SRS BSNS NEWS TO KNOW!

Over the last few weeks, a fair amount of my time has been dedicated to working with $pachunka (Simon), who runs deviantART's Product division.  We've spent a number of late nights tackling two main projects...

1.  Surf deviantART Ad Free for 24 Hours
The concept is simple.  Watch a short, one minute, video that promotes the deviantART Shop and you'll be granted the ability to enjoy an advertisement-free deviantART experience for 24 hours.  That's it.  This special, limited time, promotion is available to all deviantART members.  If you like the idea (or not), let us know!  The video is a deviation -- comment on it, it, share it with fellow deviants, etc.  

2.  Reports of Malware and Virus Advertisements    
This project is still under wraps, as it's not quite ready for prime time, but I will say that it's focused on keeping deviantART safe from malware and virus advertisements.  Much is going on behind the scenes regarding this topic, and we're putting (and have already put) a ton of effort into combating the issue.  Stay tuned for more.  You'll likely be hearing the first rumblings in the next two weeks.  

CONVERSATIONS WITH GEEKS!

So, that's the "real work" stuff. The stuff that results from long, but rewarding, discussions and brainstorming sessions. The following is what happens on the way to accomplishing "real work."

Simon and I had just finished discussing something we both thought was lame -- not either of the above projects! The following conversation ensued. For context, you should probably know that Simon's a developer, I'm tall, and we're both terribly uncool. Also, has Simon apparently named our future child Tillius, which is definitely not on my list of approved baby names.

[3:32:09 AM] $pachunka:  heidi, it is imperative that if I am ever involved in the creation of something that you think is lame, that you inform me

[3:32:20 AM] $pachunka:  unless it's a baby or something

[3:32:23 AM] $pachunka:  then I might be hurt

[3:32:44 AM] $Heidi:  Wait, did we just have a baby together?  Because now I'm offended that you think our baby is lame.

[3:33:11 AM] $pachunka:  you're the one who hypothetically said it was lame!

[3:33:13 AM] $pachunka:  and it's not an IT

[3:33:18 AM] $pachunka:  it's a he/she

[3:34:14 AM] $pachunka:  heidi, our baby would be a monstrosity. he/she would like programming, but be too tall to reach the keyboard at a reasonably sized desk

[3:34:19 AM] $pachunka:  poor Tillius

[3:34:40 AM] $Heidi:  Wow.

[3:34:41 AM] $pachunka:  tragically tall technically-minded Tillius

[3:34:54 AM] $Heidi:  "Our baby would be a monstrosity."

[3:35:10 AM] $pachunka:  that might have been bordering on harsh

[3:35:30 AM] $Heidi:  I'll say.

[3:35:33 AM] $pachunka:  5% probability

[3:35:51 AM] $pachunka:  but it's ok heidi, they can't feel insulted until at least 3

[3:43:11 AM] $pachunka:  she hates me

[3:43:13 AM] $pachunka:  woe is me

[3:43:36 AM] $pachunka:  5 billion years of evolution only to be insulted as a potential mother

[3:43:44 AM] $pachunka:  she's only right to be furious

[3:44:01 AM] $pachunka:  and I shall fade into the pale dark moonshadow of obscurity

The end.

~Heidi

P.S. - I wasn't mad. Not even a little.  I may have fallen asleep.  

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  Let's Make Physical Art!

I have six posters for a TV show that I love.  But these aren't the normal-sized, hang in your room-type, posters.  They're large.  Each poster measures 4 feet by 6 feet (4'x 6') and features two characters from the show.  I've wanted to do something with the posters for a while, but dedicating wall space to six posters measuring 4' x 6' each is a bit much, even for a dedicated fan like me.

  That's where you come in! Hopefully.

I'm looking for a mixed media and/or collage artist who can help me turn the six posters into one awesome poster.  As I mentioned, each features two different characters and I'd like the end result to include all twelve people.

  This isn't a "cut and paste" request.  I'm not interested in simply cutting out the characters gluing them all on one poster.

  This is a request for someone who is serious about working with me to ultimately create something we'll both be pleased with.  I'm open to including all kinds of mixed media and really want the end result to be fun.  This is also a paid commission.  

  Sound good?

I'd prefer to work with someone in the Southern California area, but won't rule out anyone who thinks this sounds like a fun endeavor and wants to participate.  The posters can always be mailed.

If you're interested, I'd love to hear from you!  Please send me a note so that we can get the ball rolling.  (I'll likely ask to see any physical mixed media work you've done in the past and inquire about why this project caught your eye.)  

If you're not a mixed media artist, but know someone who might be interested, please send them my way.

Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome.  Thanks to all!

~Heidi

  Relevant!

         
      

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  It's funny, because it's true!

[12:22:54 AM] $Heidi: Still awake?

[12:23:26 AM] $chris: yes

[12:23:44 AM] $Heidi: Is it still trolling if you *know* you're being trolled? Isn't that the work of a crappy troll? And thus, not real trolling?

[12:24:35 AM] $chris: if you know you're being trolled, or if you know who you are trolling knows they are being trolled?

[12:25:21 AM] $Heidi: If you know you're being trolled.

[12:25:27 AM] $chris: I think trolling usually ends once it's obvious

[12:25:34 AM] $chris: but it's up to the trollee to end it

[12:25:45 AM] $chris: with the words "you're a troll"

[12:26:07 AM] $chris: past that, they're just desperate

[12:26:41 AM] $Heidi: But the troll(s) don't know that I know.  Who am I to end their fun?

[12:27:14 AM] $chris: in that case you're an übertroll

[12:27:24 AM] $chris: and are better than they are

[12:27:43 AM] $chris: you're trolling the trolls

[12:27:48 AM] $Heidi: The game will continue.

And so it does.  

~Heidi

  Relevant!

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  Remember that one time when...?

During the last few years, I've become very familiar with Alzheimer's disease and how it can quickly change someone's life and the lives of those around them.  My maternal Grandpa was diagnosed roughly six years ago and after he passed, my Grandma began exhibiting the same loss of brain function that occurs with the disease.  (For those who are unaware, Alzheimer's is a brain disease that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior.)

I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, I swear!  In fact, the idea for this journal was born from a recent conversation I had about Twitter and its different uses.  

I have friends who use Twitter solely for professional reasons -- microblogging, socializing with industry colleagues, finding a new job, and so on.  I also have friends who use it purely for fun -- to keep up with the news (both the real and more salacious kind), to stay in the know about the latest Internet memes, and to act as a Twitter witness (aka twitness) reporting live events and interesting things as they happen.

I definitely fall into the latter category.  I rarely tweet about anything worth merit -- no links to industry trends, no thoughts about case studies or reports I've read, and no problem solving tips or tricks.  Instead, I'm much more likely to recount a funny quote I heard or random situation I was part of.

Which brings us back to Alzheimer's.  In the event ::knock on wood:: I ever suffer from some form of dementia, I hope to have enough wherewithal to re-read my tweets.  Why?  Because I use Twitter for me.  Even if I can't remember the context, I want to be able to derive joy from knowing that my younger self felt the desire to document a certain moment in my life.  My Grandma isn't always able to remember how many children she has or what year it is, but she will always, always laugh at a good joke or funny circumstance.  She loves to talk about the "old days" and happily reminisces about her youth.

If I ever find myself in the loony bin, I will take to Twitter and recall things like:

• That time when I used my iPhone to take a photo on the sly, but forgot to turn off the flash.  Feb. 16th.
• That time when `crgriffith told us about her new friend.  Jan. 3rd.
• That time when `mattdanna and $chris made out with an orange.  (Or each other?  My mind is already foggy.  )  Dec. 25th.
• That time when the universe sent me a sign from above.  Oct. 8th.
• That time when I wanted to kill `Puglife29.  Sept. 19th.
• Those times when I called `trowlandson a douche.  Sept. 21st and Sept 22nd.
• Etc., etc. etc.

I'm not using Twitter to save the account of my personal life and experiences.  But should Alzheimer's rob me of my memory, or even if it doesn't and I grow old with full mental capacity, I take stock in the fact that I'll be able to recount snippets of my adventure-filled life, 140 characters at a time.

So, that's me!  If anyone else has thoughts to share about why they use social media for one thing vs. something else, I'd love to hear.

~Heidi

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  First ever town hall meeting!

On Thursday, March 31st, deviantART held our first ever town hall meeting at Shakey's Pizza in Los Angeles.  Not to be confused with the Shakey's in Hollywood.  (Who told you the town hall was being held in Hollywood?!  That person is clearly an idiot.  That's what we call an inside joke, friends!)  All kidding aside, the goal of our event was simply to interact with fellow community members and hold informal discussions about all things deviantART -- ranging from new features and upgrades, to issues about art theft, to site functionality, Points, search, and everything inbetween.  Due to the fact that we wanted to keep this an intimate event, where deviants and admins could interact on a personal level, only twenty-five deviants from the Los Angeles area were asked to attend.  (There were eight admins in attendance.)

Instead of posting my own summary for everything that took place, I'm going to point anyone who is interested in learning more about the event to ^KovoWolf's journal: DeviantARTS First Town Hall Meeting - Summary.  She wrote an in-depth review that is a good read for any fan (or critic) of deviantART.

Update: Additional deviants who attended the town hall meeting have also summarized their experiences:

• dA Meeting! by `dedredhed

• Townhall: Results by ~ESDA06

• I was at the Secret DeviantArt Town Hall Meeting! by `johnpaulthornton

• DA's First Town Hall Meeting 3-31-2011 by *Rocky-O

• Grand Theft Autumn by $wreckling

• Adventures in internets by ~LynxGriffin

• Deviant Town Hall Meeting 3/31/2011 by ~youkai-hime

• devART's TH Meeting/$LaurenKitsune's Oreos by `CreativeJenn

Simply put, in my humble opinion, the event was a success.  We completed what we set out to do, learning much along the way.  I sincerely thank everyone who attended and look forward to holding future town hall meetings with both new deviants and old friends.

~Heidi

P.S. - Extra thanks to `megturney, $Ayame-Kenoshi, `mattdanna, and $LaurenKitsune for their help event planning.

P.P.S - Inb4 the haters gonna hate.  

P.P.P.S. - Hey, look!  It's the Shakey's in Hollywood.  (Again, sorry!)

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  All About Me!

When are you happiest?
Anytime the sun is shining and I'm outside doing something active.

What is your greatest fear?
Getting stuck in an elevator (or any small space).

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Selfishness.

What's been your most embarrassing moment?
In college, for my public speaking class, I had to give a five minute speech with no notes.  Things were going swimmingly for the first few minutes, until I noticed a girl in the front of the class who kept nodding her head and agreeing with me.  I became so distracted that I forgot my train of thought and ended up not speaking for 10 seconds -- which is a lifetime when you're in front of a room full of people.  After class, I went straight to work at deviantART headquarters.  Upon hearing my sob story, +spyed laughed and said, "It's only college.  No one cares.  Now, go put out that fire in the community."  He was right.  And I still got an "A" in the class.  

What is your most treasured possession?
My baby blankie, pillow, and bunny.   

What is your most unappealing habit?
I can be uncompromising.  The more I like someone/the better friends we are, the more uncompromising I become.  I figure, you're already my friend.  I've sucked you in.  You'll probably let me get my way if I hold out long enough.

What do you owe your parents?
Everything.  

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Money.   

What has been your biggest disappointment?
That I don't have a giant vault of money I can dive into and swim in like Scrooge McDuck from DuckTales.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?
To the 80s.  Big hair, neon colors, The Cosby Show, and the Dodgers won the World Series twice.

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Visiting the church that was featured in Sister Act.

What keeps you awake at night?
I recently moved to the Hollywood Hills, but sometimes it feels more like I'm in an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies.  Owls, roosters, geese, and dogs are just a few of the things that tend to ruin my slumber.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Follow your instincts.

The end.

So, that's me, but how about you?  Feel free to answer these questions and leave your responses in my comments.  

~Heidi

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  Simon and Heidi talk about an acorn!

Once upon a time, while at deviantART headquarters, I left my office to grab a soda.  Upon returning to my desk and sitting down at the computer, I found that the world's most perfect acorn had been left on my keyboard.  After a little sleuthing, I learned that my magical acorn had been gifted to me by none other than Captain Fast himself (aka $pachunka, aka Simon).

The following recounts how the glorious acorn came into Simon's, and then my, possession.

Me:  Simon, where did you get the acorn?  Before you answer, please don't tell me you stole it from someone else -- romance the story.

Simon:  It is hardly stolen!  Far, far away on the Middle East mountaintop of Silvertop Abubu, there is a single acorn tree.  I had to use my "other" passport to fly there without arising suspicion.  (My other passport is Tuvaluvian -- .tv, baby!)  The lone acorn tree lies at the peak of a mountain in Rub al Khali.  The empty quarter that borders Saudi Arabia and the great country of Yemen.  I had to evade many bandits to make my claim.

There, on the mountain, I met a great king -- King Winterbottom.  He said his nation was only the mountain.  Who was I to question him?  I then explained that I must retrieve an acorn for a fair maiden.  He nodded and understood, and I received the acorn.  I cherished it and bowed to our friend Winterbottom.  

He offered me a camel to return to society.  I gratefully accepted.  The camel's name was Neil Young and we rode through the desert.  I had a thermos of water from the great land of America.  I then flew back to the airport and to my apartment in Hollywood.  $scir will vouch for me being missing for two days.  It was time most excellently spent.  

A secret that I did not disclose was that, this year, the acorn tree only produced one acorn.  King Winterbottom named it Alagammuchalangistapo.  Treat it with great care.  For it is one of a kind.

Me:  Wow.  Can I make this into a journal one day?

Simon:  You may do so at any time.

The end.

~Heidi

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  What keeps you from commenting?

Long journal is long.

I've made no secret about my love for fan fiction (or more specifically, Legend of the Seeker, Glee, and Fringe related stories).  If you've never read fan fiction, don't judge.  There are a handful of writers in each fandom that produce epic masterpieces -- stories that are far better and more in-depth than anything you could ever watch in one season of a show, let alone a one hour episode.  These are stories of substance that evoke an emotional response, create vivid imagery, and take you on a journey from start to finish.  And often, they're not short.  I've read tales that have been 200,000+ words.  Of course, I've also read (before quickly finding better uses for my time) stories that are complete and total garbage.  But I'm getting off track...

A writer that I follow on LiveJournal frequently posts one chapter of work per week and each chapter receives roughly 15-20 comments from readers.  That's fairly decent.  This specific writer isn't on my short list for those who create masterpieces, but the work is definitely solid.  Due to reasons I won't get into, this writer recently announced that she would be "locking" her posts and making them available to "friends only."  This would be the deviantART equivalent of only allowing mutual friends -- deviants you watch and deviants who watch you back -- to view your deviations and journals.  Thinking that she would get roughly 15-20 new friend requests, the same number of people who regularly comment, the writer asked her readers to "friend" her so they could continue to read the story.  

She ended up getting over 800 friend requests.  

To reiterate, 15-20 comments per chapter (often by the same individuals) and over 800 new friend requests.  That's a terrible comment to reader ratio.  Which leads me to the question, "Why don't more people comment?"  These are obviously readers who are invested enough in the story to want to keep reading, yet have made zero effort to even acknowledge their interest.  (And those are only the ones who sent friend requests.  Many more surely didn't.)  

When this happened, I assumed the writer would be ecstatic to know that her work was being so well received by so many people.  But, as she explained, she was happy with her 15-20 comments when she thought 100 people, tops, were reading her story.  But now knowing that at least 800 people were consuming her updates, she was disappointed not to get more of the feedback she craved as a writer.

When I first started reading fan fiction, I was a poor commenter.  In fact, I admit to not commenting on many stories, even ones I really enjoyed.  Not because I didn't have thoughts to share, but because I was afraid of how they would be received.  While reading, aside from making mental notes about all the things I'm enjoying in a story -- character development, a funny quip, etc. -- I'm also making notes about things I don't like -- story inconsistency and someone acting out of character, for example.  I would hate for a writer to read my critiques and become discouraged because the truth of the matter is, I wouldn't have commented at all if I didn't care.  (As a side note, I still have concerns about providing feedback.  A couple of months ago, I left a detailed constructive critique for a writer and in the next chapter, every single one of my issues had been addressed.  It was by far the worst chapter in the story because the writer had gone out of the way to take into consideration what I had said.)  But, again, I'm getting off track...

Let's bring this back to deviantART.  It's undoubtedly true that you comment on fewer deviations than you view, even on pieces that evoke a response (good or bad).  Why?  What stops you from commenting?  (I'm referring to all deviations, not just works of writing.)

• Lack of time?
• Unsure of what to say?
• Concerns over how your comment will be received?
• If it's a popular piece, do you feel like the artist has already been praised by 'X' number of other people?
• Are you embarrassed to associate yourself with the content you're viewing?  (e.g. political art or artistic nudes)
• Is art so easy to consume that you're overwhelmed with commenting?
• Are you discouraged when an artist hasn't responded to any previous comments?

Please share because I really want to know.  And, if you've made it this far, you get a gold star for reading the whole way through.  

Thank you.  

~Heidi

P.S. - This journal is dedicated to $LaurenKitsune and $aunjuli because I admire their commitment to writing -- even if they won't always let me read what they're working on.  Also, special thanks to $Ayame-Kenoshi and $danlev for listening to me talk about this topic for the last two months, and to `trowlandson because this will probably be the last thing he reads before he's met with an untimely death due to a poltergeist.

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  Let's address the new search limits

I don't tend to write a lot of personal journals on deviantART, or anywhere else, as I find the task to be daunting.  It's much easier to produce a #hq blog on a specific topic, where I need to address certain points, than it is to try and corral my personal thoughts and opinions in a coherent manner.  I always feel like there's a disconnect between my mind and what ends up "on paper."  With that said, I've promised myself to post a journal on the following issues.  Brain disconnect and all.  

This is a brain dump.  Me needing to release thoughts and covering a number of issues in the process.  You have been warned.      

It's no secret that many deviants are unhappy with the recent changes that were made to deviantART's search function.  As explained in a recent #hq blog, search queries were limited to displaying only the first 1,000 results.  This change was made after many months of the search function failing to work on a regular basis.  Under the new 1,000 limit, we're able to provide a faster and more stable search to the deviantART community -- a search that doesn't lag, timeout, or display 0 results (even for popular search terms).    

Let's rejoice!  We have a search function that returns results.  Everyone's happy and we've finally tracked Princess Peach to the right castle.

Just kidding.  She's in another castle.  Do not pass Go, do not collect $200, and start back at World 1-1.

Far and wide, the biggest complaint about the new search is that it negatively impacts lesser known artists -- hindering their ability to have their deviations found, as they'll likely not appear in the first 1,000 search results.  This is a fair complaint and we hear you.  We're working on it.  However, it's not an option to go back to the old search as it was broken.  Please don't spend time making a case to bring it back.  Life's short and you're wasting valuable energy.  Instead, let's look toward what we can do.

We're currently exploring options to help remedy the above complaint, including the possibility of increasing the 1,000 limit a little.  Why can't we simply up the number and be done with it?  IT'S HARD!  Mathematically and in terms of server resources, it's not possible to deliver accurate search results at the size we were doing so before (which is part of the reason the old search broke).  DeviantART is big.  Really, really big.  Ten years of life equates to ten years of legacy code.  Code that needs to work together for the site to function, let alone function well.  There are only so many moves you can make with the cards you're dealt.  We're doing the best we can.  

In addition to possibly increasing the search limit, deviantART Discovery (still in beta) was designed for deviants who want to expand their +WATCH.  It displays how many watchers each deviant has, allowing browsers the ability to find super talented, yet undiscovered, artists.  We're also planning on having the search engine support browsing deviations by +favs.  This will allow deviants to specifically search for less popular stuff.    

That's the extent of my brain dump on that particular search issue for the moment.  In closing that issue, I will add that mistakes were made.  We're not perfect.  Could and should we have pre-announced the change, explaining when it was coming and why it was needed?  Yes, absolutely.  We miscalculated and we're sorry.  Sometimes, journals like this don't get written until two weeks after the fact because in the interim we're dealing with even bigger issues -- issues that will never make the light of day because we were able to address and deal with them before ever even becoming apparent.  

Together, we've built something amazing, and to believe that those who run deviantART have anything less than the best of intentions for the site and its community couldn't be further from the truth.  We're here.  We're listening.  We're rehashing functionality every single day within the limitations that are real and sometimes can't be avoided.  But we're still doing everything we can.  I've said this before, but the one thing that has always remained constant, and picks me up during my lowest points, is my absolute love for the deviantART community.  I honestly believe there isn't a better community out there -- not only for artists, but also for art lovers and fans of entertainment.  

~Heidi

P.S. - I've received many notes and comments in regards to the search issue, and would like to thank those of you who presented your thoughts and opinions in a constructive manner -- making it easier on me to read and keep track of feedback.  To those of you who chose to express yourselves with phrases like "DIAF" and "You will be destroyed," I thank you as well.  But a little less.  And to you, I say...

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  Is Heidi mad at Chris?  Yes.

Dear $chris,

This is only the beginning.  You are in for it.



You brought this on yourself.  



All the best,
~Heidi

P.S. - Special thanks to `PattersonArt for the turtle drawing.  

  STAMPS!