Latest somethingdark news

Discretion, valour, and enduring design elementsSDk Updates

Wed 10 June, 2009.

"Discretion is the better part of valour", it is said, so we've decided to roll with the bureaucratic process and ensure that all legal permissions, etc. are completely in order before we launch SomethingDark webmagazine. This is largely a formality since we are not expecting any problems, and the indications thus far support this optimistic view. However, there is a set period of time involved, and this means sitting it out for the time being.

In the meantime, designing SDk01's pages is proceeding apace. This may sound a simple and even enjoyable task, and, while the latter is the case, it is certainly not a "simple" task as it involves the development of enduring design elements for the entire magazine that will be used for SDk henceforth.

Building a significant online presence for contributorsSDk Updates

Wed 06 May, 2009.

Both Chris and Daryl have, along with everything else, been paying a lot of attention to developing SDk's contributor directory and associated profile pages. Not just developing, but getting it "just right", which is easier said than done. Marrying standard, international formatting conventions for a wide variety of profile types with the technicalities of web management and SDk's aesthetics have proved to be another challenge.

When fully functional and online, which is expected to be in the next few days, we will be contacting all contributors for SDk01 and inviting them to take a look and see how developing their profile on SDk can work for them in the most rewarding way. Because SDk is combining a top-quality, professional profile that is linked to examples of the photographer, artist or writer "in action" - together with interviews with, and articles by, contributors - all published in SDk magazine, we think a fully developed SDk profile has the potential to become a de facto home site for many contributors.

Making the most of our 'extra time'SDk Updates

Mon 20 Apr, 2009.

While the bureaucratic issues we are currently facing are delaying proceedings, the situation is resulting in certain benefits by giving Daryl time to conduct more in-depth contributor interviews after his substantial work for the new Skin Two Fetish Yearbook over the last year. This also means that Chris has more time to add some extra features to the website while it's being developed.

We've also made the decision to join the boycott of Internet Explorer 6: while we were working on making SDk compatible with IE6 – a non-standards-compliant browser – we reversed our policy and determined to give IE6 the bum's rush. In joining the growing international boycott of IE6 we are helping fight the cause for web developers and the security of end-users alike. For more information, see free-the-web.com.

Living cheek by jowl with bureaucracySDk Updates

Tues 31 Mar, 2009.

Alas, life is never easy when forced to live cheek by jowl with bureaucracy. Yes, you may have guessed it, we are once again at loggerheads with the bankrupt state, and this time we've had to explain certain distinguishing signs and marks associated with SomethingDark and justify why we think we should be able to use them.

We think we've done a good job, and all should be fine (we hope) – but we have to bide our time while the cumbersome wheels of inefficiency grind over and, eventually, reach a verdict. Oh, and then communicate that verdict to us.

Unfortunately, this means a delay of a few weeks in publishing SDk issue 01. Exactly how many weeks remains to be seen. Fortunately, our self-imposed deadline of early April was exactly that: self-imposed. We will post our revised publication date in this column when we have the information that will allow us to assess our schedule....Read more

It's not having the tools, it's using them that countsSDk Updates

Tues 17 Mar, 2009.

Chris, website developer extraordinaire, took pity on Daryl and undertook a sub-project to make life easier in building profiles for SDk contributors. Voila! After several days' work, behold the SDk profile Toolkit: a form-structured online page for contributors to enter their profile information in a standard format that will be much easier for Daryl to collate (and easier to reformat and edit where necessary).

We are committed to SDk as a long-term project, and since we are not a big publishing enterprise (there are still only the two of us), we need to put technology to good use in making it more manageable for us to maintain consistent, high-quality results in everything we do with SDk. As we develop further and continue to publish more issues of the magazine, we anticipate the workload of just building contributor profiles will, alone, become almost a full-time job; thus, we've done something about profile management now rather than leaving it for later.

L'art pour l'artSDk Updates

Tues 03 Mar, 2009.

Living in a modern (and now bankrupt) state, you may be surprised (or not) at all the official hoops through which small concerns like us have to jump. "Art for art's sake" doesn't enter the bureaucratic mindset when being forced to deal with the multitude of formalities required by UK law in setting up a new venture, even if it is a web-based cultural magazine.

For example, one of the hurdles we've had to clear is establishing a legal entity to manage SomethingDark. This means that we are responsible for all the depravity and corruption you will see in SDk; on the other hand, it also means we're responsible for all the thought-provoking and transgressive articles and images in SDk, which no doubt are of much greater concern to said bankrupt state...

There's still not a great deal we can put in the public domain right now (see our last entry), as the publication deadline for issue 01 draws nearer.

Development continuesSDk Updates

Thurs 26 Feb, 2009.

We've reached the stage where most of our work is either technical (Chris working very hard on putting together the nuts and bolts of the SomethingDark website), or confidential (Daryl dealing with contributors on a one-to-one basis and producing and assembling the substance of issue 01).

Be assured that a great deal is going on behind the scenes that is not appropriate for us to place in the public domain.

Being savvy to the ways of the World Wide WebSDk Updates

Thurs 19 Feb, 2009.

Revised and uploaded new versions of the Contributor Information Packs (CIPs) to the WhatIsSDk? page.

Being savvy to the ways of the World Wide Web, we have joined the masses and are developing a high-quality MySpace page, with which to help raise SDk's profile in the public domain.

Protecting ourselves and looking after our contributorsSDk Updates

Thurs 12 Feb, 2009.

Considering new measures of sociocultural repression and a new wave of puritanism that seem to be gaining currency in the Anglo-Saxon world in particular, we have been giving thought over the last week to the nature and implementation of disclaimers and how we can protect delicate eyes from the evils of joy.

To highlight the longer-term benefits of participating in SDk, we are now pointing out to contributors that SDk-produced interviews and articles on their work, and their SDk biographical profiles, should serve them well in the future. We will be inviting contributors to use these articles and bios as they see fit, as long as SomethingDark is credited for their production, editing and prior publication in SDk webmagazine.

After earlier thoughts on including a references line to acknowledge photographers' and artists' models (among other information), we've decided that providing model credits in profile galleries will be beneficial for all.

The trials and tribulations of cutting-edge website developmentSDk Updates

Sat 07 Feb, 2009.

Chris and Daryl spent a lot of time liaising with contributors for issue 01, which is due to be published early April. We also discussed and determined several aspects of contributor relations, which we hope will be rewarding for all involved in SDk.

We developed a formatting relationship between in-mag articles and their web-based popup continuations. The use of innovative popups allows SomethingDark's magazine format to flow seamlessly into web-based structures, thus negating the restrictions of traditional print publications.

We also developed additional mechanisms for displaying relevant references for the currently viewed page of SDk magazine, and the linking of those references to off-mag resources.

Building on work done over the last two weeks, we began developing strategies for making SDk a financially viable venture. We recognise that in order for SDk to exist, it needs to generate an income.