SCP Foundation

You will be timed to read this draft. You have 6 minutes. This should be sufficient time - if not (or if it's too much) this is one of the things on which I need critique.

After 6 minutes, the article will change. It will not change further.

Note: SCP-2MIN is called SCP-2MIN because originally I gave 2 MINutes to read it.

If you're reading everything normally, in the ideal case, the timer should end halfway through Dr Greaves' audio logs.

When you initially load up the article, a random draft is selected. You read that for 6 minutes, then it changes to the final version of the document. Short of clearing your cookies and your cache there is no way to re-load the version that you saw originally, or view a different one. (see the note starting "Also:" below)

In-universe: the idea is that you read an article about SCP-2MIN and what it really is, then after 6 minutes, you can't perceive any information about SCP-2MIN. The article changes to emphasise that there is nothing in the containment cell. The version you read originally IRL represents what you remember reading - ie, that memory is false. There isn't a way to work out what SCP-2MIN really is.

Is that idea presented clearly enough in the article?

As the average reader won't know that there are multiple versions of the SCP available, this should become clear once they talk to someone else who has read it (and saw one of the other versions).

Also:

If you want to see the original version again, on the splash page click "AUTHORISATION" at the bottom, then click the button "Ignore seen" that appears, then click "Proceed"

(to get to the splash page, just refresh the page)

If you want to make the document completely forget you've read it, click "Reset"

If you want to manually select a new version of the SCP to read, click "Reset" then one of the numbers 0 - 3. Numbers 4 - 6 are not functional

To stop the timer, click "Stop timer"

If you're done reading but the timer is still running, to skip ahead to the final version click the word "READ" in the note above the timer. This will set the timer to 5 seconds

To get a running log of what the SCP is doing, open up the JavaScript console (Ctrl+Shift+I on Chrome)

Object Class: Safe

I'm going to point out the obvious other antimeme which I think this SCP draws a lot of inspiration from, SCP-055, which is Keter. Because of the lack of information on this object and the fact that nobody post-6 minutes can view it at all, I believe this should at least be Euclid status.

a very powerful perception-altering effect

I dislike the word "powerful" being used here. I would change it to potent. At the very least, I would remove the word "very". It comes off as non-clinical.

Addenda

The way you've assigned the documents was confusing to me on the first read. I understand now, upon inspection, that you've chosen each document to have its own independent A-Z suffix. When I first read it I thought "why does it go B,D,C?" Consider changing the testing logs to have numerical designations, rather than alphabetical ones.

Experiment Log 2MIN-B

Unless I'm missing something, the timestamps are wrong. He's only in there for 40 seconds before he passes the six-minute threshold. Also, I'm unable to close the collapsible which confused me further. Even a few seconds of confusion are wasting those valuable six minutes that you've given the reader.

Class-Y mnestic

Consider taking this out of the PRE-6 versions. If the reader clicks on the crosslink, they're going to eat up their 6 minutes which isn't going to make them happy.

So here I am, Dr Greaves, vigilante researcher

This makes the Foundation seem incompetent. Did they just let him waltz into a secure location with mnestics?

The second perception is whatever memory SCP-2MIN injects over itself

While the first and third perception makes sense, this one doesn't. To me, perception is using the senses which doesn't include memory. I'd call it a three-tier antimemetic effect. The first tier (zero-th tier?) is what is actually is, second-tier is it alters your memory and the third tier is you can't perceive it at all.

walking through ketchup

Nothing wrong with this just wanted to point out that I really like the imagery here.

if it's just me forgetting how

I thought mnestics made you remember things, not forget? How is the researcher forgetting how to breathe?

Small

I know this is nitpicky, but small is relative.

reflects light perfectly

Then it wouldn't be red, it would be white.

when photographed it appears to do so

This is really confusing. So, it's white when you photograph it, but red when you look at it?

test was deemed 'impolite'

You don't need the quote marks here.

A single undefined vocalisation from SCP-2MIN

Just noting that no other document versions have this extra note.

subjects describe it as 'being frozen in time'

I think this is unnecessarily. I got that from the description and comes off as non-clinical.

Empirical data

There's nothing here. I think you missed this.

'Changes' into something else

No need for scare quotes here.

Experiment Log 2MIN-D

Unless I'm missing something again, timestamps are incorrect in this document.

Why hasn't anyone come to get me? Is it because I'm in the cell, but the cell is empty?

There seems to be an extra sentence here than in every other version of the document. He doesn't say anything about SCP-2MIN in this line, so why the sudden extra sentence?

Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of meta, cool HTML and antimemes. This combines my three favourite things into one self-contained bundle.

If you wanted to cut off the final few logs 6 minutes is too long, I think. I managed to read the whole thing in six minutes with time to spare. I ran this through a word-count checker and that spat out the average reading time to be 6:12. If you really want this thing to cut off the final few logs, consider changing it to 5:30. However, I wouldn't recommend doing this. I'll come back to why later.

Your hook is incredible. Seeing that timer tick down really made me engage with the material. This does mean however that you're going to have to make this document as easy to read as possible. I got the concept before the timer ran out, but not everyone will. Antimemes aren't an easy concept for beginners and putting a time-limit on understanding that concept isn't going to help.

I'm not sure if you intend to keep the developer tools in the mainpage but I ask that you do. Putting the time limit on the document is a cool effect, yes, but some people aren't going to be able to read it in that time if, for example, English is not their first language. People aren't liable to clear their cookies to read it again (I know this from experience) and will be angry that you've hidden information from them.

I like the fact that you leave it ambiguous if SCP-2MIN is, or isn't, what you first perceive it as. I also like the fact that you hint that it may be none of those things. I also really like the fact that there are multiple iterations of the document.

The idea itself:
It's a really cool mechanic and a decently cool idea. My major issue is that I don't feel anything except for that. I don't care for the man in the audio logs. The entire enjoyment of the article hinges greatly on that "wow" factor.

The execution:
Absolutely stellar. I was interested and engaged after pressing that proceed button which lasted until I finished reading.

The formatting:
With the exception of the collapsibles not going back, I liked it.