Posted: 2/14/2005 11:26 PM
Post subject: Suggestion to improve movie descriptions
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Kyrsimys
Former player
Joined: 4/16/2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Finland
I was browsing the movies a while ago and I noticed that many movies have no description whatsoever. All it says is that it's yet TODO. I understand that the publishers don't always have time to write the descriptions immediately, but some movie descriptions are long overdue (Wild Guns, anyone?). I also understand that it's difficult to write a description if one is not familiar with the game. But the fact remains that an increasing number of movies have lacking descriptions because the site has grown at an incredible speed. The workload is just too much for a few people to handle. It's easier for them to just say "read the authors comments", but I think every movie should still have SOME kind of description. And I don't just mean "Version 5 of game x in 5:34". This is why I think the workload should be shared a bit more than it is now. I realize that this is why Editors exist. I myself am one and I have to admit that the only movie description I have written is the one for my own movie. I know how hard it is to come up with something actually relevant and yet short. How should the issue be dealt with then? Obviously letting everyone edit the movie descriptions is not a good idea. But how about a suggestion thread? A stickied thread where everyone could throw their suggestions at editors, who could then do as they see fit. It would ease the workload a lot if everyone could be a part of the process. In addition, it would let the authors themselves have a say in how their movie is described (perhaps this could also be integrated to the submission?). This would only be the basic idea, I haven't thought about it further as I'm extremely tired. Please tell me why you would see this as a good idea or why you think it might lead to total chaos.
Posted: 2/14/2005 11:29 PM
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Bag_of_Magic_Food
He/Him
Player (206)
Joined: 5/29/2004
Posts: 5712
That could work. I recall that the description for Out Of This World was drawn from a comment on the board.
put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude
Posted: 2/14/2005 11:35 PM
Post subject: Re: Suggestion to improve movie descriptions
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Bisqwit
Editor, Active player (297)
Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 7469
Location: Arzareth
I like to write comments for movies of games I know a lot about, but there are only a few of them. But the easiest contribution-favoring solution would be to discuss the possible movie description in the movie threads at the Published Movies forum. The optimum movie description fits the following goals: - It's easy to read. - It's relevant to both the movie and the game. - It makes the reader interested of the movie without resorting to marketing speech. - It identifies the movie from everything it could be mixed up with.
Posted: 2/15/2005 4:07 AM
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Ouzo
Former player
Joined: 8/15/2004
Posts: 422
Location: Minnesota
People writing descriptions for their own movies could be biased, at least in the describing of the quality of the movie.
Posted: 2/15/2005 6:53 AM
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Truncated
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (980)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden
Arcade TAS of 2023 Sega TASer of 2021 Sega TAS of 2021
Yep... I waited for several weeks hoping someone else would write a description for my movie, but gave up and wrote it myself. I hope it's somewhat objective. I write descriptions for all the videos I watch if there isn't one yet. I think more editors could do the same. It isn't that difficult. When Bisqwit handled all the movies himself, he wrote descriptions for all of them. Suggestions for descriptions could be posted in the submission thread after (or before) it's accepted. We just need to make it a tradition. Perhaps a blurb somewhere.
Posted: 2/17/2005 7:56 PM
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Kyrsimys
Former player
Joined: 4/16/2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Finland
I had hoped starting this thread would create some discussion and more importantly a solution, but I guess there is not that much interest in this matter. I would still like to see something done about it though, so how about some suggestions? Should we add a note to the submission form saying that the submitter should suggest a movie description? Then perhaps people could evaluate the movie description as well as the movie. How about existing movies? I don't think there would be very much interest in reviving old submission threads just to discuss movie descriptions. Am I the only one who cares about this issue at all? If that's the case, then I guess there's no helping it.
Posted: 2/17/2005 8:11 PM
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Xerophyte
Joined: 5/17/2004
Posts: 106
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
The ambitious yet hard-to-control solution is inviting user reviews/comments/etc for all runs. I imagine it shouldn't be too difficult to implement with a wiki. The easy solution is adding some more trusted users to the site staff to take up some site running duties.
Posted: 2/18/2005 5:28 AM
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Truncated
Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (980)
Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden
Arcade TAS of 2023 Sega TASer of 2021 Sega TAS of 2021
Wrote 5 descriptions just now. Any editor familiar with the 10 games not having descriptions (they are linked on the left on http://tasvideos.org/TODO.html), put in an effort and we'll have this done. If anyone not an editor has a good description, just post it here and I'll add it. Edited by Bisqwit: Used the code to separate the parenthesis from the URL.
Posted: 2/18/2005 6:08 AM
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Ouzo
Former player
Joined: 8/15/2004
Posts: 422
Location: Minnesota
Thanks for writing mine. :)
Posted: 2/18/2005 6:17 AM
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Bisqwit
Editor, Active player (297)
Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 7469
Location: Arzareth
Truncated wrote:
Wrote 5 descriptions just now.
Good descriptions.
Posted: 2/19/2005 8:06 PM
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Kyrsimys
Former player
Joined: 4/16/2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Finland
I wrote 3 this morning, but that still doesn't solve the initial problem, which is that as the site keeps growing faster and faster, the workload is getting bigger and bigger. Either we need more (active) editors, or we need to have a suggestion box where everyone can suggest a description. This could also work for other TODO stuff. That way editors could just check that the information is correct and copy & paste.
Posted: 3/15/2005 9:06 PM
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Sastopher
Joined: 3/15/2005
Posts: 30
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
I know I just made my first post not but a minute ago, but I wanted to reiterate here what I said in my introduction in the off-topic forum. I've been a--... we'll call it a 'viewer' for a while now, but I'd love to become more involved if you'd let me. More to the topic on hand, Kyrsimys made a comment that you need more active editors. I feel this is a roll I could fill well. I understand that, being a new poster and not having any posts or history to back myself up, you have no reason to trust me, but I wanted to state this now as something to keep in mind.
I ought not to tie the knot too taught.
Posted: 3/15/2005 9:21 PM
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Kyrsimys
Former player
Joined: 4/16/2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Finland
Hello there and welcome! First off let me just say I think it's great that you are showing interest in this matter, as this has been a personal annoyance for me for some time. As you probably know, Bisqwit appoints all new editors, so I'm guessing you'll have to take it up with him personally. In the mean time (and in the case that you are not appointed as an editor) if you are feeling energetic and you already have some ideas for descriptions or other TODO stuff, feel free to post them here or send me a PM. I'll be glad to check them out.
Posted: 3/15/2005 9:39 PM
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Sastopher
Joined: 3/15/2005
Posts: 30
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
I'm getting a 404 error on the link to TODO posts, but I'll hunt around and see if I can't find some anyway. Edit: sorry, link works now. I didn't notice the stray characters.
I ought not to tie the knot too taught.