(user is banned)
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!
This post will briefly discuss the SDA Frontend system I created with the appreciated help of others. For lack of creativity, I'm calling it SDA beta.
First the disclosures:
This is a personal project of mine and is no way related to any other projects at SDA.
This project is not endorsed by any SDA staff, nor are there any plans, arrangements, or even subliminal agreements to have it replace, reorganize, or even prioritize over any sections of SDA.
This project is NOT SDA 2.0, and is not related to or in competition with anything being done publicly or privately at sda.
Sorry for the disclosures, but I'm still a new guy here, and politics is what it is. I have no wish to step on any toes. I'm really just doing this out of good will.
- So what is this?
LINK
I started this project 2 weeks ago and am mostly done with a working version. This site occasionally parses the main SDA website and organizes all of its data into a structured database. This data is presented in a flexible way allowing users to search, make reviews, and access information easier.
- 2 Weeks? I don't think so.
This project was built on a framework called CleverTree which I have created over 2 years. My motivation for this project comes half from helping SDA and half from wanting to test out and improve my framework, which I did.
- Why did you do it?
I've been long coming to SDA and love the site, but lets face it. HTML pages, while serving their purpose, limit SDA from reaching its full potential.
- Ok, so whats done?
The primary design (loosely based on another design I did) is finished. I'm not a web designer, but I think it turned out ok for a beta. Every page (Node) is based on templates, giving the site a standard feel.
Searching by any field (Runner Name, Game Title, Game System, many many others). Pulling up all runs by a particular person.
Sorting by any field (Release date, System, SpeedRun Duration)
User/Admin Accounts. Users may register accounts for the purposes of writing reviews and customizing the interface, as well as using features to come. Admin accounts can change anything about a node and add child sections to them. This also allows certain users (namely speed runners themselves) to be given access to the pages containing their runs so they can change comments, upload images, whatever)
Users can write speed run reviews and assign ratings 0-5 for each run. Later, sorting by review score will be made available.
Streaming most runs via a custom flash player directly from the run page (not all runs have streamable data on the server yet).
Other stuff I'm forgetting I'm sure.
- What's planned but not done
Flash Video - bookmarks (A list identifying key moments in a streamed video, ie stages or tricks)
Flash Video - Audio Commentary selectable option for runs with commentary while streaming video.
Website skins that completely customize the look and functionality of every page, user selectable. This is actually already done, but theres only one skin right now. I use smarty, so its cake to add another skin.
IL Speed Runs are not being parsed yet since the nature of their structure requires a different parser to be made, as well as a different method of storing and displaying information. Shouldn't be long. The Quake Section will most likely not be parsed into this system.
Game-specific Run discussion shown on the game pages allowing runners to discuss common tricks for a game. The forum allows this, but this would be more accessible.
Email notification (ie Speed Runners can be told when someone commented on their run if they wish, Users can be notified when a run from a specific game or system has been added)
Sky is the limit, I'm open to ideas.
- So what do you want? a cookie?
Yep! But otherwise I am not looking for anything for the project, save for everyone to at least try it out.
- Wait, how do we know this isn't a ploy to steal passwords/ take over the site?
Feel free to use the site without registering. You won't lose out on too many options. As this site is hosted at SDA, the staff have full access to the code/db. If they felt so inclined, they could see the user account passwords use salted hashes and are unrecoverable. The entire project exists in a separate user space from the main site, and cannot access or modify any files on sda. There isn't much I could do.
- Uh, hosted at SDA? how did that happen?
A very generous and extremely helpful xnate.
- Could this become the new SDA?
Potentially yea, but that's not the primary goal at this time. I don't believe the staff have any interest in changing things, so I built this project around that eventuality. The parser works automatically. Any new runs added to the site would appear on this project within minutes. If some day the sentiment changes to favor this project, it could very easily become the primary system. For the time being, if you like this interface, then feel free to use it as your primary front end for SDA. I'll be fixing bugs and adding features.
- I want to help/hurt, so what should I do?
If you think this is a great idea, then please feel free to do the following: Comment on it here. Use the site regularly. Find bugs, mistakes, missing features. Let people know whats going on.
If you think this is stupid and I should get off the site and take my pathetic little project with me, please comment as well. I am interested in determining the general sentiment towards something like this for better or worse.
And that's about it. Enjoy!
First the disclosures:
This is a personal project of mine and is no way related to any other projects at SDA.
This project is not endorsed by any SDA staff, nor are there any plans, arrangements, or even subliminal agreements to have it replace, reorganize, or even prioritize over any sections of SDA.
This project is NOT SDA 2.0, and is not related to or in competition with anything being done publicly or privately at sda.
Sorry for the disclosures, but I'm still a new guy here, and politics is what it is. I have no wish to step on any toes. I'm really just doing this out of good will.
- So what is this?
LINK
I started this project 2 weeks ago and am mostly done with a working version. This site occasionally parses the main SDA website and organizes all of its data into a structured database. This data is presented in a flexible way allowing users to search, make reviews, and access information easier.
- 2 Weeks? I don't think so.
This project was built on a framework called CleverTree which I have created over 2 years. My motivation for this project comes half from helping SDA and half from wanting to test out and improve my framework, which I did.
- Why did you do it?
I've been long coming to SDA and love the site, but lets face it. HTML pages, while serving their purpose, limit SDA from reaching its full potential.
- Ok, so whats done?
The primary design (loosely based on another design I did) is finished. I'm not a web designer, but I think it turned out ok for a beta. Every page (Node) is based on templates, giving the site a standard feel.
Searching by any field (Runner Name, Game Title, Game System, many many others). Pulling up all runs by a particular person.
Sorting by any field (Release date, System, SpeedRun Duration)
User/Admin Accounts. Users may register accounts for the purposes of writing reviews and customizing the interface, as well as using features to come. Admin accounts can change anything about a node and add child sections to them. This also allows certain users (namely speed runners themselves) to be given access to the pages containing their runs so they can change comments, upload images, whatever)
Users can write speed run reviews and assign ratings 0-5 for each run. Later, sorting by review score will be made available.
Streaming most runs via a custom flash player directly from the run page (not all runs have streamable data on the server yet).
Other stuff I'm forgetting I'm sure.
- What's planned but not done
Flash Video - bookmarks (A list identifying key moments in a streamed video, ie stages or tricks)
Flash Video - Audio Commentary selectable option for runs with commentary while streaming video.
Website skins that completely customize the look and functionality of every page, user selectable. This is actually already done, but theres only one skin right now. I use smarty, so its cake to add another skin.
IL Speed Runs are not being parsed yet since the nature of their structure requires a different parser to be made, as well as a different method of storing and displaying information. Shouldn't be long. The Quake Section will most likely not be parsed into this system.
Game-specific Run discussion shown on the game pages allowing runners to discuss common tricks for a game. The forum allows this, but this would be more accessible.
Email notification (ie Speed Runners can be told when someone commented on their run if they wish, Users can be notified when a run from a specific game or system has been added)
Sky is the limit, I'm open to ideas.
- So what do you want? a cookie?
Yep! But otherwise I am not looking for anything for the project, save for everyone to at least try it out.
- Wait, how do we know this isn't a ploy to steal passwords/ take over the site?
Feel free to use the site without registering. You won't lose out on too many options. As this site is hosted at SDA, the staff have full access to the code/db. If they felt so inclined, they could see the user account passwords use salted hashes and are unrecoverable. The entire project exists in a separate user space from the main site, and cannot access or modify any files on sda. There isn't much I could do.
- Uh, hosted at SDA? how did that happen?
A very generous and extremely helpful xnate.
- Could this become the new SDA?
Potentially yea, but that's not the primary goal at this time. I don't believe the staff have any interest in changing things, so I built this project around that eventuality. The parser works automatically. Any new runs added to the site would appear on this project within minutes. If some day the sentiment changes to favor this project, it could very easily become the primary system. For the time being, if you like this interface, then feel free to use it as your primary front end for SDA. I'll be fixing bugs and adding features.
- I want to help/hurt, so what should I do?
If you think this is a great idea, then please feel free to do the following: Comment on it here. Use the site regularly. Find bugs, mistakes, missing features. Let people know whats going on.
If you think this is stupid and I should get off the site and take my pathetic little project with me, please comment as well. I am interested in determining the general sentiment towards something like this for better or worse.
And that's about it. Enjoy!
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