makeashrine

makeashrine is the dedicated discussion site for site-making events hosted at oubliette.nu. Its purpose is to provide a space for interaction with like-minded site makers so as to promote activity in this sphere of the web and the birth of new shrines. As a Dreamwidth community, it is open exclusively to

participants registered for the currently active event (Our Kingdoms Eternal Site Marathon), and
participants registered for the preceding event (Ghost of You Shrine Challenge).

( Posting Guidelines )

A request: Let’s talk with each other rather than at each other. Let’s make conversation, try to get to know our fellow site makers and show interest in their projects, whether or not we are acquainted with the subject matter.

Ready to mingle? Join the community and send me a message with the name you used to sign up for the event to be approved.

rigelatin

I'd like to hear some opinions, experiences, and ideas on the topic of encouraging interaction with our fansites and collectives.

Long ago, making a fansite was practically a way of saying "contact me and let's chat about the subject" - sometimes even to the point that we'd need to make FAQs to stop a certain question from being sent over and over again! - but over the years internet habits have very much changed, and now I'm finding myself in the opposite position: I put so much effort writing fansites, I make a properly tagged post on social media to inform of new and updated content, and people simply don't reply. Don't interact. Don't know if they even read. If there is any interaction, it's usually just a like on the update post, which, thank you, but I didn't put all this effort editing a whole essay and maintaining a whole site just to be told "okay". I want to have conversation!

So I realize that there must be a disconnect of some sort, either in my fansite formats or in how I advertise the updates or in social media habits themselves or... My personal goal with my participation to the Our Kingdoms Eternal event is to address this disconnect and try to bridge it - try to make it evident and clear on my collective and fansites that I'm not just making pages to be read passively, I'm looking for connection and interaction.

So far these are my ideas for what might help. Please add your own, and your experiences with these also!

Guestbook. I don't have one yet, but it seems like a good thing to encourage at least making one's presence known.

Proper contact page with fillable form. I also don't have one, just my email freely dropped here or there. But at this point just telling people "send me an email" is no longer really an expectable behavior for light conversation, I don't think...

Being generally less polished, actually, to hopefully make people less intimidated. I have no data, but I wonder how much that impacts it.

I was amused by the clap button on the event website and, yeah, thinking about it - they used to be common back in the late 2000s, and they were a nice way of just recording that a visit occurred. I think I want one. (Any suggestion on scripts, or should I code it myself?)

Generally being more clear on both fansites and update posts that yes, do contact me please.

In the new collective layout I'm working on, I'm adding little... what can I call them? Interactable quizzes? Tiny text adventures? relevant to what I'm writing. This is very silly, but I hope it can get the visitor in the mood of interactivity, and then maybe later these silly bonuses could spark conversation when I direct them to the guestbook...

Tell me your thoughts!

nepenthee

To my delight, some participants have linked to the marathon on their collective to declare what they're up to. In one case, that has even directly led to a sign-up! (Thanks,

ichiharas!)

That got me thinking: In the fansite sphere, event buttons such as the ones currently up on the site are typically uploaded as a badge of honour after submitting your site, to show that you participated in an event (which may even have inspired the site/design in the first place) and made it to the finish line, and to direct visitors to fellow event creations. Naturally, such buttons can just as well be used to inform about your current activity (and to advertise the event), as in the case mentioned above… But what if we had fun lil graphics specifically for that?

I don't know about the future, but it so happens that there are Neo-Queen Serenity sprites (from the game Sailor Moon: Another Story!) that would make nice status buttons for the current event. :D I think it unlikely that I'll have time to make pixel buttons, blinkies etc., but I'm posting the sprites here in case anyone would like to make some. They could say something like: current status: our kingdoms eternal marathon.

The sprites are from The Spriters Resource if you need the original files or want to browse other elements. Any status buttons without Sailor Moon theme are most welcome too!

If you make any buttons and share them here, I'll upload them to the event site – and the more, the merrier. :) That aside, I'd love to hear if there's any interest in such buttons in general (namely for future shrine events).

nepenthee

Collectives aren't self-serving sites, but made to house all the web projects we've made and (still!!) want to make, big or small, and not limited to shrines. So do tell: What are you working on right now, or what have you just finished?

Let's share and show off, discuss and cheer each other on as our event productivity hopefully inspires activity all around our networks and vice versa! WIP shots are very welcome. ;D

larissa

Hello! I'll be helping out nepenthee once again, so you'll see a few posts from me now and then during this event.

How do I...?

Is there something you want to achieve in your project, but you don't know how to make it happen? Ask here! Chances are that someone can point you in the right direction. This can be related to code or design or anything you're struggling with in the execution of your plans. Questions of all levels are welcome, no matter how simple or complex the thing you're struggling with.

That said, if your question is more general or conceptual, do feel free to make your own post to invite wider discussion.

Resources

While it's certainly possible to create web projects without outside assistance, most of us rely on myriad resources around the web to achieve our goals. Have you found something that others might find useful? Share it here! Be it design elements, code snippets, graphic resources, or anything else, you're welcome to share in the comments below. Even if what you've found isn't useful for your work, it's entirely possible that someone else will be inspired by it.

Keep track of updates!

For those of you new or returning to Dreamwidth, you can easily keep on top of all comments made to this post (or any post) by tracking it. Simply click the bell icon on this post and you'll receive all comments directly in your email inbox, so you don't have to check back manually. You're welcome to comment on this post for the duration of the event, so do check back from time to time.

Hope everyone is doing well with their projects! Let's make this event a success together.

nepenthee

The new event, Our Kingdoms Eternal, is live! Check out the marathon website for more Information.

We won‘t have official checkpoints this time around, but you are warmly invited to make new discussion, resource, help and plug posts anytime (please tag them accordingly).

As stated in the updated sticky post, both the participants of the new event as well as of the previous event (the Ghost of You Shrine Challenge) are welcome to take part in conversations here. The intention is to keep the active member group dynamic while encouraging interaction between different cohorts (of adjacent events). (And who knows, maybe someone from the previous event decides to sign up this time around after brainstorming with someone new!) On that note, do check out the final line-up and the plugs from the previous event, and comment freely if you wish.

I hope you‘re as excited as I am for the new event and that you sign up. :D If you do, what are your plans (immediate and potential ;D) and where are you starting from?

nepenthee

New event, new group – let’s introduce (or reintroduce) ourselves! :D (This only goes for participants in the new event.) Not sure what to say? Here are some ideas:


<b>Name:</b> 
<b>Collective/Main site:</b>

<b>Latest finished project(s):</b> (site-related)
<b>Next project(s):</b> (outside of this event)

<b>Currents:</b> (any web stuff, a fandom you’re active in, a book you’re reading, things you’re trying out, recent life events etc.)

nepenthee

Hello! With some delay (low energy after event end), I'm plugging my new shrine:

Nanako Amachi from The Top Secret

This shrine has been on my wishlist, so to speak, for many, many years, and I am so glad and relieved that I was finally able to make it come true so that it doesn't haunt me any longer. I also don't think that I'd have been able to put together a layout so quickly without a deadline, with all the elements falling together.

Though a character shrine in name, the site is more accurately a re-experiencing and processing of the particular chapter/criminal case. If you aren't familiar with the series, worry not, as no prior knowledge is required. If you check out the shrine and it speaks to you, know that the series itself is among my favourite manga and well worth a read for its delicate portrayal of human complexity and loneliness across various criminal cases.

There are two essays I still need to finish to close my thoughts, but in the meantime, I was able to add various images around the site, with more to follow. The site's incomplete state has had me reluctant to draw attention to it, but in the spirit of this event and shrine challenges in general, here I go. :> It was a real joy to make use of these dedicated months and to race to the finish with everyone. <3

I'd be happy to hear your thoughts, here, in my guestbook or elsewhere!

Edit 6 April: The shrine is now finished!

Active Event

runtime: 1 May – 4 Oct 2026
sign-ups: 1 May – 31 Jul 2026

See the event website for more information.

recent entries

Sticky: Let’s make sites together!

Fansites and encouraging interaction

Status buttons?

Current projects

How do I...? Help and resources post

How do I...?

Resources

Keep track of updates!

Launch: Our Kingdoms Eternal

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plug: Dreaming through the Noise

Active Event

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