I'd really love to get more opinions on this, especially from the people in charge here. I'm thinking about linking this post in another forum that people read more, like the toy forum. Unless, of course, I can get a super mod or something to move it.

I'd really love to get more opinions on this, especially from the people in charge here. I'm thinking about linking this post in another forum that people read more, like the toy forum. Unless, of course, I can get a super mod or something to move it.

 

Unfortunately, there really isn't a place to talk about TF websites... you kinda just have to force a thread in someplace and hope it doesn't get locked. Like I get all confused and start talking to people on IMs when I want to ask questions about my site to people.

Yes, but I want this to be PART of this site, not a new site. I have no idea why that would get locked.

Then this is the perfect place to post it.

Hopefully we can get more ideas from different people now that it is in Toy Discussion though :)

One question would be how would you decide how to "count" the Transformer toys? This has always been a contentious issue amongst Transfans - for example, would you include separate tick boxes for Nebulans? Would Micromaster Patrols have one tick box or four per patrol?

 

We debated this issue last year when I did the survey polls to democratically decide a common method of counting Transformers. If you want, I can PM you a copy of those rules.

 

I would recommend using them, since they were democratically formed over a series of polls on this forum and other TF forums too. The other alternative may be to conduct your own series of polls, but believe me, it's a lot of work and it would seem that making this database is already a big task as it is. No need to reinvent the wheel, if you know what I mean.

 

Most folks here would agree that although we don't all entirely agree with the system, it was a fairly formulated one that most people didn't mind adhering to for the purposes of the collection count poll. At the end of the day, you'll never make a counting system that can please everyone, so your options are:

 

1/ Use the existing system that was democratically formulated last year.

2/ Democratically create your own system by conducting another series of polls.

3/ Autocratically create your own system on your own and elicit users to adhere by it. I tried this two years ago and was met with a lot of hostility, which is why I went with the democratic process instead - although not everyone agreed in the end, it was met far more warmly and was more openly accepted by people.

 

Choice is yours. :)

The actual decision of the collector differ from the actual product. For example,

 

The database would be set up to have different ways to list the same thing. Loose and boxed toys would be kept separate. And guys like Microns and Headmasters are considered toy accessories, regardless of what you may think of the toy/character.

 

I never determined how to handle multi-packs, such as Micromasters, Minicons or giftsets. The option would be yours, if loose, you can have them displayed separately, or if you had all the peices (or wished to gain them all), the option to change those to loose multi-pack would now list them as only 1 unit. This method would allow people to have the choice of considering them 1 or multiple toys. Here is an example:

 

Say you had a sealed Star Saber from Armada. You would enter that into your collection as 1 item.

 

Say you have 2 of the 3 Star Saber guys from Armada. You of course would need to log both of those into the database as separate items. You could then leave it like that, or say you wanted to complete that set. You can choose to "join" those 2 as a loose version of the boxed item. The logic would check the number of items for that set (3) and compare to the number of items in your collection (2). The page would then display that you have an incomplete loose variation of that set. It would then count that group as 1 item, instead of 2.

 

But that function can only be used if the user wishes it. It cannot be automatic. Say for example, you have a green Bonecrusher. You would click the button to put into loose set. The database would search for sealed items that contain that specific toy. It would return results such as:

 

1985 Transformers Canada: Devestator [check for complete]

1985 Transformers US: Devestator [check for complete]

etc

 

You check the box for 1985 Devestator, and the site would look for what else is in the set. It would compare those results with what is in your collection. So it could say:

 

You want to build a set for 1985 Devestator. You have the following items:

 

Bonecrusher

Scrapper

Mixmaster

Scrapper's Super Wing

etc

 

Would you like to add this set to your collection?

 

So the user could click yes, and it would add the set as "loose incomplete". Then those 3 guys would be listed as 1 item, instead of 3. You would then be able to add/remove items from that set if you wished.

 

The reason why it shouldn't be automatic is because then the site may say you have incomplete sets for any one of the 5 or 6 Devestator sets, giving an incorrect count of actual toys.

 

I hope this helps you out. I can help with design theory on this only, and have to recall everything from memory since my design documents are el-delete-oed.

One question would be how would you decide how to "count" the Transformer toys? This has always been a contentious issue amongst Transfans - for example, would you include separate tick boxes for Nebulans? Would Micromaster Patrols have one tick box or four per patrol?

 

We debated this issue last year when I did the survey polls to democratically decide a common method of counting Transformers. If you want, I can PM you a copy of those rules.

 

I would recommend using them, since they were democratically formed over a series of polls on this forum and other TF forums too. The other alternative may be to conduct your own series of polls, but believe me, it's a lot of work and it would seem that making this database is already a big task as it is. No need to reinvent the wheel, if you know what I mean.

 

Most folks here would agree that although we don't all entirely agree with the system, it was a fairly formulated one that most people didn't mind adhering to for the purposes of the collection count poll. At the end of the day, you'll never make a counting system that can please everyone, so your options are:

 

1/ Use the existing system that was democratically formulated last year.

2/ Democratically create your own system by conducting another series of polls.

3/ Autocratically create your own system on your own and elicit users to adhere by it. I tried this two years ago and was met with a lot of hostility, which is why I went with the democratic process instead - although not everyone agreed in the end, it was met far more warmly and was more openly accepted by people.

 

Choice is yours. :)

How about you let people do whatever the hell they want.

One question would be how would you decide how to "count" the Transformer toys? This has always been a contentious issue amongst Transfans - for example, would you include separate tick boxes for Nebulans? Would Micromaster Patrols have one tick box or four per patrol?

 

We debated this issue last year when I did the survey polls to democratically decide a common method of counting Transformers. If you want, I can PM you a copy of those rules.

 

I would recommend using them, since they were democratically formed over a series of polls on this forum and other TF forums too. The other alternative may be to conduct your own series of polls, but believe me, it's a lot of work and it would seem that making this database is already a big task as it is. No need to reinvent the wheel, if you know what I mean.

 

Most folks here would agree that although we don't all entirely agree with the system, it was a fairly formulated one that most people didn't mind adhering to for the purposes of the collection count poll. At the end of the day, you'll never make a counting system that can please everyone, so your options are:

 

1/ Use the existing system that was democratically formulated last year.

2/ Democratically create your own system by conducting another series of polls.

3/ Autocratically create your own system on your own and elicit users to adhere by it. I tried this two years ago and was met with a lot of hostility, which is why I went with the democratic process instead - although not everyone agreed in the end, it was met far more warmly and was more openly accepted by people.

 

Choice is yours. :)

How about you let people do whatever the hell they want.

TRAINWRECKED'D

I think the point was totally missed by Goki.

 

Tripredacus gets it though :thumb

 

 

Seriously. This would just be nothing but a great service to all the users of this site.