Tweaks... - BlitzCoder.net

I have a week off, and am not doing any game making..
So, lots of "Sat at PC" time + no "MAKE GAME!!" time = lots of "Site Tweak" time.

If you have thoughts, suggestions, ideas, annoyances, or anything at all, let me know now.

First up, Making "New Post" quicker, 'cos I'm somehow annoyed at having to click TWO things to do it! It's gotta be quicker than that!!

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Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 06:26

You could add long running polls on the front page. Still have a different poll per day, but similar to the polls on GameFaqs.com.

For example the first month could be 'best game hero'. For example:
day 1, Link vs Ryo Hazuki, Link wins
day 2, Mario vs Braid, Mario wins
day 3, Link vs Mario, Mario wins

(this but with more rounds/days)

and it could have a tree describing the game so far (either on the front page, a new page or on a popup page like with the new hover/popup images). It could also say who won the last poll tournament.

My second idea is to add a simple bug tracking system to the showcases, like trac or bugzilla.

If I make a new showcase there could be some tick boxes to say if registered users or only I can submit bugs or enhancements (i.e. only I can submit bugs but other users can submit enhancements). These are then shown as a list on the worklog. A link in the worklog would be added to go to a more detailed section for that showcase. There is also an option to disable the tracking system and so hide it from view.

In the more detailed section comments can be added by registered users. The condition of the request can be set by the owner of the showcase. Conditioins include: 'enhancement, bug, will not fix, fixed, refused and duplicate'. Open and enhancement are both 'open' conditions stating that it may be dealt with in the future. All of the others are 'closed' conditions which hides the enhacement/bug from the list on the main worklog. The type of close condition depicts why it was closed.

Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 07:06

Afr0

In accordance with my usual requests for things to help MMO/Network coders, I think you could start a new forum on the site where people can discuss and post linkys to sites explaining various protocols. You can simply call the forum 'Network Protocols'.
That way, I can post sticky links to the WoW protocol, the Ultima Online protocol, the MSN Messenger protocol and folks can ask questions pertaining to those protocols!
I also think you should start a forum for various life related questions that *can be blocked* so that *interested people* can post questions about dating, drinking/alcohol, 'I'm tired of coding', situations at work and more, and so that *people that aren't interested* can block said forum.

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Afr0 Games

Project Dollhouse on Github - Please fork!

Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 07:15

I don't usually suggest such a think, but Afro, you really need to start your own MMO/Dating forum!!

The whole Todo list, bug report list, and all of the things associated is nice, and infact I've already set off working on a Todo list, as per Phoenix's PM this morning..
I was going to shove everything into the "Revision" chunk of each post's database entry, until you just said that, and buggered the whole thing up.
See, although the Revision entry is empty on Forum topics, and thus usable for plonking Todo lists into, it's not actually empty on showcases and things.. bugger..

Can't do that, then..

I might have to add a new table for this one!!

It might end up working like Scoreboards, whereby you'd add a todo list in one area of the site, then plonk it's BBCode into another.. It's a bit complex, but it's the only thing I can think of, right now..

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Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 07:17

Afro

I think you could start a new forum on the site where people can discuss and post linkys to sites explaining various protocols. You can simply call the forum 'Network Protocols'.
That way, I can post sticky links to the WoW protocol, the Ultima Online protocol, the MSN Messenger protocol and folks can ask questions pertaining to those protocols!

That's a bit of a niche forum. If you want to write about networking protocols then I'd suggest you write some articles, topics and post links about it. If they are good articles then I might even read them. If there is lots of popularity then I'm sure Jay would add a forum section for it.

Afro

I also think you should start a forum for various life related questions that *can be blocked* so that *interested people* can post questions about dating, drinking/alcohol, 'I'm tired of coding', situations at work and more, and so that *people that aren't interested* can block said forum.

I've seen unmoderated sections before and I've never liked them. It just ends up being a place where people can legitemately spam and post rude, crude and offensive material. I'm not saying that's what your planning to do, I'm saying that's how it could end up.

Even if it's meant to be unmoderated (and stated so), in practice you end up with a section of the site that increases tensions and problems between the sites members.

Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 07:24

*Jay gives up with the Todo lists for today.. Too much thinking involved!*

I'll work on other minor stuff, instead, methinks!

Oh, yeah.. As I scroll through the BBCode, I notice the [img][imgs][thumb] tags, and I figured I'd comment on a whinge that DD once had..
There is a legitimate reason for the 3 image code thing..

[imgs] makes images smaller, user side. They scale up nice and quick, but are slow at loading, due to the system loading the larger version. If you've a post full of images, slower net folk will struggle.

[thumb] is useful if you've stored a second _thumb image on the same server. It means folk are loading the smaller image first, then loading the larger one once they've clicked on it. Much quicker, and much easier..
But.. If I have just [thumb] then everyone HAS to upload the smaller _thumb image. That's annoying, so the default is [imgs]

Now, both of those require that "Link" = "Bigger image"
If, instead, you want your image to link to another place, like most people have in their sigs, then you 100% need a THIRD image tag. That's why we use the standard BBCode of [img] to do that. Plus it's easier when you're copy+pasting things from other forums.

I know that having 3 tags just for images looks weird, but it's kinda necessary..

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Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 07:32

Jayenkai

It might end up working like Scoreboards, whereby you'd add a todo list in one area of the site, then plonk it's BBCode into another.. It's a bit complex, but it's the only thing I can think of, right now..

Couldn't that be automated? Then conceptually it's the same thing as having it all together for the user.

Your the only one who has to deal with the mess, so it works for me!

Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 07:36

My mind's not thinking about it properly.. I must still be a bit drunk, or something!

I can see the poll stuff over here, and the bbcode there, and can't imagine the two connecting easily!
I could make it so that whenever you make a post, it makes a todolist, but then what happens when you edit the post? Does it add a new one? Does it change the old one? *shrugs*

I've stopped thinking about it! Leave that for another day, it's a crazily big task!

..
But I think I'll make use of the currently unused "News" table..

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Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 07:49

Why make it so complicated? I only really wanted my own little spot on the front page where I can write little notes and narcissistic self-compliments. A little topic which only I can see at the front page. Tick boxes, version tracking, fusion reactors and whatnot -- it's too much. There's lots of advanced project tracking sites, so let them stick to their stuff and we'll stick to ours.

Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 07:51

Because DD's suggestion is also liked to the whole thing.
A Todo list is a list of thoughts, with an Add entry box, checkboxes to tick off things you've done, and delete buttons to remove old entries...

As is a Bug list..

As is a Feature suggestions list..

They're all the same!

Might as well do it all together.

[ ] Todo list
[ ] Bug List
[ ] Feature Request

It's not TOO complex, it's just that the way I was originally thinking would've used the spare Revisions spot in the database.
But if I attach them to Showcases, it won't work, because that spot's already in use.
So I have to stick them elsewhere..
And then I also have to consider when people add more than one todo list to an entry.. Like DD's Bugs/Features thing.. That'd be 2 lists..
It's not TOO complicated.. It's pretty simple.
I just can't be bothered thinking about it right now, that's all..

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Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 08:11

How about just having them as regular BB code tags? Then they could be added anywhere. The boxes' checked state would be in the BB code, and then a little "Update list" button would be placed at the end of each one to automatically update the BB code to reflect new checked boxes.

So, in a post, I write this:

[todo]
[item checked=false]Something[/item]
[/todo]

--v

In the post, I tick the box which appears and hit "Update". BB code is automatically changed to this:

[todo]
[item checked=true]Something[/item]
[/todo]

--v

Nice and simple.

Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 08:18

Yeah, but then you'd have to edit the post each and every time you wanted to add/change something.. And other folk couldn't add stuff to your list!
What's the point of that!?

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Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 08:23

Part of the point is that the items can be commented on.

Fri, 26 Dec 2008, 08:25

Still think it's too complicated, but I'll stop complaining and see what happens instead.

Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 02:53

Afr0

Jayenkai

bloody multiquotes.. FFS afro, it's right up there, folk can read!

Well I'm fairly sure that in one of these threads before I suggested to Jay that he make a generic Network forum, but he brushed me off with 'We don't need that, because we already have a Blitz language forum!' (apparently, that's where most Network related threads on this site are started). That's why I thought maybe we could have a more specific (or niche, if you will) forum instead.

Just because I said that people could block the forum about various life-related topics, doesn't mean that I meant it should be unmoderated. In fact I didn't think of this until you brought it up. Since Phoenix and Jay are admins, it should probably be their responsibility to administer the forum regardless of whether they inhererently want to read the topics or not.

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Afr0 Games

Project Dollhouse on Github - Please fork!

Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 03:11

Sorry, I though an unmoderated forum section was what you were illuding too when you said 'a forum for various life related questions that *can be blocked*'. I still however don't think there is much of a call for it, you seem to be the only one.

Afro

That makes sense though, it's both Blitz and NetWorking so it can go in either forum.

But again there are so few networking related topics, there is just no point in adding a forum for it. I'm not saying I don't think there should be one, I'm saying I don't think it would get any consistent usage.

If there were regular networking topics here then it wouldn't be a niche and so it would make sense to have a networking section. But networking topics here are pretty uncommon.

Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 10:13

Stealth

Make the site open source. Haha. I know that's not practicle.

Maybe add an apps type system like facebook has? With a simple api to return some basic user details. I know there are a few php coders on the site and we could come up with some pretty neat stuff.

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Quit posting and try Google.

Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 10:28

This isn't fucking Facebook.
I see no need to change my stance.

If I can attach the upload function to the quicky open "Uploads" button, I can do it that way, but I'd rather not have folk doing the whole "Upload image, and make post, simultaneously" thing.. Mostly 'cos the system won't do that!!

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Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 11:21

Stealth

From Topic #1198

Jayenkai

API, fucking stupider idea. This isn't fucking Facebook.

You trashed the idea before anybody who could design these extended apps even had any say in it. "This isn't fucking facebook" isn't a fair reason. An API service on a coding site (it's much more than a forum) seems entirely normal. We are all coders after all, why not make a system so we can expand on our own community site?

From Topic #1198

Afr0

Oh yeah, and with this API thing it'd also be kinda neat to be able to write your own programs that'd plug into some kinda sidebar on here like on Facebook.

Please don't ask us what we want and then trash our ideas. It's not fair.

...

Anyway, I'm done ranting about that.

A cache system would be nice for the site, to speed up page loads.

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Quit posting and try Google.

Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 12:18

It is fair.

Because there's no real reason why we'd need an API, beyond the coolness. What would you use this API for? We've got the site in a very developed state right now, and if you ask me I think it's enough as it is.

Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 15:38

Afr0

Please don't ask us what we want and then trash our ideas. It's not fair.

I agree. Thanks for putting words on thought(s) I've had for a long time, Stealth.

Phoenix: I think Stealth was talking in a general way when he said 'It isn't fair'.

Here's another idea: How about implementing a poll system specifically for threads like these (only threads like these - I know Jay doesn't like polls...) so that all the ideas can get added to a poll as they are thought of.
That way, people could vote on the ideas (for a set amount of time, perhaps?) and the most popular ideas would get implemented unless there was a valid technical reason it couldn't be done. Sounds like a much more productive/healthy way of doing things to me.

Edit: Although that idea probably won't be implemented either because Jay will probably find out a reason why he thinks the idea is really fucking stupid.

Edit2: If Jay can't be bothered implementing such a poll system - that's a reason to make the site open-source right there!

Edit3: As an afterthought, I might add that none of this is really meant to disown Jay in any way. I just think that when it comes to implementing new ideas, the selection process could be done a lot more productively and/or effectively than it has been done thus far.

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Afr0 Games

Project Dollhouse on Github - Please fork!

Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 16:27

OK, give me 3 valid absolutely USEFUL things that an API would do, without requiring extra CPU time.

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Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 16:52

Stealth

OK, give me 3 valid absolutely USEFUL things that an API would do, without requiring extra CPU time.

*shrugs* There's no use. You're obviously against the idea and there is no point in wasting my time trying to convince you.

It's your site. You're entitled to do what you would like with it.

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Quit posting and try Google.

Sat, 27 Dec 2008, 17:00