Potentially Renaming the Site

In a few short weeks, the Young Writers Society will be celebrating its 20th birthday, which is incredible. I never imagined that YWS would last this long, and indeed, it almost didn't a few times. In fact, there was even a two-month period back in 2006 when it didn’t exist at all! However, it's come a long way, and it's still doing well with about 250,000 paegviews and 17,000 visits a month.

The community has changed a lot over the years. In some ways, of course, it's still the same. It's still a very welcoming site, and it still does a great job at its core mission: promoting creative writing as a favorite pastime. But it’s also evolved. Back in 2005, the average YWSer was around 15 years old, and it stayed that way for a few years. By 2010, the average age started to creep up, and it’s been rising steadily ever since. Today, the average YWSer was born in early 2001, making the typical member 23 years old. For a site originally aimed at ages 13-21, that’s a big shift. Simply put, it’s not the Young Writers Society anymore.

This brings us to a dilemma: What happens to a site targeted to young writers when the average member isn’t a young writer? It’s a question I’ve been pondering for over a year, and I’ve had many discussions with the mods about it. After considering several viewpoints, I’d like to propose the following changes:

1. Rename the current site to WriterFeed.
2. Keep YWS as a sub-site of WriterFeed.

Renaming the Current Site to WriterFeed?

You’re likely familiar with the name WriterFeed because of WriterFeedPad, which was meant to be part of a broader site I started working on back in 2010/11. It didn’t come to fruition then, mainly because it was too much work, but the name has remained associated with YWS for over a decade.

This proposed name change isn’t about transforming the site. It’s about recognizing the current reality rather than creating a new one. The site rules, guidelines, and overall community feel would remain the same. We’ve already been operating with a broader appeal than the name YWS suggests, and this change would reflect that.

The new name would also help address some existing issues. We often get questions from members in their 20s or 30s, wondering if they’re still welcome, and this change would help clear up any confusion. Additionally, new regulations may come into effect in the next several years that could impact platforms like ours. These rules aim to protect kids and teens from some of the harmful aspects of social media, and it’s something we need to prepare for.


Keeping YWS as a Sub-Site?

Initially, I thought about simply renaming the site and leaving it at that, while keeping YWS for specific projects like the Young Writers Literary Journal, which I hope to relaunch next year. However, after more discussion, making YWS a sub-site would address many concerns and even create new opportunities.

Under this concept, YWS would have its own section within the larger WriterFeed platform, similar to existing areas like Forums and Roleplays. The YWS domain would direct members straight to this area, creating a mini-YWS with dedicated spaces for chatting, sharing literary work, and kicking back. All members could view it, but only those 17 and younger would be able to post, making it a space specifically for younger writers while still keeping the broader community together.

Technically, this will be challenging, but I think it should work. Younger members would have access to all areas of the site still -- it's only older members who would have some restrictions. This would give young writers the option to share their work either in the YWS literary area or in the broader WriterFeed site.


When Would This Happen?

This idea has been on my mind for quite some time. Initially, I considered making the change in 2023, then early 2024, and most recently, I shared with the mods a tentative date of January 1, 2025.

However, there’s no hard deadline. It certainly won’t happen before January 2025, and it will likely be sometime in the first few months of the year -- if it happens at all. Nothing is set in stone yet. I believe this shift is necessary, but it won’t work unless the community supports it. I can’t just declare it into being.


A Community Vote Will Decide

Before anything changes, there will be a vote. Every member will have the opportunity to voice their opinion, and the change won’t go forward without clear community support. Personally, I’d prefer a super-majority of at least 60%, as a narrow margin doesn’t feel right for such a significant decision.

The voting method will be discussed further, but one option is to have votes submitted as posts to ensure fairness and avoid any issues with online poll manipulation. Voting won’t begin until there’s been plenty of time for discussion. Ideally, I’d like to start on December 1, but there’s no rush -- if we need more time, we’ll take it.


Closing Thoughts

Please use this thread to share your thoughts, concerns, and to discuss it further.

That's a big wall of text, so here's a condensed version made with ChatGPT:

TL;DR

• YWS is turning 20, and the community has evolved significantly, with the average member now being 23 years old.
• To better reflect this shift, the plan is to:
  1. Rename the site to WriterFeed: This change recognizes the broader age range of our members without altering the core of the community.
  2. Keep YWS as a sub-site: YWS would become a dedicated space for writers ages 17 and younger, with a mini-YWS section within the larger WriterFeed platform.
• No changes to site rules or guidelines are planned; the focus is on adapting to current realities and future regulations.
• Timeline: No hard deadline, but changes won’t happen before January 2025. A community vote will decide whether to proceed, with a goal of at least 60% support.
• Discussion will continue, and voting may start as early as December 1, but there’s no rush—ample time will be given for feedback.

very interesting!! 2 decades is a long time!!! but i almost wonder if this split [yws and wf] would create a sense of animosity/seperation??? i am probably misunderstanding your intentions/how this work.

First of all, I want to say that I am very glad to see this as a discussion topic. When I first joined YWS, I did not disclose my age for fear that I was too old to join. (I now keep my age private for personal reasons). Even now, I still feel a little out of place by the word "young" although I am by technical adult years quite young, but all that backstory aside...

I like the idea of the subsite YWS better. I feel like one of the issues that YWS as it is currently set up is that it seems to favor the older more experienced writers. Authors who are in the 17 and up range I believe usually get a lot more attention brought to their works and understandably so because with more years of experience and knowledge about word usage and grammer, their works can often be easier to review and more pleasant to read. (With absolutely no offense to younger authors.)

I feel that by reserving a special spot for the younger authors, they would have a chance to have their works recognized because they aren't competing in a sense against much more experienced writers for reviewer's attention. I also feel like this may help with the issue of comparison that so often plagues even the best of us. If younger writers have a special spot for their works, they are more likely to draw more healthy comparisons with their peers than trying to compare themselves to someone with over a decade of writing experience and an officially published book or two of their own.

I feel like this system will help provide young writers with a safe space to flourish without them feeling daunted by the more experienced of us.

I think that the split(or whatever the word is) site, is a good idea. I have similar thoughts to @Kaia . While i love hanging out with the younger members and getting to help them with writing or whatnot, but there I have noticed a disconnect from them. Either in terms of them not lasting on the site, or their published works. It might be nice for them to receive critiques or write with people closer to their age.
Also in terms of just keeping younger writers safer on the internet, while yws is still pretty safe all things considered, I don't think its a bad idea to have places that older people cant access where younger people are

i return with a longer, more thought out post

while i agree with @LadyMysterio and @Kaia about younger writers seldom being harder to read in literary works, i think that this mix of old/new allows old writers to pass knowledge, but also maybe get new ideas idk.

i still stand with the notion that the split could cause a divide between the two, but what i think is the best thing about YWS is thr multi-age multi-perspective community, and although this split could prove helpful, i personally dislike the idea of splitting.

but i am under the impression younger writers could only access yws, or is my understanding that they could also use wf?

bonus: i also just. don't really like the name writer feed. not as iconic as yewis

If I'm reading it correctly, I believe that younger writers still have the opportunity to learn from older writers though since they would have access to everything the older writers have access to. They just have an additional place that they can post in that older members can't.

Kaia wrote:If I'm reading it correctly, I believe that younger writers still have the opportunity to learn from older writers though since they would have access to everything the older writers have access to. They just have an additional place that they can post in that older members can't.

Just to quickly clarify, this is correct. Writers 13-17 would have the ability to use the whole platform. It's only those writers 18+ who would face the restriction of not being able to post in one area of the platform.

Okay so, I've had some time to think about it and I have come with some thoughts ^^

I've been on YWS for a while and I would've loved to have a designated place to chill as a younger writer. I can't speak for the younger users now, but I'd feel more comfortable knowing that there's a space for open writing with people around my own age. I'm honestly not against the change and I'd love to see this flourish further.

I don't think it would cause too much of a split. If anything, it would just exaggerate the fact that this is a safe website for users to publish their literary works, regardless of age. There'd be a space to accommodate everyone.

Just my two cents :]

While I have concerns, I'm generally in favor of a name change, and of YWS being kept as a sub-site. I think that type of space should be available and remain welcoming to younger writers, especially since a name change...

... will potentially draw other sorts of people, since it will no longer be 'Young Writers Society'. I do not really have experience with other writing platforms but I have some with getting feedback from certain subreddits and Discord servers. Although I've not been so active, YWS has remained unique to me in that most if not all feedback here have been politely expressed and reviewers are often welcoming, which is something I've always been quietly proud of - the community that's been fostered here, across the decades now.

Since the rules will be the same, that concern of mine may not need to be, especially if the 'vibe' of the site will also remain the same. This kinda brings me back to the name change.

I'm not the biggest fan of 'WriterFeed' as a name; it's so dry. xD On the other hand, it's formal-seeming enough that bad actors won't be so attracted to it. I don't know.

Personally, I'd rather suggest capitalizing on the word 'pad', since it seems often used by WriterFeedPad users when they're using the 'pad', and it's a more personable word than 'feed', perhaps. Maybe the new name could be something like 'Pen Pad'. *shrug* Something like that that sounds friendly still and reflective of the YWS community. c:

Hey everyone!

I’ve been reading through all your thoughts, and I wanted to chime in because I think this discussion is super important! First off, I totally agree with the idea of having a sub-site for younger writers. Like @Kaia said, it could really help us younger members feel more comfortable sharing our work without comparing ourselves to those who have so much more experience. It’s kind of intimidating sometimes!

But I also see where @chrysanthemumcentury is coming from when they mention the potential for a divide. I really love that YWS has been a place where all ages can interact and learn from each other. I guess I’m just wondering how we can keep that sense of community even with the split? Would there be opportunities for older members to still mentor younger ones, even though there’s a separate space?

As for the name "WriterFeed," I’m not the biggest fan either—it feels a bit bland to me. I think something like "Pen Pad" that @Caerulean suggested sounds way more inviting and in line with the creative vibe of our community!

I’d love to hear more about how the voting process will work too. I’m definitely on board with the changes as long as we can keep that welcoming atmosphere that YWS has always had.

Name Suggestions:

1. InkNest

2. YouthQuill

3. CreativeCove

4. StorySprout

5. The Young Pen

One thing to keep in mind with name suggestions is that those domains (URLs) are very likely already snatched up. While WriterFeed might not be the absolute beeest fit for YWS (only "YWS" can be!), Nate owns the domain already.

Nate, how do you predict the change will affect SEO? When I found YWS ten years ago it was from the search "young writer community" or something like that, and I'm worried that potential young community members might not find us as easily under the new name. I'm guessing that's the benefit of still having YWS active as a sub-site, so its landing page can attract folks to WriterFeed as a whole?

Wolfi wrote:One thing to keep in mind with name suggestions is that those domains (URLs) are very likely already snatched up. While WriterFeed might not be the absolute beeest fit for YWS (only "YWS" can be!), Nate owns the domain already.

Nate, how do you predict the change will affect SEO? When I found YWS ten years ago it was from the search "young writer community" or something like that, and I'm worried that potential young community members might not find us as easily under the new name. I'm guessing that's the benefit of still having YWS active as a sub-site, so its landing page can attract folks to WriterFeed as a whole?

Aye, I rather not get sidetracked about discussing names other than WriterFeed. I appreciate suggestions, but WriterFeed is the only name under discussion. For one, most of the names suggested so far are already taken. I have also owned the WriterFeed domain for nearly 15 years, which itself is good for SEO. And secondly, it’s already associated with YWS through WFP. That makes it a much less jarring name change, which is especially important for inactive members who may not hear about this for months or even years. For those people, WriterFeed is something that is already linked to YWS, so seeing that instead of [insert name] will be less confusing.

With regards to SEO, it won’t have an impact. There are ways to preserve SEO when changing domain names. Google has also long de-emphasized the name of a site in search rankings. Thus, searching for “young writers” will still bring up WriterFeed.

@Nate I know you literally just said WriterFeed is the only name under discussion, but is there a reason why it can't be changed to "The Writers Society" and just drop the "young"?

I love the idea of having a separate area for minors to post and hang out where adults cannot post but also being able to choose to post/share work in the full site. I know when I joined around age 16, I was looking for feedback on my work that went beyond "love this post more" type comments on the other sites I was on and I wanted to learn from older, more experienced writers.

For the stats about how the average age of users has changed, does that only count active users or all users ever? If it accounts for all users ever, is there a way to determine the average age of people that have logged on in the last year (or some other metric of current activity)?

Could YWS remain the name and have WriterFeed be a subset of YWS (instead of the other way around) with WriterFeed being an "adults only" section of the site? I recognize this doesn't protect minors the same way as the reverse does, but it still gives the opportunity for some separation. And I also recognize if there are truly way more active adults than active minors it makes more sense for the sub-site to be the one for minors.

I think regardless of what happens with the name of the "main site", if it's possible to create some separation between minors and adults with some kind of sub-site I think that would be awesome!!

Carlito wrote:@Nate I know you literally just said WriterFeed is the only name under discussion, but is there a reason why it can't be changed to "The Writers Society" and just drop the "young"?

That domain would cost either $15,000 or $1,750 depending on whether or not it includes the "the". I once had the domain, but declined to renew it a long time ago.

Edit

To add to this a bit more, I do think Writers Society would make a good name. Just wish I had held on to the domain name.