Fanedit.org, circa 2007
Fanedit.org was born in 2007 by boon23. It was a news site, a rating/review site, and forum, much like it is today. The core rating system was simple and didn’t require a written review. A member could simply rate an edit with a basic 10-star rating system. When boon23 handed the reigns over to reave in late 2010, the design of the site changed due to upgraded software, but the core function stayed the same. The only major change was that you could no longer just rate a fanedit, you had to leave a review too.
Fanedit.org, circa 2009
In 2012, the Fanedit Academy was created to weed out hastily created fanedits to ensure the quality we strived for in the database. The idea was simple: trusted members of the community who had a keen eye took on the role of reviewer/mentor for first-time faneditors (we called them “firstlings” back in the day, a reference to “younglings” in the Star Wars prequels). They provided feedback to faneditors until they felt the fanedit was up to the standards of the site.
Fanedit.org, circa 2012
This system stayed in place for six years, until we upgraded the system again, this time utilizing more powerful software. This was the first major upgrade to the system that had been in place for nearly 10 years. The rating and review system was expanded to what it is today, allowing viewers to be more selective in what they liked and didn’t like about an edit: A/V Quality, Visual Editing, Audio Editing, Narrative, and Enjoyment. The Internet Fanedit Database was born.
The Academy thrived and achieved what we’d hoped. Not everyone agreed with this system, but it was put into place with good intentions. Since it’s not always easy to track down fanedits, nor does everyone have fast internet connections — especially going back 12 years — it helped vet fanedits so visitors could trust an edit was of a certain quality.
Quantum of Solace: Bond’s Revenge, circa 2011
The policy of this site has always been to curate the best of the best. With so many people producing fanedits these days, we strive to continue to hold our faneditors to a high standard so as not to waste viewers time with fanedits that suffer from sloppy cuts and transitions and/or cause unnecessary plotholes. This has caused an escalation in conflict over the years, but it was something we felt passionate about, especially with the help of the dedicated members of the Academy. But as time moves on, those in the Academy can’t dedicate the time necessary to watch the tremendous increase in fanedits regularly or mentor all the new faneditors.
Quantum of Solace: Bond’s Revenge, circa 2016
These past 12 months have been interesting, to say the least. If you’re unaware of what we’re referring to, there are plenty of discussions in the forum covering them, so we won’t recap it here. We’re set on looking forward. There have been many suggestions on how to proceed, and we’ve discussed all of these ideas internally and have come up with what we feel is the best path forward.
Today is the next evolution of Fanedit.org.
We’re happy to announce the Unapproved Fanedit Database. This will be the catch-all fanedit database for all new faneditors. Any registered user who has yet to be promoted to Faneditor status on our site, and adheres to our Own the Source rule, is eligible to be listed in the Unapproved Fanedits Database. You no longer need to have your edit vetted by an Academy member, expediting new fanedits being listed.
We are adding a new user group called Trusted Reviewers. Many of the Academy who no longer have time to dedicate time to the site will be moved to Trusted Reviewers along with past Academy members who still participated in the forums. Some additional members who have shown a critical eye to reviewing fanedits have also been added. These users will receive a Trusted Reviewer badge. Their reviews will stand out on the site, separate from the general user. Trusted Reviewers are people who don’t just gift a fanedit a glowing review and 10-star ratings, but members who have demonstrated an eye for the importance of critiquing an edit and pointing out its flaws as well as its strengths. Fanedits listed in the Unapproved Fanedit Database that receive a positive review from a Trusted Reviewer will then have their edit considered by staff for inclusion in IFDB.
The current roster of Trusted Reviewers will include Addiesin, Jerick, L8wrtr, Macmilln, Malthus, Masirimso17, Matrixgroundhouse, Musiced921, That One Guy, TMBTM, Dwight Fry, Neglify, RecordWrangler95, Bionicbob, Adabisi, Mnkykungfu, Garstazi, Heavisyde, ParanoidAndroid, NJVC, LastSurvivor, Spence, Krausfadr, Octoroxx, Problem Eliminator, Boazz750, Moe_Syzlak, Plurmonger, and Vultural.
While we’re excited about this secondary database of unapproved edits, we do not want to undo or devalue the hard work put in by editors and Academy members to curate the best edits out there. To maintain the integrity of the main database, and to encourage new editors to bring their work up to approval standards, we will reserve the following benefits for approved faneditors only:
- being eligible for Fanedit of the Month and Fanedit of the Year awards
- having their fanedit listed in the newly released list
- having their fanedit rated and reviewed by general members
- having their fanedit be searchable
- having a direct link to the forum to contact the faneditor (new)
- having up to five posters poster in their fanedit listing (new)
- access to a new “certified” stamp for their poster/cover art (new)
- having their name in our Faneditor list
Unapproved faneditors will also have an Unapproved badge next to their editor name in their fanedit listing.
We are presenting the Unapproved Fanedit Database as a trial for three months. If people use, like it, and don’t abuse it, we will extend the trial, or keep it as a permanent fixture on the site. But if there is abuse of the system, it will be removed.
Another update is the new Profile section on IFDB. While not as big of a change, users can now access their reviews, lists, and favorites on a single page, as well as add a Profile picture. This is also where you will change your email address and password if you need to. Your email and password will automatically update on the forum too.
All coverart art has now been migrated to the new gallery, and you no longer have to download compressed files. Posters have also been upgraded to high resolution versions where available.
As always, the Fanedit.org staff reserve the right to remove fanedits and faneditors from breaking our Terms & Rules.
We hope you enjoy this new direction we’re taking, and look forward to seeing what new fanedits the future brings.