i just found out bs central is closing down and its really upset me! i only actually got into buffy a year ago and fanfiction about six months ago and it seems like an awful lot of sites are closing down. Is the fandom dying or is it just a coincidence? i know the show ended years ago and interest will eventually probably fade away but it seems like alot of sites are just closing suddenly!

Maria

Well, from what they say on BSC, they aren't closing because of a lack of interest. They are closing because Isabell, the person who handled the coding/script/technical side of BSC doesn't have the time or reccources anymore to continue with what she's been doing. Even an archive running on efiction needs someone who can handle the scrip-side of things, because like with every other software, there are bugs and updates to be taken care of. Mia and whoever else is left of the BSC staff, seems unsure whether she can deal with that part of running the site, and is closing it down instead of keeping it open and being potentionally unable to take care of ensuing problems. At least that's how her post sounds to me.

I can't think of any other sites that have closed down recently, in fact, I think Season2Ep14.net isn't all that old yet, and Just Rewards only opened in November last year. So while one of the old sites is leaving us, there are also newcomers - which suggests to me that the fandom is not about to die on us.

ETA: You accidentially posted this twice, and I deleted the second version. Just so you don't wonder what happened there.

And we're here!  *grin* 

yeh... we're here... and as far as i know, we're not closing any time soon? *looks hopeful*

Nope, no closing of the BSV. Don't worry.

*Hugs Dia*

Yes Just Rewards is only 2 months old *pets baby* and we already have 699 stories - over half of that is Spuffy that has won awards at Fang Fetish.  

There are always sites that close, but many wonderful ones that open up.  I have been sad to say farewell to sites that have been running for years but with peoples evolving lives - sometimes running a website like an archive is impossible.  However I have noticed that when some sites close, others open and they are wonderful and excited places to visit.  

As someone who runs an award site and an archive, I can say we are in no way dying out.  The stories are being written, the websites amazing, fan art is breath taking!  I love this fandom!

BSC is going to try to stay open. They got enough feedback and offers of support that they're going to give it a go. Yay!

It's great that BSC is going to stick around - it was the first place I began posting when I started writing. If it were to close down, which would be sad, there's still a heap of archives out there:

Sweet Temptation - all human

(Here) The BSV - all vamp

Elysian Fields - both

Spuffy Realm - both

And that's not even counting the websites that are updated by a list owner!