I'm adding my $0.02. I love a lot of the ideas of other commenters and have a few more to add. I'm so, so happy to see AO3 soliciting ideas. You guys are so awesome!!!
1+ thumbnail browsing (and why not let the viewer decide if they want 50x50 or 200x200 thumbnails? Though...hm. I often crop my thumbnails to cover explicit bits while still giving a sense of the image. Automation would not be able to do that.)
2+ batch uploading with control/shift clicking. (OMG. Please!!!)
3+ Creation of grouping (chapter-like?). I often do several pieces in a theme or that follow a particular universe. I want to group them together, and be able to put them in order.
4+ The ability to have text and art together. I write snippets for my art and I want to keep them together, and keep the story separate from the notes.
5+ Embeddable art in other people's stories, while still maintaining separate ownership. It would be incredible to be able to embed my image in someone else's story (at a specific place) when I am collaborating--and have it work in a way that readers can comment on the image or go to a larger version of the image without leaving their place in the story. It has been my experience that (for example) bigbang artwork doesn't get as many comments as the fic it accompanies. I think part of that is the lack of a good way to comment easily and immediately on the art.
6+ Use standardized labels for reuse. It would also be cool to let artists announce their wishes for reuse/remixing.
7+ Please don't remove any of the fic-connecting tools from the art toolchest! I love the way that you are building an archive that will let fen show what has inspired them, if they have remixed their work from someone else's, if they are in a challenge, if they are in a collection, etc. Art does all that, too!
8+ tags/filters should include art size and some kind of option for medium--though (of course) that may be controversial or muddy. Maybe ticky boxes for all that apply?
9+ Art and stories should show up in the same searches, particularly art that also has story in it. Though searchers can filter either out.
10+ No one has said it, so maybe it is too obvious, but actual hosting of the content would be amazing. It makes me sad to think of all the art that has disappeared. Having the "orphan" option and a hosting home for art might prevent that.
11+ The ability to use the content hosted on AO3 to create thumbs/previews of size of my choice on my journals. (Embeddable thumbs/previews? Widgets?) It's fine to have it link back to a full version on AO3, but the ability to promo it in other places would make my life so much simpler!
12+ I don't know how much this also applies to fic writers, but it is common to have a generic credit statement listing where a digital artist might get their brushes or screencaps or textures or what-have-you from. Because this can be difficult to keep track of on an individual art basis, it often appears on the profile page of a journal. It would be nice if there were an icon or a link for artistic credits that could be linked (as an opt in) on each individual art post.
Edited for more whitespace. ETA: Man! Why can't I bookmark this news post to see what other awesome ideas people have? I'd like to be able to bookmark news items on the archive, too, please!
Comment on Calling fanartists! Tell us about your ideal archive!
beet Wed 07 Apr 2010 12:16AM UTC
Last Edited Wed 07 Apr 2010 12:19AM UTC
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