[gcd-membership] Fw: Re: [gcd-tech] Registered user count

[Lou Mazzella]

Folks, This appeared on the tech list. i know the topic has been mentioned before. Any thoughts? -Lou --- On Thu, 5/6/10, Jochen Garcke <gcd...@garcke.de> wrote: From: Jochen Garcke <gcd...@garcke.de> Subject: Re: [gcd-tech] Registered user count To: gcd-...@googlegroups.com Date: Thursday, May 6, 2010, 2:22 AM Henry Andrews schrieb: > We've generally kept our direction away from social networking sites, > despite the fact that it would undeniably add to our popularity.  We > want to have a more academic presence, with the focus squarely on the > data and not on the membership.  The membership focus would be in the > mailing lists, or possibly additional areas we would add to the site > such as forums, that would be visibly separate from the core site. I am not sure on which of the current committees the board has setup it fits, but one of them should at least discuss in this context you mentioned. The one thing I suspect would largely increase people using (and contributing to) our site would be to able to tick 'I own this/I want this' for a given issue. And be able to have some form of overview of that. Doing the ticking is easy as is a simple paginated list sorted by series name, issue number,... Question is, do we want this ? Jochen -- GCD-Tech mailing list - gcd-...@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe send email to gcd-tech+unsub...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/gcd-tech

[Mark]

> --- On Thu, 5/6/10, Jochen Garcke <gcd...@garcke.de> wrote:
> Henry Andrews schrieb:
> > We've generally kept our direction away from social networking sites,
> > despite the fact that it would undeniably add to our popularity.  We
> > want to have a more academic presence, with the focus squarely on the
> > data and not on the membership.  The membership focus would be in the
> > mailing lists, or possibly additional areas we would add to the site
> > such as forums, that would be visibly separate from the core site.
>
> I am not sure on which of the current committees the board has setup it
> fits, but one of them should at least discuss in this context you
> mentioned.
>
> The one thing I suspect would largely increase people using (and
> contributing to) our site would be to able to tick 'I own this/I want
> this' for a given issue. And be able to have some form of overview of
> that. Doing the ticking is easy as is a simple paginated list sorted by
> series name, issue number,... Question is, do we want this ?

I believe this was one of my suggestions, I know that a purpose of GCD
is to aim towards academic endeavour but some basic level of social
networking style (basic collections et al) may encourage others to use
the site which may in turn encourage them to index the site.

Of course it might lead to an issue where GCD is providing resources
to people who *only* manage their collections and refuse to index but
I honestly don't see that. If you wish to fill you collection you will
index the comics yourself.

Thanks
Mark

[Henry Andrews]

----- Original Message ----
> From: Mark <znx...@gmail.com>
>
> I believe this was one of my suggestions, I know that a purpose of
> GCD is to aim towards academic endeavour but some basic level of
> social networking style (basic collections et al) may encourage others to
> use the site which may in turn encourage them to index the site.
>
> Of course it might lead to an issue where GCD is providing resources
> to people who *only* manage their collections and refuse to index but
> I honestly don't see that. If you wish to fill you collection you will
> index the comics yourself.
>
> Thanks
> Mark

I understand the appeal here, but I still think that it's outside the Charter. At best, it's peripheral to the Charter and changes the overall character and focus of the site and project. It quite likely would increase membership, but I think there is a cost that we're better off not paying. There are also numerous third-party folks building this functionality elsewhere based on our data. I can see the argument that we should get those users, and not those other projects, but I think there are other ways we can benefit from that. One of the folks I've been talking with this week would like to have his users contribute information back to us, and was asking for an API to do so. That would be an alternate way to tap additional audiences.

Equally important, I think it is a poor use of limited technical resources. We have to develop those features, maintain them, and provide end-user support. It's a class of feature that will lead to continual user pressure to improve and expand that area. Based on the old "New Fun" and other planned features, the current tech team could easily be kept busy for at least two years without *any* new items added to our todo list. And I think I'm being fairly optimistic saying that it's only two years worth of work.

I think that we would attract more users, and more usage in line with our Charter, by improving the structure of the data, expanding our indexing capabilities, improving the indexer experience, and improving the end-user experience. Even with an expanded technical team, the amount of work that needs to be done there is staggering.

thanks,
-henry

[Lionel English]

I'm ambivalent about whether or not it fits our charter, but agree entirely that it wouldn't be the best use of our tech resources.  As Henry notes, we still have a lot to do just to meet our existing goals (new schema expansion).  As we get closer to getting the new schema in place, it will become easier to write an API, and someone's sure to do so, and once that happens it's a slam dunk that someone else--or several someone elses--will write this kind of app as an add on, meaning we won't have to.

--
Lionel English
lio...@beanmar.net

[Lou Mazzella]

I actually don't see any harm in people coming to the site just to track their collection. it will increase the number of people using the site, which will eventually lead to more indexers as the people who use the site pass on word about the site. Whether or not this falls under the scope of the charter is a different matter. Something like this might require an amendment to the charter. -Lou --- On Thu, 5/6/10, Mark <znx...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Lou Mazzella]

I think that we would attract more users, and more usage in line with our Charter, by improving the structure of the data, expanding our indexing capabilities, improving the indexer experience, and improving the end-user experience.  Even with an expanded technical team, the amount of work that needs to be done there is staggering. thanks, -henry

I agree with you Henry. I think we need to look at how we can accomplish these things. How do we improve the indexer experience? How do we improve the end-user experience? -Lou

[Tony Rose]

I don't think we would have to amend the charter but I'm not in favor of us devoting any of our scarce resources to it at this time.

As a matter of fact, I'd like to use the GCD to track MY collection but, wish in one hand and spit in the other...





tony

[Mike Nielsen]

I'm of the same mind.  I'd love to use it to track my collection so that with a wireless device I can be at a show and see if I already had a book.  But then I'm also going to want to see the condition of my copy.  :)

But with scarce resources, I'd much rather see New Fun get done so I can do a search for all the appearances of Earth 2 characters since the beginning of the silver age.... :)

Mike Nielsen
 

 

 

Atom: "They are replicating."

Aquaman: "Yes, and they are making more of themselves too!"

 - Batman Brave and the Bold Cartoon episode "Journey to the center of the Bat" 

---

From: Tony Rose <tonyr...@comcast.net>
To: gcd-membersh...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Fri, May 7, 2010 9:26:13 AM

[Mark]

On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 4:37 PM, Henry Andrews <andrew...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> One of the folks I've been talking with this week would like to
> have his users contribute information back to us, and was
> asking for an API to do so. That would be an alternate way to
> tap additional audiences.

This would satisfy me! An API would be more beneficial that a
collection based on this site for the simple fact that it would allow
multiple sites, multiple methods etc etc and therefore encourage
growth for niche sites and mainstream. I agree with Lionel too, slam
dunk! :)

> Equally important, I think it is a poor use of limited technical
> resources.

I did touch on that and have to admit that I was only considering the
physical server requirements and not the programmer cost!

Mark

[Ramon Schenk]

After trying desperately to catch up on all the discussion on this and the other lists (and to fit it all inside my head!), I have come to the conclusion that I can't contribute in the way I had wanted to and therefore have to sign off on this list/committee.
 
It is not just the time, but also the amount of energy/concentration I can muster. I think it would be better for me to concentrate on GCD efforts that are less intense, such as indexing, approving and the error list.
 
This is in no way reflective of the work being done here. I wish I could have been a worthwhile contributor and perhaps I will be again in the future.
 
Best,
Ramon

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