I saw the validator was out, but I'm not quite sure how it works. Can you enter any document for it to read? Or does it have to be a word document or something?

It requires a PDF document, it would appear. I tried uploading one, and I got the message:

"File uploaded is not a valid PDF, or is a PDF with 0 pages."

Not sure if this means the system works on any PDF greater than 100 pages, or it's somehow not fully operational yet.

-----------------------------------------
NaNoWriMo 2007 - Win (Greatest Hits)
Script Frenzy 2008 - Ongoing (Tunnels)
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Wow...so *not* loving this validator thing. First, you have to figure out how to convert to PDF using a free PDF file converter. Which is friggin' slow. Then, you have to upload it to this site, which is (you guessed it), friggin' slow.

So, this year's validation has "improved" on last year's by adding a new and frustrating step. Yeah, that'll make the whole project a lot more popular....

2008: (ScriptFrenzy) Off Season (won!)

2007: Confederation (*so* won)

2007: (ScriptFrenzy) Serpentine (won)

2006: The Definition of a Madman (won)

2005: The Mighty Quinn (won)

This system *sucks*.

First of all, it took forever for the pdf file converter to do its job. Second, it is basically impossible to tell if you have enough pages. Enough words? Pretty concrete. Enough pages? No. Big Fat Headache. And now I'm eight pages short, which means that I am going to have to do this all...over...again. Only, I won't know for sure when enough is enough because guess what? I won't be able to tell until I go through it!

Please, for the love of God and your own bodies, go back to the previous word count measure. This "100 pages" crap is for the birds.

2008: (ScriptFrenzy) Off Season (won!)

2007: Confederation (*so* won)

2007: (ScriptFrenzy) Serpentine (won)

2006: The Definition of a Madman (won)

2005: The Mighty Quinn (won)

Words is for measuring novels. Pages is for measuring scripts, it's just how things are done.

How are you writing your script? I've been using Celtx and had no problems at all putting it into a PDF and uploading it here - the site even agreed with celtx as to how many pages I have.

So... well, the system doesn't suck for EVERYONE. Use this year maybe to know what doesn't work for you, and maybe next year write using Celtx or something similar. Last year I formatted my script myself using livejournal, this year I'm using Celtx and it's made everything a lot easier than I first expected. Perhaps it's the way you're writing your script which is the problem, rather than the site.

And heck, you're way ahead of where we should be today and you're almost done. Things can't be that bad :p

· Keladryie Altec
Municipal Liaison ·
· ML of Australia

Sky Pirates Shall Soar Tonight ·

I think I validated... it said "Changes have been saved" like it normally does when I update my profile... but for some reason I'm convinced it didn't actually verify. Hm. I'm probably being paranoid. This whole panic shenanigan over the validator has been getting to me, I guess. But if I actually did do it correctly, then yay!

Okay, if there's something here for technical issues, the anticipation is that people are going to report technical issues, right? Right.

It's nice that you didn't have a problem, but I did. I'm reporting it. I'm also reporting that it cut *seriously* into my liking for this challenge overall. Haven't had a lot of problems with Script Frenzy up until now. Having a *lot* of problems with this validation system, ones I didn't have last year. My computer is slow and old and it balks at these kinds of acrobatics. Do the people running the site want more participants or not? And now I'm finding out that even once I make 100 pages, I'm going to have to revalidate on the 25th, which is even more annoying? Why? Because I *hate* this whole validation process already. I'm not sure it's even worth going through to validate it for certain. I mean, I've already got a finished script. Do I really need this crap? Do the people running this site really want thoughts like that going through people's heads?

And you're right about one thing--I'm way ahead of the game in the challenge and can catch up those eight pages pretty easily in the time left. But it also means that I actually care enough to wade through all this crap and come here and complain. People who aren't, who find the whole process discouraging or get disgusted with it? Who find out that they're way behind and can't catch up? They won't bother. They just won't come back next year.

As far as Celtx, I'm well aware that it's being touted as the industry standard. That's nice. But it was also dropped on participants mere weeks before the challenge, *after* the whole thing was moved up two months. Nobody wants to deal with an unfamiliar system when they're trying to meet a writing challenge, period. I also know that some have had some serious setbacks with Celtx making parts of their scripts disappear. It did that with mine, as well as jumbling pieces around. This is not something I want to deal with just to make the script look pretty and reflect an accurate word count. I'm going to go with what I know--which happened, this year, to be Word. I don't like Word, but at least I *know* Word.

There was a whole lot of talk last year about worries that a lot of participants found the challenge difficult and didn't make the finish line. I don't see how the technical "improvements" this year are helping that situation so far.

2008: (ScriptFrenzy) Off Season

2007: Confederation (*so* won)

2007: (ScriptFrenzy) Serpentine (won)

2006: The Definition of a Madman (won)

2005: The Mighty Quinn (won)

If you have feedback, then by all means, we want to hear it. In fact, we have a whole forum dedicated to just that! If you aren't comfortable airing your opinions there (which doesn't seem to be a problem for you, but for others at least) you can also use our contact forms to give us feedback, and it'll get to the people who need to see it.

For technical help and questions, try the Site Tech Help forum; this forum is really just for rules questions. We do want to hear your thoughts, it's just that the tech guys don't really have time to read the Rules forum, so posting things in the right forums will help us get your voice to the right people.

Heather
Forums Moderator

Dear thesnowleopard,

Seems I must have been channeling my frustration to you! I started the threads "Can't we just go back to word count?" and "validator problems" with the same complaints you raise here.

My apologies.

It is frustrating--technology that puts a damper on the creative spirit instead of setting it free.

But SF is still a lot of fun! Despite the tech challenges and the rules we don't like. We're together in this wild community, figuring out how it works, and writing. I'm still a SF cheerleader, despite the problems.

But you make a valid point when you say that you care enough to complain while others just walk away. I know that the one and only other writer in my community who signed up for SF got frustrated on about day 5 and just disappeared from view. We're not exactly Luddites, but for some of us, tech problems just seem to reach out and grab us by the throat and strangle us.

Saipanwriter
http://saipanwriter.blogspot.com

I totally agree that SF is lots of fun, but I see a lot of people who already get enough hairballs over format and finishing the thing; technical issues might tip them over to the wrong side. And I foresee the free PDF converter pages and validator getting totally swamped on the very last day (because people do that). Writing is hard enough work. We shouldn't be adding scary tech issues into the mix for those already struggling with the writing.

I'll be happy to go over to the tech section and blast them a new one, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow. Right now, I'm going to bed.

My current count is validated, btw, so I'm technically finished in anticipation of the "real" validator on the 25th. I figured out that you can get an accurate page count in Word if you use Lucida Grande font, 13pt, single space, no lines between sections (that's what CeltX sticks your script in if you use it). Where would be the most useful place to post that info for those currently tearing their hair out over page count arcana?

2008: (ScriptFrenzy) Off Season (won!)

2007: Confederation (*so* won)

2007: (ScriptFrenzy) Serpentine (won)

2006: The Definition of a Madman (won)

2005: The Mighty Quinn (won)

"I'll be happy to go over to the tech section and blast them a new one"

For cryin' out loud, dude. Who's kidnapped your mother and is holding her hostage until you manage to produce a dinky print-it-yourself certificate saying you "officially" finished this thing? I mean, come on! It doesn't even have your name onit - you have to write it in yourself!

Are you seriously getting your panties this bunched up over getting your little certificate?

The point of Script Frenzy is to write a script and to finish the month with a script. Not a certificate.

Going through the process of validating is the cherry on top of the sundae. Yes, we all want the cherry and the recognition that comes with it (all my certificates are framed and hanging on my wall, but that's because I'm a dork)... but if for some reason the waiter forgets to give you the cherry, you still have an entire sundae sitting in front of you.

Grab a spoon and chill out.

Criss, la Reina
www.crisswrites.com
www.xanga.com/reinacristina

Help me find a cure for cancer! www.active.com/donate/tntntx/Criss4shay