News
2023
How odd it is that we are nearly half way through 2023!?!


This top post, not matter how old, is always the most relevant post regarding Sycophant Hex on the whole.




INTERNAL EMAILS


So... no one (at least that does programming for websites) that I've spoken to can (or in one case will) fix the internal email issue that we have with the site. This means if you register to create a new account or have lost/forgotten/can't access you account and need a new password, you have to email sh.userhelp@gmail.com to get a new password created for you so you can access the site.



When you email for a password I need to know:

Archive name (ie Ashwinder, Occlumency or one of the others):
pen name/user name chosen:
email address on the account (even if you no longer have access to it):




Please be patient while you wait for a response - it can take up to ten days before a new password has been sent to you, depending on work schedules, holiday and school scheduled and whatnot. If you haven't received an email response back within 15 days, please email again, as the original email may have gone astray.



DONATIONS


I want to send thanks again to everyone whom has donated this year - the hosting fees and domaine name have gone up again, so the total cost this year is $385. Your generosity has enabled us to pay for another year!


Again, I am always extremely grateful of for all of the donations that anyone sends our way. Sycophant Hex has always been free to use; I cannot express how very thankful I am to everyone whom donated, your contribution has allowed us a place where you can find the fan fiction you would like to read for free.



As always, we understand if you are unable to donate - this last year has been extremely trying for everyone - I know all of us have suffered in some way, so if you haven't the funds, or even the inclination to, please don't sweat it, lord knows it's an effort even to get out of bed somedays. I'm just glad we can be here for another year!



If you do have a desire to donate, we have a couple of methods to use...


PAYPAL

You can always donate directly through send a friend money on PayPal via sh.userhelp@gmail.com email address or through the paypal group pay set up:
https://paypal.me/pools/c/8qaGEpi05m


LIBERAPAY

We are still using Liberapay... I know several people have expressed disatisfaction over the site because it forces a person to then use Paypal and not everyone is a fan of Paypal. I have not, unfortunately found an alternative to this that will allow someone to dontate to use without using Paypal.




Donate using Liberapay




The direct link is (in case the widget is unavailable or wonky):

https://liberapay.com/SycophantHex/donate




Unfortunately, Liberapay doesn't allow for a one time donation, so if you do use this, please just do a custom amount per year, then once the first transaction has gone through, discontinue it so it stops right away.



If you know of a place to set up for donations that is free and easy to use, please let us know, since we're always looking for easier options for people to use.



CALIBRE

As we head into summer, I know many people are looking for options to download their favorite stories so that they can take them with them to read. The ebook reader, Calibre free, has a fanfic extension where you can copy and past the link of the story you want and it will convert it into whatever readable format you want (epud, pdf, mobi). Youtube has tutorials on how to work the program for this specifically.

Calibre's website: https://calibre-ebook.com/download


Thank you so very much, Celisnebula
--Celisnebula on 05/18/2023 07:10 pm (0 Comments)
Spam Issues and Accounts
We are actively trying to fix some database issues across the board on all five of Sycophant Hex's archives so that we can get email functions set up again.


Because many of the problems are spam related and is actively harming the site, we are doing our level best to control that issue.


Until this is done, the automatic emails for new accounts and password resets will remain off.


If you create a new account or need a new password, please email the help desk with the user name you chose as well as the archive name, since each of our archives is it's own database. Keep in mind that it may take up to 10 days for a response depending on work schedules and the amount of email requests received.


This means that we are deleting suspicious user accounts... accounts with links to pornohub and whatnot.


If we have accidentally caught and purged your legitimate account, we deeply apologize.


Please send us a note to sh.userhelp at gmail.com - with the archive name, your user name and the email you used on the site and we will do our level best to resolve the situation of the deleted account.



Thank you,
Celisnebula
--Celisnebula on 06/28/2020 05:22 pm (0 Comments)
Yahoo Email Addresses
It has been brought to our attention that due to the Yahoo data breach, if you used a Yahoo email account to create a Sycophant Hex account that your password may have been compromised. We request that you a) change your password if you are able to, or contact us to create a password for you and b) use a different email service than Yahoo when you use the site.

Thank you,
Celis
--Celisnebula on 05/18/2020 10:41 pm (0 Comments)
Site Emails
So apparently the site isn't sending out emails with temporary passwords for new accounts now.


Once you've registered, please email sh.userhelp@gmail.com.

Please be patient while you wait for a response - the help desk gets over 70 emails a day, and I go through all of them to make sure they are not spam, so it does take me a bit of time



I will need to know your user name - the database (which is available to everyone as the member's list) is by user name ONLY. So I cannot search by email addresses.



I also need the email address that is on the account (the one you made the account with) to verify that it IS yours once I can go into the account.



Thank you, Celis
--Celisnebula on 07/06/2019 11:31 pm (0 Comments)
Server upgrades
Nexcess is upgrading their server (apparently we need more storage space) and doing on going maintenance so there may be some slight times where the site might be down for a short while.

Thank you! Celis
--Celisnebula on 05/02/2016 09:34 pm (0 Comments)
Help Desk Email
If you've emailed the help desk recently and have not received a response, please email again. We've been having a spam issue, where the inbox has been flooded with 1000+ spam emails a day. I think I have fixed the problem, with the spam being directed elsewhere, however, I may have missed a geniune email when I was slogging through the fake messages.



Thanks,
Celis
--Celisnebula on 11/03/2015 11:42 pm (0 Comments)
Update
I first off wanted to say that I am sorry it's taken me so long to do another update on the site's situation. RL has been insane - various issues from work, family, and computer problems have pretty much limited my online time to trying to field emails, which of course has limited me in a lot of ways.

Nexcess did a server upgrade which unfortunately did not mesh well with the version of efiction we run. Luckily, bonsaibetz's husband was kind enough to help and get is back on track. Everything should be running correctly on all of the archives.

If you do notice any problems, please email the help desk.



Thank you,
Celis
--Celisnebula on 04/07/2015 01:06 am (0 Comments)
Nexcess Maintenance
Nexcess will be performing scheduled network maintenance to increase the overall bandwidth capacity of the network to allow for further future expansion.



Maintenance Start: 09/08/2013 12:00AM EST

Maintenance End: 09/08/2013 5:00AM EST

Downtime Duration: Brief periods of packet loss Anywhere from only a few minutes to an hour.



Please be aware that this may affect your use of Sycophant Hex during the specified time table.

Thank you, Celisnebula
--Celisnebula on 09/02/2013 02:39 pm (4 Comments)
Nexcess Maintenance
Nexcess will be performing scheduled network maintenance to increase the overall bandwidth capacity of the network to allow for further future expansion.




Maintenance Start: 6/30/2013 01:00:00 EST

Maintenance End: 6/30/2013 03:00:00 EST

Downtime Duration: Brief periods of packet loss




Please be aware that this may affect your use of Sycophant Hex during the specified time table.

Thank you,
Celisnebula
--Celisnebula on 06/26/2013 11:27 pm (0 Comments)
Spam in the Reviews
We've had a rash of review spams hitting various stories. If your story has been targeted by these spam reviews, please email the help desk at sh.userhelp at gmail.com. Please include links to the spam review, along with the title of your story and a notation as to which archive your story is on. From there we can go in and delete out the reviews and the account that is spamming everyone.



Unfortunately, as an open forum that anyone can register on, we sometimes are affected by these unscrupulous people.



Thank you,
Celisnebula
--Celisnebula on 10/17/2012 04:56 pm (0 Comments)
Maintenance
Nexcess, our web server, is doing some maintenance and upgrades tonight. As a result, there may a be loss of services between 2am-4am EST as they replace their RAM and do other preventative maintenance measures. Everything should be back in working order by 6am EST.

Thank you,
Celisnebula
--Celisnebula on 08/14/2012 09:01 pm (0 Comments)
Saying Goodbye
I am no longer affiliated with Sycophant Hex.  Please direct all future communication to sh.admins@gmail.com for any questions or assistance.  I regret this final action is due to my health, my son's disabilities, and the death of my husband two weeks ago.  I wish you all the very best in the future, and encourage you to support and volunteer for Sycophant Hex to help the archive survive.
--CareCrystal on 04/29/2012 02:56 pm (3 Comments)
Uncommonly Good Contest Results
The staff of Sycophant Hex is pleased to announce the official winners of the Uncommonly Good Contest now that Whispers is publishing the story written by our grand prize winner.



The official winners are:



1. We Were Nobles: Dach’s Story by Carol Notwolf

2. Heartbreak and Redemption: An Angel’s Heart by Elvara Hrolfswiffe

3. Ambers in Water by morgaine




Here is an except from our grand prize winner, Carol Notwolf’s story, “We Were Nobles: Dach’s Story.”



Dach has loved Lorac all his life; she loves him, too. So why did she marry someone else? In retrospect, Dach understands perfectly why she chose Ferencer over him, the Whore King of Tellene: he was a selfish asshole. Being a man isn't the size of your pecs or your junk...Dach finally comprehends that fact when all signs say it's too late to matter—after he’s abducted and taken from his home world by a slaving ship during a
revolution he helped start. Five hellish years of fighting traders and saving children has changed him, but will Lorac see it when he finally makes it home? If he makes it home...








You will be able to purchase Carol’s book after May 4th from:


Whispers




As well as Amazon.com.



Thank you,

Celisnebula
--Celisnebula on 04/26/2012 11:42 pm (3 Comments)
Update on the Contest

We ask for your understanding regarding the delay over the SH Story Contest initiated before our current time of transition.

I know this has been frustrating for you.  It has been also for us, sorting out what to do during this transition.  This will take time.  Believe me,  I appreciate your patience over matters that took place during my absence.

Please be patient with us.  I promise we will update you soon.

Thank you,

CareCrystal

--CareCrystal on 08/29/2011 12:20 am (2 Comments)
Returning as Webmistress
 Due to unforeseen circumstances, JackieJLH has asked me to return as Webmistress of Sycophant Hex, and this change will be effective immediately.

For years, Jackie has played an important role behind the scenes at SH that many simply do not know of. For this and for so many other reasons, she continues to be a valued member of the SH team, and we look forward to working with her into the future.

All along, I have continued to be the site patron of SH. For this reason, I am honored to return to the position of Webmistress, and I will continue to serve you and SH in this role.

Please know that SH will continue to move forward. The entire SH team continues to work hard every day to support our archives, your loyalty and all of your creative contributions.

Many thanks for your ongoing support!

--Carecrystal on 07/11/2011 06:20 pm (3 Comments)
Uncommonly Good Contest
Announcing the Uncommonly Good Contest!



Working in cooperation with Whispers Publishing, the staff of Sycophant Hex are thrilled to take part in launching a publishing career for one of our own!



URL for Whispers Publishing: http://www.whispershome.com





You heard right—the first prize in this contest will be a publishing contract from Whispers Publishing! The winning entry will be published in ebook format, royalties paid, with professional editing, a great cover, and resources to promote your winning book!



For details, rules, and restrictions, please visit our home page here:

http://www.sycophanthex.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=114&Itemid=1
--Webmistress on 01/15/2011 08:05 pm (2 Comments)
Attention: hotmail users
This is a reminder for authors: if you submit stories on any of our archives, we ask that you use an email domain other than hotmail, due to problems with that domain dumping our letters into spam or bulk folders, or rejecting them. Users may also encounter difficulty with sbcglobal or roadrunner domains. If you use either of these last two, please set your email settings to allow the sycophanthex domain, or use an alternate email address.
--JackieJLH on 09/03/2010 01:44 pm (1 Comments)
Important Announcement
It is with great regret that I must inform you that CareCrystal has decided she will no longer be able to continue as Webmistress of Sycophant Hex. While she will continue to support Sycophant Hex as much as she can, going forward, I've gladly agreed to take on the role of Webmistress.



CareCrystal has been with SH for many years, working in virtually all of the roles on the site, and serving as a wonderful, dedicated Webmistress for over two years. We are all very sorry to see her go, and wish her all the best for the future.



This transition should be smooth and seamless for site users. I have been with Sycophant Hex for quite a few years, working both in the submission queues and on the technical side of the site, and am looking forward to continuing to support SH and its members for many years to come.



If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to comment here, or to contact me at webmistress.sh@gmail.com.



Thank you,



JackieJLH
--JackieJLH on 05/30/2010 02:24 pm (2 Comments)
Archives Open for Submissions Again
The Sycophant Hex archives are now open for submissions again. We appreciate your patience and support of SH while we worked through this problem. All authors (including Validated Authors) can now post stories and chapters to the queues.

At this time, we have made a proactive decision to suspend the inclusion of all images in submissions. If and when this changes, we will post a notice on the archives and in this community. Any images in new submissions will be removed before posting.
--RaeWhit on 03/01/2010 05:54 pm (1 Comments)
Submissions Suspension
Due to a technical problem, we're suspending story submissions today—February 28, 2010—until further notice. Since submissions by Validated Authors post directly to the archive, we're asking specifically that these authors do not post stories or chapters.. Any submissions now in the queues will remain there until this issue is resolved. Any new submissions will be returned to their authors. We're working to resolve this problem. Updates will be made to our Live Journal Community as soon as they are available. Thanks for your patience.
--RaeWhit on 02/28/2010 03:01 am (2 Comments)
Attention: hotmail users
This is a reminder for authors: if you submit stories on any of our archives, we ask that you use an email domain other than hotmail, due to problems with that domain dumping our letters into spam or bulk folders, or rejecting them. Users may also encounter difficulty with sbcglobal or roadrunner domains. If you use either of these last two, please set your email settings to allow the sycophanthex domain, or use an alternate email address.
--RaeWhit on 11/03/2009 01:22 pm (0 Comments)
Admin applications closed
Thanks to everyone who applied to Sycophant Hex for our recently posted Admin positions. We received applications from several qualified people and thus will be accepting no further applications at this time. We'll be making our final decisions shortly and will notify any remaining applicants soon. Thank you for your support of Sycophant Hex -- we appreciate it!
--CareCrystal on 03/09/2009 01:04 pm (2 Comments)
Call for Admins!
Interested in working behind the scenes at Sycophant Hex? Have a love for the English language and Harry Potter fandom and canon information? Please consider joining the Sycophant Hex Admin staff! We ask that all prospective Admins be able to commit approximately six volunteer hours a week. For more information, please go to http://www.sycophanthex.com/exams/adminapplication.html. Thanks, and we look forward to hearing from you!
--CareCrystal on 02/02/2009 07:00 pm (0 Comments)
New
For those needing discretion while visiting our archives, we have added a new "discreet" skin, which can be activated by clicking Account Info, and then Edit Preferences. We are hard at work fixing many other features and enhancements, so please continue to be patient! Thanks.



Edit: If you choose to click back to "default" from "discreet" you will need to close your browser and clean out your internet cookies, otherwise it will not take. It seems to be a security feature of this new software upgrade.
Thank you,
Celisnebula
--CareCrystal on 12/01/2008 12:11 pm (0 Comments)
Illusions closing
We regret to tell you that we've just received notice that our long-time affiliate, Illusions, has been closed permanently, effective immediately.




Though we will greatly miss Illusions, we want to take this opportunity to thank the Illusions staff for everything they have done for the HP fan community. SH is proud to have been their affiliate, and we wish them all the best!



--CareCrystal on 11/26/2008 04:09 pm (3 Comments)