To LUGNET HomepageTo LUGNET News HomepageTo LUGNET Guide Homepage
 Help on Searching
 
Post new message to lugnet.admin.databaseOpen lugnet.admin.database in your NNTP NewsreaderTo LUGNET News Traffic PageSign In (Members)
 Administrative / Database / 1280
1279  |  1281
Subject: 
Re: Database Piece Count
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.admin.database
Date: 
Tue, 24 Jul 2001 23:01:45 GMT
Viewed: 
237 times
  
In lugnet.admin.database, Dan Boger writes:
On Fri, Jul 20, 2001 at 10:09:57PM +0000, Lars Brandt wrote:
I like how LugNet keeps an inventory of all my sets that I purchase (by me
entering in the information), because it's cool to see how many bricks you
own.  But there are a lot of sets that are in the database but do not have a
piece count.

True.  However, we do not have the piece count for those sets.  We need
someone who owns the set, or a catalog that mentions it, to tell us what
the piece count is...  we'd love to update the database, just give us
the data :)

Can someone update the piece count for some of these older sets from the
late 70s and 80s?  Can you ballpark it?  Should it be left to a public vote
for what people think is the piece count?

Personally, I'd rather see a '?' than an entry that says "around 800".
No data is better than inaccurate data.  But this is a decision that
should be made by Suz and Todd.

I propose that a "submission form" be created for data to be added
to the Guide.  I hold no guilt over suggesting this because I am
blissfully unaware of the work that would be involved  ;]

There are a lot of times I'm foraging around in the Guide and I
see something there that I may have info on, or perhaps spotted
an error.  At the moment there is no on-the-spot method of
submitting that information.  There is also no method of formatting
those submissions so that those who take care of the Guide can
address the info in an easy manner.  I'm proposing a button on
every guide page: "Do you have input for this entry?", or something
like that.  This would take you to a form that would:

- have an input field for every field in the Guide (pieces, year,
etc.).  Of course, not all need be filled in.
- A field to indicate the source for the info.  Preferably a
drop box containing Catalogue, Instructions, Box, etc.
Maybe an "Other" field as well with a box for typing the details.
- A "reply-to email" field in case a follow-up is needed.
- A special comments field just in case.

This way the data can arrive in a consistent format, making it
much easier to deal with volume.  Additionally, I believe this
would increase the volume itself, so that the database will
move towards "completion" much quicker.  Incidentally it's
my theory this is A Good Thing because it helps to combat
laziness.  I'm lazy.  I find it a pain to figure out where I
send submissions to and then to actually do it.  Casual visitors
(with nonetheless valuable data) may be in a similar category.

Getting really fancy a back-end interface on the incoming data
could automatically update the Guide once the caretakers have
reviewed/approved it.

Also provision for submitting updated scans could be implemented.

If counting pieces is going to be allowed as a legitmate source
for piece-counts (particularly useful for very old sets), then
some instructions should be given for *how* to count pieces,
particularly minifigs, according to TLC's practice.  I guess
variations in this practice over time would need to be noted
as well (because I think it's changed, for minifigs).

I would hope that something like this would move the data
more quickly to "verified" from "???".

Comments?
KDJ
_______________________________________
LUGNETer #203, Windsor, Ontario, Canada



Message has 3 Replies:
  Re: Database Piece Count
 
(...) I agree, such a form will definitely generate more input, since it'll be easier for people to submit data. Maybe make it a "member only" feature, that way we can be sure where it came from... Of course, I wouldn't want the updates to be done (...) (23 years ago, 24-Jul-01, to lugnet.admin.database)
  (canceled)
 
  Re: Database Piece Count
 
(...) Kyle, I totally agree and always hoped to have something like this in place...never got around to it...it's a big task, but as Larry pointed out, it could be done in smaller steps. (23 years ago, 26-Jul-01, to lugnet.admin.database)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Database Piece Count
 
(...) True. However, we do not have the piece count for those sets. We need someone who owns the set, or a catalog that mentions it, to tell us what the piece count is... we'd love to update the database, just give us the data :) (...) Personally, (...) (23 years ago, 21-Jul-01, to lugnet.admin.database)

26 Messages in This Thread:











Entire Thread on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact

This Message and its Replies on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact
    
Active threads in Database

 
LUGNET Guide updates (Fri 5 Jul 2024)
19 hours ago
Custom Search

©2005 LUGNET. All rights reserved. - hosted by steinbruch.info GbR