What to do with the 'inserts'?

[blurks]

Is there any chance to be more tolerant against pictures that depict the cart and inserts/manuals together? Or - even better: introduce a new picture category "inserts". As a collector I find it totally annoying to see the box art, the cart but not the inserts. My changes always get rejected by overzealous administrators, who obviously think a cart/disc image should only (and for the love of god ONLY!) depict the cart because the inserts are evil attachments from the devil himself. I find that kind of narrow minded and, like I said, pretty much overzealous.

[aliensstudios]

Well, talking like that about the admins isn't going to help your case. I think it'd be cool if there was a separate image field for the manual and inserts and you should perhaps suggest that. The field itself is called: Cart/Disc/Media art, it doesn't say Cart/Disc/Media/Manual/Insert art.

[badATchaos]

The reason being; if in the future we add a slot for manual/insert pictures than all the manuals uploaded into the cart slot will all be incorrect. It would be a lot of work to have to go back and edit hundreds upon hundreds of incorrect images.


I'd love to see manual spot added because a lot of times (at least with modern games) manuals use alternative cover art and it can be interesting to see that artwork.

[gf78]

Is there any chance to be more tolerant against pictures that depict the cart and inserts/manuals together? Or - even better: introduce a new picture category "inserts". As a collector I find it totally annoying to see the box art, the cart but not the inserts. My changes always get rejected by overzealous administrators, who obviously think a cart/disc image should only (and for the love of god ONLY!) depict the cart because the inserts are evil attachments from the devil himself. I find that kind of narrow minded and, like I said, pretty much overzealous.

Whoa, whoa, whoa there...slow down there kemosahbee.    Cart/disc image is exactly that:  an image of the cart or disc.  There is a limit on how much the admins can do.  They are humans with jobs and lives just like us.  That being said, perhaps they could implement a new pic slot.  But badatchaos is correct that it would be a nightmare if we had random cart/disc images showing case artwork and inserts.  What about games with reversible covers?  Should we also put those on there?  Where does it end?

In my humble opinion, it's nice that this site exists to begin with.  It's even nicer that items can have pictures of the front and rear of boxes/cases as well as the disc/cart.  Just because a game may have an interesting art insert or manual doesn't mean it's feasible to have pictures of all of it.  If you have a game with a pretty piece of art inside the box, open it up and look at it.  Or google the image.

[blurks]

But badatchaos is correct that it would be a nightmare if we had random cart/disc images showing case artwork and inserts.

I don't get the point. The images aren't titled so it is kind of irrelevant if manuals are allowed to be posted as cartridge image now and later on the cartridge gets uploaded with the inserts field. And, besides that, I am not sure if I am willing to continue to contribute up to a point X in the future, when a new manual picture slot is introduced. I have added over 200 GBA games with correct metadata and pictures over the last 2 months following the style guide, had hundreds of edits, resulting in an almost tidy GBA [JP] section. I find it not really satisfying to hear, that there MIGHT be an additional slot in the future (only god knows when exactly). By the way, I have a job too. That is no argument to me. The level of dedication I commit to this platform is the level of dedication I expect from the administrators as well. If they can't overcome some technical difficulties e.g. to introduce a new picture category - fair enough - I expect them to find an improvised solution, like allowing to depict manuals and cartridges together as an expression of common sense.

What about games with reversible covers? Should we also put those on there?  Where does it end?

- Front box
- Back box
- Cart/disc
- manual/inserts

[gf78]

I don't get the point. The images aren't titled so it is kind of irrelevant if manuals are allowed to be posted as cartridge image now and later on the cartridge gets uploaded with the inserts field. And, besides that, I am not sure if I am willing to continue to contribute up to a point X in the future, when a new manual picture slot is introduced. I have added over 200 GBA games with correct metadata and pictures over the last 2 months. I find it not really satisfying to hear, that there MIGHT be an additional slot in the future (only god knows when exactly). By the way, I have a job too. That is no excuse to anything.

I think we are looking at this from two completely different viewpoints.  From my perspective, these folks were gracious enough and gaming fans enough to create and maintain this site.  They take feedback into account, make changes constantly and do so graciously.  They do so on their own free time without compensation.

You on the other hand think that the admins of this site should bend to your whim and "fuck all" in their own lives because hey, you have a job too and that is no excuse for anything.  Perhaps you should consider creating your own magnificent game collection database site, giving up your free time while petulant, ungrateful piss ants complain that you aren't doing enough and how unsatisfying it is to hear that you MIGHT introduce changes they want, God only knows when.  As well, any level of dedication you commit to this site is of your own volition and benefits you by allowing you to catalog your wares.

Me?  I'm just enjoying a way to catalog what I have.  Cheers. 

[aliensstudios]

I don't get the point. The images aren't titled so it is kind of irrelevant if manuals are allowed to be posted as cartridge image now and later on the cartridge gets uploaded with the inserts field. And, besides that, I am not sure if I am willing to continue to contribute up to a point X in the future, when a new manual picture slot is introduced. I have added over 200 GBA games with correct metadata and pictures over the last 2 months. I find it not really satisfying to hear, that there MIGHT be an additional slot in the future (only god knows when exactly). By the way, I have a job too. That is no excuse to anything.

I think we are looking at this from two completely different viewpoints.  From my perspective, these folks were gracious enough and gaming fans enough to create and maintain this site.  They take feedback into account, make changes constantly and do so graciously.  They do so on their own free time without compensation.

You on the other hand think that the admins of this site should bend to your whim and "fuck all" in their own lives because hey, you have a job too and that is no excuse for anything.  Perhaps you should consider creating your own magnificent game collection database site, giving up your free time while petulant, ungrateful piss ants complain that you aren't doing enough and how unsatisfying it is to hear that you MIGHT introduce changes they want, God only knows when.  As well, any level of dedication you commit to this site is of your own volition and benefits you by allowing you to catalog your wares.

Me?  I'm just enjoying a way to catalog what I have.  Cheers.

Agreed. This site is excellent (and for the most part) the people on the forums are very kind and awesome. I've been trying to edit all the metadata for every item in my collection for the past few weeks and not only has badATchaos notified me when there were issues, they also answer any questions I've had, swiftly I might add, while doing so. The fact that most of the admins are active on the site and in the forums and will take questions and make changes makes this site the best game collection database on the web.

[blurks]

From my perspective, these folks were gracious enough and gaming fans enough to create and maintain this site.  They take feedback into account, make changes constantly and do so graciously.  They do so on their own free time without compensation.

Indeed, they do in most cases. However, this site isn't a wellfare gesture to humanity. The vgc platform lives through the members and contributors. They want us, they need us, we need them, we demand certain things. Totally normal. It's a normal giving and taking relationship. So when I as a contributor start to complain about technical limitations or administrative arbitrariness I am automatically an ungrateful asswipe?
You can't be serious.

[gf78]

Indeed, they do in most cases. However, this site isn't a wellfare gesture to humanity. The vgc platform lives through the members and contributors. They want us, they need us, we need them, we demand certain things. Totally normal. It's a normal giving and taking relationship. So when I as a contributor start to complain about technical limitations or administrative arbitrariness I am automatically an ungrateful asswipe?
You can't be serious.

I didn't call you an asswipe.  I was trying to make you see things from the admins point of view, when they do these things for free because of their shared love of gaming and someone complains about it. 

Perhaps you should take a step back and realize that to everyone else, you appear brash and abrasive in your attitude.  And I will remind you that again-while we all love videogames, hence the reason we are here-they are Just.  Video.  GAMES. 

[desocietas]

Woo, looks like an active morning so far 

Welcome, blurks, and thank you for the work you've done for the site this far. There are certainly some limitations to the database in its current form, and I agree that cart/disc/media is a bit of a tricky one. For instance, we allow images of the contents of a collectors edition to be shown there instead of the game. Currently it's only either that or the game itself. I agree that it'd be nice to have more photo slots to include more. Even MobyGames doesn't encourage manuals in its own records, but I think they're important, especially when more and more games these days are released without them.

The admins are very active in the forums, and I'm sure that they are taking note of the suggestions that they see. They're working on new features in the background and we'll push them out when it is time. The site is far from finished, so any work that any of us do in its current state will likely need tweaking down the line, anyway. It's user-generated content, thought, so we all help each other by adding and editing info over time.

[Flashback2012]

Indeed, they do in most cases. However, this site isn't a welfare gesture to humanity. The vgc platform lives through the members and contributors. They want us, they need us, we need them, we demand certain things.

I would say that assessment is somewhat inaccurate.

They want us? Sure I suppose it's nice to have a decent amount of members who also happen to be contributors.

They need us? That's questionable though I'd lean towards probably not. I registered with this site a few years back and didn't get actively involved with it until about a year ago. I'm sure had I not bothered, the site would have chugged along just fine without me. I'm also pretty sure that could be said for just about any member here besides the founders who originally conceived the site. 

We need them? Kinda, but not really? As far as mods/admins go, it's nice that they're able to turn around on edits as fast as they do. I've got a bunch in the queue now but it's no worry to me if they don't approve/reject them in that 24-hour window. It's nice when they do but I know they'll get around to it eventually.  As far as the coders/programmers go...I'm happy that they can add what they can, when they can. I know my cousin is still patiently waiting on the iPhone version of the mobile app. 

Also, It's not that I don't agree with you about there being a field for instruction books/inserts. I think in some instances it would be helpful for a game like say...Phantasy Star II on Genesis that came not only with an instruction manual, but a fold out map and a hint guide as well. While it would be nice to see a picture of stuff like that, the site currently isn't set up for it and while I'm no programmer, I can't imagine it's as easy as just sliding in another field just like that. Maybe it is, but I have to imagine that since, to date, we've not seen such then it probably involves overhauling the code of the site. Again...not a programmer so I'm just basing that on anecdotal evidence. 

We demand certain things. Demand? Really? Look, I've contributed THOUSANDS of edits here, I've added in dozens of console and PC games as well as whole swaths of Interactive Figures and never once have I ever felt that I should demand anything from the Mods/Admins. It just boggles my mind to think that anyone on here has the gumption to demand anything. 

Totally normal. It's a normal giving and taking relationship. So when I as a contributor start to complain about technical limitations or administrative arbitrariness I am automatically an ungrateful asswipe?
You can't be serious.

As gf78 pointed out, the context/tone of your responses could be construed as abrasive. That's the vibe I got anyway. I checked your profile out, it shows you've got the 250 edits badge. I've seen you add in new titles that weren't previously in the database as well as point out dupes that need removal. Good job on that. At this point you can keep up the good work while working in the confines/parameters of how the site is currently set up and hope for the best that at some point your idea gains traction and gets added to the site. If not then perhaps this might not be the site you need and it would be time to find a "better" site...with blackjack and hookers. 

[ignition365]

Thinking about that, I've been on the site for a little over a year, I just recently (read as yesterday) made enough edits to move from the "1 Edit" badge to the "250 Edits" badge, and I just started being active on the forum back in September.