March Meta Matters

[ysabetwordsmith]

The March Meta Matters challenge is now active over on marchmetamatterschallenge. See the first check-in post here for introductions. Read the FAQ list, as there may have been some changes from previous years. See my entries from 2023 and 2024. Here are my How To list and my Meta list from 2024.

This challenge involves locating and copying over meta you've created to a second site in order to ensure its preservation. The fest recommends SquidgeWorld. There will be some prompts for creating new meta. Participants can post their goals for saving old meta and/or creating new meta. You can also collect, recommend, and save meta created by other people if it's not something you make yourself or yours is already up to date and saved.

Note that AO3 has long been sadly erratic when it comes to meta, parts of the rules are unclear in ways that cause problems, and the result is pretty hostile. :( Multiple people have posted meta there only to have it taken down -- and that can get your account suspended. Last year, AO3 changed its user agreement and locked the site to current members who have signed it. As the content is no longer visible to the general public, it is much less useful as an archive, which is sad. So fewer people are choosing to post or crosspost their meta to AO3, and looking for other places to post or copy it. However, there is still a community for March Meta Matters on AO3 for those who wish to risk posting meta there.

Some canon-specific or author-specific websites have a section especially for meta about their fandom(s) to help new fans learn the canon(s), explore fandom in general, and to inspire fanworks. In particular, it used to be common for people to make fanifestos about a canon, its ships, major fanworks, etc. as guides to newcomers in hopes of growing the fandom; reviving this custom would be very helpful. Here on Dreamwidth, check out shipmanifestos. Another great type of meta is reviews; see communities such as books and book_love for those. If you know of more such resources, March is a good time to post about them so more folks can find them and make sure that meta is backed up.


Me and My Meta

Read my introductory comment under the first check-in post on marchmetamatterschallenge.

My credentials as a meta creator and archivist:
I have a degree in Rhetoric with a Women's Studies minor. I have read entire libraries and written multiple books. I am a wordsmith by innate talent, vocation, and profession. I am a writer, editor, reviewer, reader, and fan. I am a hobby-scientist studying pretty much everything.

Some of my new meta from 2024:
* Alternative Education in Terramagne
* Alternative Education in Terramagne: Other Programs
* Book Bans (with links to many reading lists)
* The Chobani Solarpunk Ad (Part 1: Things I Like, Part 2: Things I Question, Part 3: The Most Interesting Part, Part 4: So You Want to Live in Chobaniland)
* Climate Change (with alternatives to capitalism)
* Crossposting on Dreamwidth
* How to Hack the Snowflake Challenge
* How to Mine Fanfic for Ideas
* How to Run a Fandom Event Through Dreamwidth
* How to Survive 3°C+ Warming
* Nimona -- "Canon" and "Primer" from snowflake_challenge 2025, spliced together on shes_awesome
* Power Levels
* The Chobani Solarpunk Ad (Part 1: Things I Like, Part 2: Things I Question, Part 3: The Most Interesting Part, Part 4: So You Want to Live in Chobaniland)
* Social Media Design
* Stages of Disability

My most popular meta series include:
* The Chobani Solarpunk Ad (Part 1: Things I Like, Part 2: Things I Question, Part 3: The Most Interesting Part, Part 4: So You Want to Live in Chobaniland)
* "Hurt/Comfort as a Genre," "Hurt/Comfort Plot Structure," "Hurt/Comfort and Literary Merit"
* Nonsexual Intimacies (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)
* Skills Heroes Need tag
* Skin Hunger (Part 1)

Algorithms for cooking:
* High-Burn Soup Algorithm in Content notes for "To Feel Safe and Warm"
* Red Rice Algorithm in Notes for "Bring Soul to the Recipe"

Fanifestos:

* A Brief Guide to the Avengers from snowflake_challenge 2023
* Nimona -- "Canon" from 2024, "Canon" and "Primer" from snowflake_challenge 2025, spliced together on shes_awesome
* Thoughts on Kismesissitude

Wednesday TV Series (The Addams Family)
* Overview
* Interesting Aspects
* Episodes
* Promising Crossovers
* Relevant Dreamwidth Communities
* Memorable Fanworks
* Wednesday Prompts

Character study of Wednesday Addams
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 1: Introduction
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 2: Ethnicity & Linguistics
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 3: An Outcast
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 4: Thoughts and Feelings
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 5: Relationships
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 6: Solitary Accomplishments
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 7: Trust and Betrayal
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 8: Connected Characters
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 9: Enid Sinclair
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 10: Eugene & Morticia
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 11: Thing
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 12: Tyler Galpin
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 13: Xavier Thorpe
Meta: "Why I Love Wednesday Addams" Part 14: Wednesday's Quirks

Character study of Thing
Meta: "Why We Need Thing" Part 1: Overview
Meta: "Why We Need Thing" Part 2: Disabilities and Differences
Meta: "Why We Need Thing" Part 3: Relationships
Meta: "Why We Need Thing" Part 4: Episodes
Meta: "Why We Need Thing" Part 5: Memorable Fanworks

Meta about new genres:
* Easterns as a Genre
* Montessori Literature as a Genre
* Motherlode as a Genre

Some other meta, and nonfiction usable as writing inspiration or references:
* Addiction Care in Terramagne
* Aspecting Characters Exercise
* Bonus Material: "Quiet Rooms"
* Books and book lists for jumpstarting civilization in notes for "Seeds of Civilization"
* Encouraging Physical Activity in Terramagne
* Firing the Fandom Police
* Games for Blind People or Blackouts
* Hobbies: Board Games
* How to Build a Novel from Themes and Symbols
* How to Deal with Writer's Block
* How to Do Online Profiles or Introductions with Less Stress
* How to Identify Sapient Species
* How to Make Fandom More Inclusive
* How to Make Your Hometown More Like Bluehill
* How to Write Genderfic
* Improving Community in Fandom
* Inclusive Games from Terramagne
* Magic is like...
* The Mall as Agora in Terramagne-America
* Meta: Canon Formats
* The NAACP in Terramagne
* Outrage and Social Media
* Recurring Posts
* The Three Laws of Fandom: The Laws Themselves (discussion)
* The Three Laws of Fandom: Additional Exchanges (discussion)
* Thoughts on Kismesissitude

Original series for which I've posted lots of meta:
* A Conflagration of Dragons
* Daughters of the Apocalypse
* Polychrome Heroics set in Terramagne
* Quixotic Ideas set in Quorth

Shared worlds for which I've posted lots of meta:
* The Blueshift Troupers
* Schrodinger's Heroes
* Torn World (sadly its website is no longer open to the public)
* The Ursulan Cycle (genderbent King Arthur)
* See also "Build with the Mind" and its notes on worldbuilding (instructions, links, storyworld physical notes, storyworld population)

Relevant tags and memories:
* A Little Slice of Terramagne on Dreamwidth (121 entries)
* A Little Slice of Terramagne on LiveJournal
* Meta tag on Dreamwidth (141 entries)
* Meta tag on LiveJournal
* Review tag on Dreamwidth (619 entries)
* Review tag on LiveJournal


Goals

* Continue working to promote this challenge so more people will take part in it and/or find new meta to enjoy.

* Look for all the meta from 2024-early 2025, then make sure it has been tagged appropriately.

* Archive my meta from 2024-early 2025 on Wayback, Ghost, and Archive.Today.

* Make a Follow Friday post listing active meta communities on Dreamwidth.

* Organize at least some of my meta into topical masterposts to make it easier to find.

* Write "Why We Need Fanifestos."

* Do more work on the notes about Pleistocene extinctions and which species survived in Peculiar-Earth.

* Post some meta for Peculiar Obligations.


Done!

* Posted my introduction under the first check-in post on marchmetamatterschallenge. [2/28/25]

* Posted about March Meta Matters on my blog. [3/1/25]

* Archived Meta tag posts from 2024-early 2025. [3/1/25]

* Archived A Little Slice of Terramagne tag posts 2024-early 2025. [3/1/25]

* Archived Gaming tag posts 2024-early 2025. [3/1/25]

* Archived Review tag posts 2024-early 2025. [3/1/25]

* Started writing "Why We Need Fanifestos." [3/1/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos" Part 1: The Importance of Fanifestos." [3/3/25]

* Posted "Recommended Reading List for the Trail of Tears Nonfiction" as supporting materials for the poem "Weeping Over the Trail They Almost Walked." [3/5/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 2a: What Is a Fanifesto? intro & canon guide." [3/9/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 2b: What Is a Fanifesto? cast list & character study." [3/14/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 2c: What Is a Fanifesto? ship manifesto & milieu study." [3/15/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 2d: What Is a Fanifesto? plot analysis & crossovers." [3/16/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 2e: What Is a Fanifesto? trope manifesto & format guide." [3/17/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 2f: What Is a Fanifesto? personal manifesto & others." [3/18/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 3: Benefits of Fanifestos." [3/19/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 4: Drawbacks of Fanifestos." [3/20/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 5a: Contents of a Fanifesto statement to tropes." [3/21/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 5b: fanon to other aspects." [3/22/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 6: How to Write a Fanifesto." [3/23/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 7a: Where to Find Fanifestos location types & communities." [3/25/25]

* Posted Meta: "Why We Need Fanifestos Part 7b: fanifestos A-E." [3/26/25]

* Posted "Meta: Why We Need Fanifestos Part 7c: fanifestos F-I." [3/27/25]

* Posted "Meta: Why We Need Fanifestos Part 7d: fanifestos J-R." [3/28/25]

* Posted "Meta: Why We Need Fanifestos Part 7e: fanifestos S-Z." [3/29/25]

* Posted "Meta: Why We Need Fanifestos Part 8: My Fanifestos." [3/30/25]


Other Meta Communities

Dreamwidth offers a variety of communities dedicated to meta. I have listed these for Follow Friday 3/1/24: Meta. In addition to dedicated communities, a number of other panfandom or canon-specific communities include meta among the types of content they welcome. Check your favorite fandoms and communities for additional places to find or share meta. You may wish to save your favorite posts from those too.


Archive Websites

Various sites let you save a page for future reference. The most famous of these is The Wayback Machine, which I use the most; it's good for PDFs but not so good for pictures unless you save those individually. I also use Archive.fo -- it does a better job of saving pictures, but doesn't safe PDFs well. Paywall Reader offers The Wayback Machine and Archive.Today. Ghost Archive is clunky but sometimes available when the others are down. (All of them have frequent service delays or outages.) These are places where you can save meta, your own or someone else's, so it will stay visible even if its current host closes or becomes unusable. I recommend that you try different archives to see what they do well, so you can decide which to use and what to save where.

10 Best Wayback Machine Alternatives in 2023 -- Geekflare

15 Best Wayback Machine Alternatives 2025

Best Internet Archive Alternatives From Around The Web

List of web archives on Wikipedia

Top 9 Wayback Machine Alternative Sites (Web Archive Sites)

Top 10 Wayback Machine Alternatives in 2025