Things as I understand them

[kitsuneheart]

 So, there's been a lot of silence from the runners of Jinjurly's archive, and I wanted to give people a brief synopsis of where things are, as I know of them.

The last communication I received from the two main archive mods was on August 20th, which said the uploading of the archive backup would begin that weekend. This is obviously not the case. On October 22nd and November 5th, I sent out e-mails to the two main mods, asking for a status update, and have received nothing in return. Checking on their Dreamwidth statuses, neither has done any sort of updating since mid-October. I am running under the assumption that they're busy adults who have had to step back from fandom, and I understand that completely. 

That said, having seen a LOT of fandom resources disappear during the late 90s and early 2000s, I was not going to just sit back and let the archive disappear in a blink, so I took a few precautions this month.

I have made a personal backup of all the zipped files currently available for an easy download from the archive--that is, all the newest stuff. It's about 100GB of stuff, which is...not much, really. I believe we were once over 1 TB. But, should the archive backlog ever be restored, I will also be making a backup of that, since I've got hella bandwidth and storage space.

I have made a mirror of the archive website, but it's not something that I would ever want to use. It's basically a little local HTML file for each page, rather than the database that the archive actually runs on. There's the potential to reconstruct a database from this mirror, but man, that is not a pleasant process. It would blow.

So, while I'm waiting for the backlog of zipped files to reappear or for some sort of word from the higher-ups, I'm kind of continuing on from here with business as normal. Until there's some word from the higher-ups, I won't be finding old podfics to replace the backlog, because that is...wow. No. Especially now when there's no communication.

A bit of good news, though: I am nothing if not a hoarder. A hoarder of over 260 fandoms, including some of the biggest on the archive. So I have what I'd call about 99% of all podfic on the archive from the following fandoms:
Fandoms Google Doc

So, yeah. If you're really looking for a particular fic among those fandoms, I probably have it. Granted, for my own personal storage, I did convert all fics to 32kbps and have standarized the metadata to my system (look, I'm a librarian, this actually brings me a lot of comfort), so it's kind of "my way or the highway."

My current projects for the Jinjurly archive include:

1) Finishing up fixing old "audiobook only" archive pages, so each recorded work has a single post, which includes mp3, m4b, and all other file types. (Down to under 40 problem fics.)
2) Continued uploading of new podfic.
3) Actually recording and encouraging people to make Steven Universe podfics, where are my gems, where are they?

I do hope that someone can get in contact with the head mods. I'd really, really like some confirmation of what's going on, even if it's to say that the backups are not viable and we have to go back and find things all over again. If someone would just TELL US, we can make plans..

Comments

[xancredible]

Hi!

Wow, that is an amazing workload you've put yourself through (and still plan to work out).

I can offer a load of Merlin podfics. I've deleted those I didn't enjoy but I still have at least a hundred, if not more, stored. Some of them even are no longer available from the original podficcers themselves. If you like to add them to your personal collection, I'd be happy to exchange email addresses, etc. and we see about transferring them? (I'm on parakaproductions, so I could upload them all there for you to download. Or we use dropbox. If you're interested, that is.)

Also, I completely understand about standardising metadata. I haven't done it for my own podfics (yet), because what is time? but I'm a librarian myself so I totally get where you're coming from :D

[kitsuneheart]

Merlin is one fandom I don't have! If you've got them on Dropbox, that is the most convenient for me, since I have a DB Pro account. Would just mean you giving me read-only permissions, and then it would take care of downloading on its own.

[xancredible]

I'm looking into it. Meanwhile, paraka commented below about adding backlog files to the archive. I was thinking about maybe doing that instead? If I'm going to upload them anyway, might as well do that and have them added back to the archive, yes?

[desireearmfeldt]

Thank you for keeping the lights on!

[kitsuneheart]

I'm not so much keeping the lights on as standing in an empty room, wondering who the fuck owns the house.

[desireearmfeldt]

:(

[cantarina]

Thanks for all of your hard work!

[ayremis]

Thank you for the update!

[dodificus]

I do hope that someone can get in contact with the head mods. I'd really, really like some confirmation of what's going on, even if it's to say that the backups are not viable and we have to go back and find things all over again. If someone would just TELL US, we can make plans..

SING IT

[kitsuneheart]

Like, I understand that people have lives and work and can take a while to respond. But...over a month? That's...that's just unsettling.

[justaddgigi]

Thank you so much for doing this. I would hug you if I could. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share some of the old fayjay podfics? Especially the Antichrist`s incestuous bride and her Merlin fics that she actually wrote herself . Those where my favorites and i miss them terribly.

[cybel]

I originally made most, if not all, of FayJays m4bs for her and uploaded her stuff to the Archive. If you are able to contact her for permission, I'd be happy to upload what i still have on file to my FF account.

[justaddgigi]

Sorry for being so late getting back to you. Thank you! I will contact fayjay as soon as possible.

[(Anonymous)]

I emailed her and thankfully got permission from her. So how do you want me to download the podfics? Do you want to set up a Google drive share thingy?

[justaddgigi]

The anon post was mine. I forgot to sign in.

[cybel]

I can upload the m4bs I have to FF. I'll figure out how to make the links available after that. I've only ever uploaded to the Archive before, really, and I don't have access there anymore. :-)

[kitsuneheart]

FF? Not familiar with that.

[cybel]

Sorry, I'm just lazy. FileFactory.

[justaddgigi]

Oh that's fine. As long as i can download them. Thanks again!

[cybel]

These are direct links:

Student Prince audiobook, split into 3 parts, about 140-160 MB each:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Student Prince audiobook (complete), 15+ hours, 427 MB:
here

I didn't find any more Merlin fics both written and read by FayJay, but if there are any by other authors you want, let me know.

[justaddgigi]

Thank you! Do you also happen to have The Incestuous Courtship of the Antichrist's Bride?

[cybel]

I do, but I can't upload it to FIleFactory due to their terms of service. I don't want to risk my lifetime membership, and they forbid, among other things, incest... Silly in this case, but there you go.

If I find a place to put it, I'll send a link. My brain is fried these days, and figuring stuff out is hard: old age sucks!

[xancredible]

You could always email justaddgigi directly, possibly? Or rename the files into something less telling? I doubt FF checks all the files for content if they're audio, and once justaddgigi has downloaded the file, delete it again.

[justaddgigi]

That sucks. Maybe Google drive or dropbox?

[cybel]

I've already changed the name of the file, but my main concern is with random trolls reporting infringement; my lifetime account is too dear to risk. It is a time of great paranoia, after all.

I've been trying to get a downloadable link from Google Drive, but all instructions have failed. I'm stumped at this point. Maybe I'll just go ahead and put it on FF for you, then delete it when you've downloaded. It looks like eventually Paraka will have a solution for us uploading files, anyway. She's a gem!

Be back to you soon!

[(Anonymous)]

oh,this is an easily solved solution. I use utility that generates a direct download link for Google drive. I use it all-time and it works.
https://sites.google.com/site/gdocs2direct/

[cybel]

Excellent! Thank you; the link works for me. At least it does in Firefox and Chrome. I'm having problems with Safari refusing to access urls it claims have too many redirects. I haven't been able to solve that problem yet.

Here it is if you want to test it:
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B9wqNgrjRAfWcWpwU19UQno5XzQ

I'll go ahead and delete the FF version.

[cybel]

Uploaded fast this morning: here :-)

Let me know when you've got it and I'll take it down.

[justaddgigi]

go ahead and take the FF one down. Thanks again!

[cybel]

Will do,

[justaddgigi]

Hey, I'm sorry for bugging you after all this effort you went through,but would you mind uploading this to Google drive. I'm having a hard time downloading it from FF.

[justaddgigi]

*I meant the student princr.

[cybel]

Do you want the split 3 part version, or the complete 1 parter?

[(Anonymous)]

The complete one please.

[cybel]

Took all night for them to get me a sharable link, but finally:
here

[justaddgigi]

Thank you so much for all your effort. I just appreciate it so much! I just want to hug you! Thank you!

[cybel]

Hug gratefully accepted. :D

[xancredible]

I should have all of FayJay's Merlin podfic as mp3. I'm working on getting all my stored Merlin podfics uploaded so kitsuneheart can add them to her collection and then back to the archive. I'm willing to provide you with a temporary download link.

[justaddgigi]

Oh thank you! I most miss the student prince. If you have copies of it, I would be more than grateful. 😘😊

[xancredible]

Do you still need it as mp3? cybel has provided the m4b download links above, but if you'd rather have mp3, I can get on uploading them.

[justaddgigi]

I personally don't need the mp3s but if you still want to post the links for anyone else interested in downloading them that would be fine. Thank you do much!

[paraka]

I know this entry is about moving forward more than trying to work with the backlog of files missing from the AA, but I did want to say that I figured out how to automate file transfers from ParakaProductions (or other direct download sites), so if anyone wants me to put their backlog of files back up on the AA, I've created a google doc with the info I would need to do so: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14g8QDY0YlK3Ggbnx7-qkZnFtRYD7iYMCr-2i3cQUQmY/edit?usp=sharing

[xancredible]

This would work with podfics we've collected as well, I assume? Like, I have over 400 Merlin podfics stored on my hard drive, most of which are missing from the AA. It's no small amount of work but since I was going to upload them anyway for kitsuneheart I could do this instead or in addition?

[paraka]

Yeah, let me set something up. It's only easy to transfer if it's from a certain type of server (something with direct downloads), things like the free file services like box or mediafire aren't that useful.

But I've got a list of all the podfics that are missing, all the ones that (should) already be hosted on ParakaProductions (which means I can do the fast transfer), which leaves all the rest that need some form of manual upload.

I can set up a temp ftp site for any that are in that 3rd group, ppl can upload the files they have there, and I can transfer them over to the AA.

[xancredible]

I've asked specifically because I have server space on your server. I can set up a queue for uploads and just let it all go in there in the background, it's not really that much work. So, just let me know if I should upload them all bit by bit, or what list I can use to cross-reference what's missing and not currently hosted on parakaproductions with what I've got on my hard drive.

[paraka]

Oh man *headdesk* I honestly forget who all is hosting with me.

But, yes, please uploading to a folder or something would be great. If you wanted to queue some now, doing a quick eyeball of the Merlin podfic list on Fanlore, here are some podficcers that don't host with me, that have done at least a handful of podfics: dreaming_athena, fayjay, helva2260, pennyplainknits.

I'll make a post soon with a google doc and how ppl can help. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do that when the doc has over 20K lines, :S

[xancredible]

Sure! I think the only one I'm missing is helva2260 out of those four. I'll get right on them as soon as I've eaten some dinner!

[chestnut_pod]

Thank you so much for all the work you've been doing! You've really taken a lot upon yourself!

I have all my podfics available for download on my own hosting, and I could send them over if you'd like, although I know the focus is on moving forward.