The Duping Situation

[davifus]

I think we need to find a solution with these duplicate entries. I dont mind pointing out some of them every now and then in the dupe listing. I'm not hating on any New users or Existing Users that happens to add a dupe of Game/Merch/Etc.

This happen with new Users to the website constantly. We can't catch all of them so it stacks up and thus more work for Mods to delete them. I dont necessarily think we need members to have the power to delete entries.

Someway to improve this adding/search for existing entries/ETC function so we can make finding Point A a lot easier rather than making Point A Version 2.

I'm well aware this is a lot work for the Mod because they have a life & etc, but this is a major flaw that should be in the top of our priorities. This is a "Video Game Database and Collection Management System" kind of website but it's flawed if people can't always find the games that are already registered.

This isn't to make my life easy/convenient or anything but to make the website better.
 
This is not a rant but more so expressing my opinion. I'm thankful for this Website/Forum but I just want it to be perfect and make it the best out of all of them. 

If something similar to this has been already posted then disregard this post and keep it in the back of your head. Thanks
 

[retromangia]

I have to agree with Davifus... i find a lot of new users not only love to add duplicate entries... but half the time they don't even post a picture... I mean come on.. take 2 minutes and search the damn web for a picture of your game. Nothing bothers me more than a game entry without a picture 

Anyhow... most likely it's because the game their searching for doesn't show up right away in the search results... for instance.. someone just added Batman: Arkham Asylum for Xbox 360 to the database... with no picture of course... this game is most definitely in the database already, I don't even have to check...so, I'm thinking.. why don't we add a system list within the search... so when they type in "batman"... another window pops up with a list of systems to choose from... or something similar to that... maybe someone else can chime in and flesh out my idea.

lets make this site the best damn video game database on the net! 

-Retro

[davifus]

I have to agree with Davifus... i find a lot of new users not only love to add duplicate entries... but half the time they don't even post a picture... I mean come on.. take 2 minutes and search the damn web for a picture of your game. Nothing bothers me more than a game entry without a picture 

Anyhow... most likely it's because the game their searching for doesn't show up right away in the search results... for instance.. someone just added Batman: Arkham Asylum for Xbox 360 to the database... with no picture of course... this game is most definitely in the database already, I don't even have to check...so, I'm thinking.. why don't we add a system list within the search... so when they type in "batman"... another window pops up with a list of systems to choose from... or something similar to that... maybe someone else can chime in and flesh out my idea.

lets make this site the best damn video game database on the net! 

-Retro

Funny thing is that I saw the Batman entry and I messaged him about it and explained all the fine details and what to do. I dont know if he will ever respond to it.

I went back and look down on the list again and saw like 4-5 different games with dupes. I cringed and thought about Life and cried.

[retromangia]

You actually messaged the kid...awesome!  ....It's guys like you and I (and the creators) that make this site so damn groovy...really... we put a lot of time into making this site better than the rest. Sites like RFgen really need a facelift...it's basically a suped up excel sheet. I actually used to use them for years... until they got hacked, and there last backup was 2 months old. I lost months worth of work... totally fucked up my collection to this day....that's when i moved over to VGcollect... and the rest is history.


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[maximo310]

If we can find a way to reduce the constant flow of dupe entries, then that would really help in terms of reducing the amount of work needed in that area so we can focus on improving other parts of the site.

[insektmute]

A lot of us have been sifting through these for quite awhile, reporting them as we can, but the admins only have so much time on their hands.

I wouldn't favor giving most or every user the ability to delete entries, though. Plenty of well-meaning people would probably remove listings that had a lot of effort put into them simply because they weren't familiar with some variation or other. Every site I've been on that has complete 100% edit anything winds up with totally jacked up listings - ko1ru and I came here from a site like that, and it didn't take long for it to become totally worthless because of people being careless. Countless hours wasted on both our parts.

[disgaeniac]

A lot of us have been sifting through these for quite awhile, reporting them as we can, but the admins only have so much time on their hands.

I wouldn't favor giving most or every user the ability to delete entries, though. Plenty of well-meaning people would probably remove listings that had a lot of effort put into them simply because they weren't familiar with some variation or other. Every site I've been on that has complete 100% edit anything winds up with totally jacked up listings - ko1ru and I came here from a site like that, and it didn't take long for it to become totally worthless because of people being careless. Countless hours wasted on both our parts.

I've gotta agree with this.

I've also gotta agree that dupes are an annoying problem that gets out of hand.

3 things - We could (maybe?) set it up so that "add new item" only becomes available AFTER using browse + looking at the correct page, to see if it's already there,

- When you're submitting a new item & enter its name + platform...isn't a check done to see if it already exists?

- Get a group of older members to volunteer to work w/ newer members, and - implement a rotation for taking turns w/ helping newer members...I dunno, maybe have them get their 1st 5 or 10 entries double-checked by their helpers & have the helpers explaining what they are - and are not - doing and why, before giving complete submission freedom to just anyone?

I'd be willing to do this.

Also, as gravy, it'd also get more people to know more people and become more recognized & active community members

[argyle]

The search was improved recently so that it basically ignores punctuation, which was a HUGE step in the right direction. And I get what you're saying about making people browse first Kenny, but then for those of us that actually know what we're doing that would be an extra pain in the butt. As I see it there are only two solutions really, without completely doing away with the point of the site - for it to be a user maintained database:

1) Allow anyone to delete entries. As already mentioned, this is a horrible idea. Imagine all of the duplicate entries, but in reverse. *shudder*

2) Require new entries to be approved before they appear in the database.

At this point, it becomes a question of which would be more work - approving new entries or deleting all of the duplicates? I would *think* that adding an approval step would be less work in the long run, but I'm not a mod so I can't say for sure - we need some mods to throw in their .02.

[abe]

The search was improved recently so that it basically ignores punctuation, which was a HUGE step in the right direction. And I get what you're saying about making people browse first Kenny, but then for those of us that actually know what we're doing that would be an extra pain in the butt. As I see it there are only two solutions really, without completely doing away with the point of the site - for it to be a user maintained database:

1) Allow anyone to delete entries. As already mentioned, this is a horrible idea. Imagine all of the duplicate entries, but in reverse. *shudder*

2) Require new entries to be approved before they appear in the database.

At this point, it becomes a question of which would be more work - approving new entries or deleting all of the duplicates? I would *think* that adding an approval step would be less work in the long run, but I'm not a mod so I can't say for sure - we need some mods to throw in their .02.

Building on your second point here. How about have everyone start off with needing approval for new entries, but have some users who've shown they're familiar with the rules be able to add stuff instantly. I'm sure adding dupes really isn't an issue for most of the regulars here, so getting rid of the approval step for certain users would cut out a lot of work for the mods.

[disgaeniac]

The search was improved recently so that it basically ignores punctuation, which was a HUGE step in the right direction. And I get what you're saying about making people browse first Kenny, but then for those of us that actually know what we're doing that would be an extra pain in the butt. As I see it there are only two solutions really, without completely doing away with the point of the site - for it to be a user maintained database:

1) Allow anyone to delete entries. As already mentioned, this is a horrible idea. Imagine all of the duplicate entries, but in reverse. *shudder*

2) Require new entries to be approved before they appear in the database.

At this point, it becomes a question of which would be more work - approving new entries or deleting all of the duplicates? I would *think* that adding an approval step would be less work in the long run, but I'm not a mod so I can't say for sure - we need some mods to throw in their .02.

Building on your second point here. How about have everyone start off with needing approval for new entries, but have some users who've shown they're familiar with the rules be able to add stuff instantly. I'm sure adding dupes really isn't an issue for most of the regulars here, so getting rid of the approval step for certain users would cut out a lot of work for the mods.

Why not?

If we can have people who are approved to buy & sell w/ cash (like we do)...in spite of the no cash rule - no reason that the same kind of thing shouldn't apply here, as well.

Another option could be adding a few more mods/admins that strictly work on approving items before they make it to the permanent record

[davifus]

The search was improved recently so that it basically ignores punctuation, which was a HUGE step in the right direction. And I get what you're saying about making people browse first Kenny, but then for those of us that actually know what we're doing that would be an extra pain in the butt. As I see it there are only two solutions really, without completely doing away with the point of the site - for it to be a user maintained database:

1) Allow anyone to delete entries. As already mentioned, this is a horrible idea. Imagine all of the duplicate entries, but in reverse. *shudder*

2) Require new entries to be approved before they appear in the database.

At this point, it becomes a question of which would be more work - approving new entries or deleting all of the duplicates? I would *think* that adding an approval step would be less work in the long run, but I'm not a mod so I can't say for sure - we need some mods to throw in their .02.

Building on your second point here. How about have everyone start off with needing approval for new entries, but have some users who've shown they're familiar with the rules be able to add stuff instantly. I'm sure adding dupes really isn't an issue for most of the regulars here, so getting rid of the approval step for certain users would cut out a lot of work for the mods.

Why not?

If we can have people who are approved to buy & sell w/ cash (like we do)...in spite of the no cash rule - no reason that the same kind of thing shouldn't apply here, as well.

Another option could be adding a few more mods/admins that strictly work on approving items before they make it to the permanent record

I like both idea. Veterans get instant approval. Newbies has to wait for approval and gradually earn the right for instant approval.

Or the getting few of the reg. people and let them handel it like a jury I guess?

[retromangia]

The approval idea is good... but for the newbies only.  Back in the day when I used to use RGgeneration, they required approval for everyone, and it would take 5-7 days before games got approved. So I'd have stacks of games sitting around in the
"waiting for approval" pile, I hated it! . I have enough piles of games as it is. Thats what I like best about VGcollect.  I can add game to the database, and then straight into my collection. I add games all the time, sometimes I think I'm the only PC collector on here .

[karyann]

The search was improved recently so that it basically ignores punctuation, which was a HUGE step in the right direction.

I didn't even notice, thanks for pointing it out! That's indeed a pretty huge step. SO many dupes were just because of this!

[foxhack]

If we can find a way to reduce the constant flow of dupe entries, then that would really help in terms of reducing the amount of work needed in that area so we can focus on improving other parts of the site.

There is a way.

Unfortunately matt doesn't have enough time to implement the changes. If I could code I'd add a TON of stuff to the site to deal with these dupes.

[disgaeniac]

If we can find a way to reduce the constant flow of dupe entries, then that would really help in terms of reducing the amount of work needed in that area so we can focus on improving other parts of the site.

There is a way.

What is the way?

"I want Yooooouuu to show me the waaa-aaay"