How do you treat your shrines?

[Destinie]

Shrines are websites and there is an unspoken expectation for websites to be constantly updated or be recent. However, as I browse the community and look at my own work, I start to wonder if my shrines are not 'living' documents but are rather similar to books or articles. Written materials that are created and then left to be works of art unto themselves.

I am thinking of moving into this thought direction as it helps me to remove the pressure of having too many shrines that are too outdated. Maybe I just post a "created date" and call it a day. And I can have as many little or big shrines as I want without having to worry when I don't update them frequently. (This has been something that I've struggled with for years.)

Now I wonder, what do you think? How do you treat your sites? Are they living or static?

[nyxmidnight]

Haha, I try to keep my fansites and my link directory alive but it's so hard orz

[Crystal]

I never really thought much about keeping them up to date actually. I generally think they are good from the start unless I feel the content to be out of date from my writing style which prompts me to wanting to rewrite the content, or if I think of something new I want to add I'll add it. All my shrines are important to me and as such I won't upload them unless I'm at least 90% happy with them. I have a few that I consider static right now but only because I am 100% happy with the content. I have several that need work and some that I'd like to add more too which I'm hoping to do something about coming 2016.

[Robin]

If I feel that the shrine is complete as possible when I upload it (i.e., it's not from a currently-running series or subject matter and I've done all the research I can for it), then I'm usually content to let it be an unchanging work of art. (Great imagery there, Destinie!) I might add some media over time as I find it, but the text will largely stand as-is.

However, if the subject matter is ongoing, I'll update the shrine more frequently (and I'll also feel more pressure to do so because of the completionist in me, xD).

[Todd]

I think it's good and normal to have a balance. I have a couple "active" shrines on my domain, and a lot of complete shrines that don't ever need me to touch them again (unless I want to!). The only time I'd start worrying about having too many sites is if I want to open another "active" site and don't have the time for it. I think like you brought, we can throw up finished shrines with a date and call them good, and not feel overworked later because they're done.

[Lethe]

I get where Destinie comes from with the unspoken expectation for websites, but I've always thought it depends on the type of website. For shrines, I have never considered them to be things that need continuous maintenance and updates due to their thematical compactness, especially if/since they are not just information sources, but include our feelings and thoughts pertaining to a certain subject. To me, shrines are a snapshot of my feelings for a subject during a certain time of my life. That doesn't change even if somewhere down the line, I decide to redo some things or add some things, but it also doesn't change if it's an ongoing subject - I wouldn't feel the pressure to update the shrine unless it's something I personally want to do.

I've had large "fansites" in the past before when I had only just starting getting into making websites, and those received continuous updates because writing about an entire series back then wasn't just something you uploaded all at once, but that you worked on until it was considered "complete". But aside from that "work in progress" thing, unless you're the kind of fansite that sets out to be a hub for fans and to provide regular updates on the subject itself (not just the website), like gaming sites, for example, do, I wouldn't expect continuous updates as a visitor.

My shrines are all static unless I decide to upload them prematurely (which has only been the case with my Rose shrine so far, partly due to a challenge deadline), in which case they don't become static until I'm finished. But because I consider them static from the start, I wouldn't put shrines under an "archive" section on my domain just because they're static. I'd only do that if they're works I've become unsatisfied with over the years (quality comparisons or writings that no longer reflect my thoughts, etc.) but that I don't intend to revamp for whatever reason - especially if I do not plan to revisit the subject.

(Sorry if this post is a mess, I'm sick and my brain is asdkljad.)

[Destinie]

I think everyone had a lot of good things to say. I can see the distinction between different types of sites (ex: something that is more blog-like and something that is more of an individual post).

Todd, I really like your approach actually. xD I think I sort of do that right now, actually. A lot of my sites are "finished" and I just focus on a few that are more "active".

[dubiousdisc]

For me it depends on the subject and the size of the project. If it's something smaller and I have a relatively finite amount of things to say about the subject, then I tend to publish the shrine as a closed, complete thing which I'll only touch again if in a few years I thought something else to add, or if I became aware of some new material, and maybe, eventually, to revamp it visually when the layout has become aged. Overall, in that case, it's a finished thing that can only be slightly expanded, but that is already complete in itself, and I can (more or less) happily leave there as something "timeless". If I do update such a site, I add a little line in a conspicuous place because omg! new stuff! omg! and I want a returning visitor to know that there was an update. Then, when that update has become old, I either remove that line entirely or move it in a much less conspicuous place, because I don't want people to think that this is a living document that has gone dead!

If it's a big shrine, however, or if it's something about an ongoing series, or something where you find more things to say as time goes on, then it would be unwieldy (or in some cases impossible) to wait until all is complete before putting it online, so it necessarily has to be a massive work in progress that you poke and update once in a while. However, I think that a person has a limit to how many sites like that they can have on their hands, past which it becomes overwhelming. But I would say that it's okay to have stuff in need of a revamp around. After all, consider this: the changes that you would make to it are only clear and evident to you, not so much to the visitor, who can still enjoy what you have! But I can also understand that, striving for excellence, having sites like that around can become a burden. (As much as I can say that you can be happy with sites that are not fully polished, I am very much the latter type of person, so I often end up killing things that I am too displeased with, no matter what other people say).

But I really think this depends on how you feel about this entire deal. As much as you can say, eh, it can stay there unupdated and I can slap the created date on it and everyone can know that it's how it is, that's not going to help much if you cringe anyway every time you look at it. If that is a solution for you, then go ahead! Now that shrines are somewhat of a rarity and they're all made by us old farts with lives and other projects, I think the expectation of keeping them updated at all times has changed, and I do agree with the approach of "here's something I wrote x years ago, enjoy", but ultimately, this is up to how you feel about it. And, if you are really too displeased about something and you feel like you NEED to update this or you won't be happy, and you don't think you'll ever have the time/energy/care to update it, I would say, kill it, or archive it with a big notice that this site will probably never update again but you still want to keep it up.

Sorry if I'm a bit convoluted today but I just woke up and I am a bit dizzy XD

[Destinie]

Wah I hope you feel better, Dubs. :< I really agree with what you are saying especially the "striving for excellence" part. That's where it gets tricky in some cases, ahaha.

[Chibi]

I agree with pretty much what everyone said! :3 If it's a shrine that doesn't need much updating (say, a Pokemon shrine), I usually leave it "static". However, if it's a big shrine that would take a long time or if it's about an ongoing series, then yeah, I'll keep it "active" and updated.

(I believe I even made a topic similar to this ages ago, asking people what they thought of uploading shrines that weren't finished and completing them slowly, basically keeping them "active".)

Also, back in the day I found it really fun when people opened sites that weren't quite finished yet and they added sections with time, it made me go back to their sites and I looked forward to their updates! :D