I've just bought an enormous rocket from hostrocket.com. Silly really, i haven’t got a garden, and i was only looking for some short stories.

I have to agree with the comments about Frontpage. It may seem good at the beginning, as it has that familiar Microsoft interface. However in all honesty its a bit Mickey mouse. The more you develop the more you might find it a limitation. Dreamweaver is much better. It you want to code some HTML try something like HTML kit (free!) or if you are rich InterDev from Microsoft. If you really want to develop something original, and have full control of your site doing at least some coding is the best way forward. Sorry to get all techno geek, it’s my job you see...

Yup. It looks like the link posted in the first entry on this forum thread (if that's the correct jargon) no longer points to where it should.
Has anybody seen Short Stories Central?
And what is .tk an abbreviation for? Turkey, perhaps. Or Timbuktu (Oh to be in the Sahara, now that winter's here!)

I had seen Short Story Site but now the Rocket thing appears. However when all is back to normal I would like to know who decides which stories go on site and (if possible) the yardsticks by which such stories are assessed?

Sam -- honest, I've no intention of making this thready-thingie techno-geekish but I am to computing wot Jeffrey Archer is to English Literature so. . . You mentioned something called a HTML kit *free*! Any idea where such can be obtained?? (And would it better to start writing everything in html now seeing as how the publishing industry appears to be growing jaded with conventional offerings? Or mayB do t h0l thing in txt??)

Cheers, Richard

I don't think there is any mileage at all in thinking about writing - in the sense of what WriteWords is all about - in HTML. HTML is a computer language for creating web pages and all that annoying dross you have to wade through to find what it is you want on the user-friendly, intuitive Internet. (And that from somebody who is a bit - a little bit - of a techie nerd!).
Maybe the first step in bringing technology into the (literary) writing business is to ask/persuade more organisations to accept submissions by email.
I'll climb down off the soap-box now.
John

Yes but, Jumbo, what about the ultimate post-modern novel? The whole thing could be so utterly bloody impenetrable it would be bound to win The Booker. I can see the review now: 'a masterclass of tagging, the attributes follow a narrative arc so beguiling in its beauty that one is reminded simultaneously of Hemingway and Dreamweaver. Rarely has fiction been so rich, so dense, and so flawless of scripting.' Be no need to buy an endorsement off of Tom Clancy.

Richard

Richard
Ahhh! I see where you're coming from now!
John

Now if only an agent will one day utter those special words. . .!

Richard

It would be nice for all you techno-geeks to cease demonstrating your undoubted expertise with IT and get back to the main points.

What is the purpose of this new site? What 'standards' or values will be used to assess whether work is included, or perhaps one should ask what low standards will apply to say that a short story is 'not acceptable'. Who applies the standards?

Ooops, Sorry.

John (confessed techno-geek)

Me no Geekum. This new short stories thing no site-um either. Pending news to the contrary, I think it and Deryk have vanished. I wouldn't be posting stuff there anyway as WriteWords is the only place to be. PS: still haven't worked out wot tk means.

Richard

Hi, thank you for your comments. Yes, the site has gone down for some reason, but I am currently setting up a new one, and a new address for Short Stories Central is on the way.
In answer to the question about how stories are judged: Most stories are accepted, they are checked for offensive material beforehand and also it is made sure the author can write in proper sentances and captial letters (readable, in other words).
Here is the direct link to the forums, feel free to post any stories there.
http:/main.myfreebb.com/Dman

See you there, and the site should be up soon!

Hi Deryk. Good to know you're alive and kicking. I'm just wondering, aren't you taking on a hell of a job with your site? I don't know the first thing about IT etc but don't hosting companies charge small fortunes? Anyway. Best o' luck with it.
Richard

I now have the site up and running. I do not plan to update it from its current state however, as the site may shortly be moving to a new domain, and believe me, it already looks different, and I've still to impliment most of the new features I wanted. So, the next update is on Jan. the tenth.
Feel free to sign in to the forums, not many people seem to have done so (the forums are going to be preserved, don't worry).
Yet another story has been added, Gutter Rat, by me, and Yinaka's Legacy by Graham.
Thanks for the comments and kind words, it's always nice to hear them.
Cheers guys,
Deryk

<Added>

Oh yes, to clear up some things.
.tk is Toleku, a small island in the Pacific. (No, I don't live there, I live in Glasgow.)
We are currently buying a new domain for Short Stories Central, and once that is completed, the site updates I'm working on at the moment will be posted on to that at once.
Cheers,
Deryk

Thanks, Deryk. Let's see how it all goes. (Hey: love the bit about the South Pacific island. Maybe we could all meet up there one day. . .)

Richard