WhatsOn section feedback

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lucas
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WhatsOn section feedback

Post by lucas »

Please limit your feedback to comments regarding functionality/features/bugs.

I know it's ugly, you don't need to remind me. =)
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JAMESSSS
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Post by JAMESSSS »

Ideas (and just that, I reliase you are busy and these things take time)

You shoud be able to alter your events. This is especially true for recurring events. I run a weekly night at Bimbo, which is every Sunday. However I have special guests more often than not and it would be good to know that my entry was always in and I could just add the guest if I choose to (or not add them and it stays as normal).

There should be a recurring monthly option.

As you mentioned somewhere else sort by genre (by date?).

A rollcall option would be kinda cool - where you could attach your name as intending to go to a gig to the listing. Obviously would need some thinking before it was implemented.

An RSS feed would be so good, but would also need thinking. Once again I would love to be able to get a live bookmark for this.

I haven't tried but I'm guessing it doesn't support pictures (BBcode?). That would be good. Maybe just a single link to display with a max size.

that's all for now.
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Post by Guyno »

Lucas - How do I edit in a change after I already submitted an event for listing?
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Post by lucas »

Guyno wrote:Lucas - How do I edit in a change after I already submitted an event for listing?
You can't just yet mate. I'm hoping to add that ability in the next few days. In the mean time, if you need to change something urgently please resubmit your listing and send me a PM to let me know that it's to replace an old one.

Sorry, I know it's a pain but it's the best we can do for now.
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Post by valuetime »

from the locked thread:
valuetime wrote:is there a reason why it's in a different format?

i think if you housed event threads in an events forum (locked so that only promoters can post new topics), people could have a chance to comment/ask questions/get hyped, etc, without creating new threads somewhere else.
this might also solve the editing problem that jbs is talking about.

i don't think it's ugly. i just assumed that when you were talking about doing this that it would be another forum...
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Post by JAMESSSS »

valuetime wrote:from the locked thread:
valuetime wrote:is there a reason why it's in a different format?

i think if you housed event threads in an events forum (locked so that only promoters can post new topics), people could have a chance to comment/ask questions/get hyped, etc, without creating new threads somewhere else.
this might also solve the editing problem that jbs is talking about.

i don't think it's ugly. i just assumed that when you were talking about doing this that it would be another forum...
it would also let uses use BBcode.
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lucas
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Post by lucas »

Thanks for reposting here.

Your point regarding integration with the forums definitely has merit, and it's something I considered with great detail. However, I chose to do it in it's current format for the following reasons.

1. It seemed to me that promoters commonly start forum threads about their parties before the party details have actually been finalised. I figured that WhatsOn section should be accurate and definitive if it's going to be a useful resource.

2. It is much easier to search/filter/sort events if they are abstracted from the forum.

3. Seperating it from the forums made good sense in terms of application design. We can upgrade, modify, or completely switch to other forum software and the only code I need to change is the forum integration class I wrote.

4. Similarly, I wanted to have the flexibility of changing the look and feel of the WhatsOn section. This is not a trivial task to do within the forum framework.

5. One of the reasons mb.c started was because ITM removed the ability for promoters to start promo threads in the Melbourne forum. If we integrate the WhatsOn items with an 'events forum', does that mean we also ask promoters not to post promo threads in the main MB forum any more? If not, would there be confusion between having multiple threads for each party (1 in the events forum, 1 in the melbourne forum?).

Perhaps we could make it so that there was no seperate events forum, but when you added your event a thread was automatically created for it in the main MB forum? This could be a good way to promote discussion I suppose.

Keen to hear your thoughts on all this.
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Post by JAMESSSS »

Hmm does make sense.
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lucas
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Post by lucas »

jbs wrote:it would also let uses use BBcode.
What types of things would you want to do with your BBcode? I'm not sure about letting people use the complete BBcode library (to make huge headings, etc). I don't think it would take long to write a (subset-of) BBcode parser for the WhatsOn section.

I was planning to include an image upload in the near future if that's where your thoughts were heading?

Let me know.
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Post by valuetime »

lucas: i agree.

maybe include a checkbox to create a topic in the main thread (so as not to create unneccessary topics from every edit and weekly post, etc). just add all the text from the what's on post. easy enough.

then everything is catalogued (and sortable) in the what's on section, and people can talk about it in the forums. makes sense.
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Post by Ag3nT[]0raNg3 »

need a flyer storage spot!
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Post by lynt »

jbs wrote:I run a weekly night at Bimbo, which is every Sunday. However I have special guests more often than not and it would be good to know that my entry was always in and I could just add the guest if I choose to (or not add them and it stays as normal).
Good point, the same goes for a lot of weekly nights.

Looking sharp Lucas. 8)
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Post by lucas »

valuetime wrote:maybe include a checkbox to create a topic in the main thread (so as not to create unneccessary topics from every edit and weekly post, etc). just add all the text from the what's on post. easy enough.

then everything is catalogued (and sortable) in the what's on section, and people can talk about it in the forums. makes sense.
Yep. Checkbox is a good idea.
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Post by JAMESSSS »

lucas wrote:
jbs wrote:it would also let uses use BBcode.
What types of things would you want to do with your BBcode? I'm not sure about letting people use the complete BBcode library (to make huge headings, etc). I don't think it would take long to write a (subset-of) BBcode parser for the WhatsOn section.

I was planning to include an image upload in the near future if that's where your thoughts were heading?

Let me know.


image upload would be fine.
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Post by lucas »

lynt wrote:
jbs wrote:I run a weekly night at Bimbo, which is every Sunday. However I have special guests more often than not and it would be good to know that my entry was always in and I could just add the guest if I choose to (or not add them and it stays as normal).
Good point, the same goes for a lot of weekly nights.
I'm in two minds as to whether or not this should be a different WhatsOn entry.

From a software development methodology point of view (hehe), the Bimbo example above would not normally be treated as a recurring event, because the event's attributes are quite often different from week to week.

Additionally, with regards to forum usage (and the forum integration issue we've been discussing), would a promoter generally want to start a new thread if they're having a special guest for a particular week. If so, should we be using the checkbox in the WhatsOn section for creating this thread?

The ideal situation from my point of view (being the guy that has to build the thing). Is that if -all- the attribues about a weekly event will stay the same, then it should be flagged as a recurring event. If the event's attributes change on a semi-weekly basis, then the promoter should be creating a new WhatsOn entry each week. Could we perhaps help facilitate this process by auto-completing the WhatsOn form with the details from the last event you entered?

Keep the feedback coming. =)
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Post by JAMESSSS »

lucas wrote:
lynt wrote:
jbs wrote:I run a weekly night at Bimbo, which is every Sunday. However I have special guests more often than not and it would be good to know that my entry was always in and I could just add the guest if I choose to (or not add them and it stays as normal).
Good point, the same goes for a lot of weekly nights.
I'm in two minds as to whether or not this should be a different WhatsOn entry.

From a software development methodology point of view (hehe), the Bimbo example above would not normally be treated as a recurring event, because the event's attributes are quite often different from week to week.

Additionally, with regards to forum usage (and the forum integration issue we've been discussing), would a promoter generally want to start a new thread if they're having a special guest for a particular week. If so, should we be using the checkbox in the WhatsOn section for creating this thread?

The ideal situation from my point of view (being the guy that has to build the thing). Is that if -all- the attribues about a weekly event will stay the same, then it should be flagged as a recurring event. If the event's attributes change on a semi-weekly basis, then the promoter should be creating a new WhatsOn entry each week. Could we perhaps help facilitate this process by auto-completing the WhatsOn form with the details from the last event you entered?

Keep the feedback coming. =)
Every weekly gig that runs a decent length of time will have special nights.

To facilitate this I think one of the following needs to happen:

- No recurring option used unless it is gonna be the same over three months.
- Recurring option, and editing of a single night option
- Recurring option and deletion of a single night option (So you can put another one in it's place).

Is a recurring night 12 separate database entries or one entry flagged as recurring over 12 weeks (3 months)?

As far as I am concerned from my Bimbo night I would like to have entries in for the next 3 months as placeholders so somebody looking for something on a specific weekend can see my night.

However, I often book people really close to the actual night (often the Saturday before at 5am in the morning at a bar).

Whatever you go with I'm sure it will be good!
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Post by deviant »

Can we start using the whatson again now it's had all that randomness deleted?
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