in the Foreigner series, and caring enough to do many web searches in hopes to find fan art. That led me to the old website, the new forum, and finally Cherryh's webpage.

It was, in retrospect, a fun journey.

Besides ...
There is also something quite mischievously fun about being part of something she has not linked on her page ... but mentions favorably on her journal. It's kinda like being part of a secret club, isn't it?

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Lemn

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I found this board from reading pages and pages of her blog. I wanted to learn about upcoming books and see what she blogs about. It was mentioned somewhere in there. Once found on her site it is childsplay to find this site even without the actual url.

If you have even rudimentary skills in google searching then you can do this rather easy search:

c.j. cherryh fan site

Shejidan is number one on that search.

I dont think there is any secret to this website. It doesnt need publicity really. It can remain here for those that seek it. If you didnt want to find it then it isnt forced upon you. If you wanted to find it and you used your smarts to find it then that works out better. This way you only get people interested in being here and not just random traffic.

Also to the folks that wonder if site traffic equates to more sales. I would have to say maybe...maybe not. I know a few of my family in their 40s and 50s dont use the web for anything other than email. They have read the books but do not have any interest in the internet and its capabilities. These books are not new and perhaps her readers are older. I do know for a fact that her books, when new, do get bought up at our Barnes & Nobles. So she is not totally an unknown writer.



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cicely58
Chaos Elemental
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joekc6nlx said:
Much could be said for the armed citizen in Robert A. Heinlein's novel, "Assignment In Eternity" (I'm doing this from memory, so if it's the wrong novel, please, please, please, tell me!) If you are not polite, you can be challenged - the outcome of which could be an abrupt rearrangement of your molecules to become worm food.
---------------------

Possibly you mean Beyond This Horizon? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_This_Horizon
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Leela-ji
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Thank you, cicely58! :atwink Back to business; yes, I vote for prudence. Hey, and we are not even hiding so people really interested will find us.
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agricola
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This place isn't at all hard to find. But you do have to look for it. But once you know it exists and know the name, it's a breeze.

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starexplorer
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First Contact Assassin
Admin
Quote:
 
I'm sure you will find it unsurprising to learn that I have never been called 'mysterious' with any sobriety.


I dunno, suzdal. I think you can be a bit mysterious in your openness.
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Felicitous Sk8er
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Ice Queen Assassin
Admin
Kyran wonders:
Quote:
 
how long 'about' does it take til the next book is in the shops?


Are you wondering when a specific book such as Cyteen II : Regeneration will be published -- or how long it takes in general for most of :cherryh: books to hit the stores?
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suzdal
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Minister of Silly Hats
Citizen of the Association
You entertain me, star-ji! It is true that I find it pleasant to secret myself in a deluge of information. The best way to hide a thing is by putting it right out in the open.

Peace,
Suzdal
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starexplorer
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First Contact Assassin
Admin
I begin to understand you, suzdal-ji.

You are an open book, a mysterious open book.
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griffinmoon
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Ranger
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"Low key" is a good phrase. I'd rather stay low key. "Big time" invites far too much kitche for me.
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