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Special Upgrade 4 Tech Tips

New features coming soon to the CM Mod Database!

ColumbusOHGamer
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ColumbusOHGamer Senior Member

ColumbusOHGamer

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1. Tweak the settings for more speed...Anyone got any background on Linux and networking that would like to offer any suggestions? I'm not a Linux guru , but want to try and make the throughput faster. Anything I can do?

2. Revamping of stats - must be done soon anyway, web log getting too big...will include all d/l stats since day 1...they will be based on the File Name

Due Date: This week

3. Installation of UPS backup - This will hopefully reduce the amount of downtime

Due Date: ~1 month

4. Requiring ID and password to u/l (or d/l?) mods - This will also allow mod owners to update/delete their own mods, eliminating the need to email me for changes. May consider requiring login to d/l mods as well, but not likely to happen.

Due Date: ~1 month

Things I MIGHT do in the future

1. Advertising links - Yes, I may cast that evil spell on the website, although it would be toned down. No banners or popups, just some links on the home page and a master ad links page.

What do you guys think? Maybe on a trial basis?

Due Date: Within 2 weeks

2. Create scenario database identical to mod database - I don't want to step on other websites toes by stealing their thunder, but I've got the resources and the disk space (scens are small), so why not do it??

Any thoughts?

Due Date: Could be done in less than 2 weeks

3. Add voting for mods - This is low on the priority list and would probably require login to vote (which may also mean login to d/l mods).

Would you use this?

Due Date: Minimum of 2 weeks AFTER adding login controls

4. Anyone have any suggestions they'd like to see? What can I do to improve the website (besides making it faster)?

COG

[ November 18, 2002, 09:37 AM: Message edited by: ColumbusOHGamer ]

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MrNoobie Senior Member

MrNoobie

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Requiring ID and password to u/l (or d/l?) mods - This will also allow mod owners to update/delete their own mods, eliminating the need to email me for changes. May consider requiring login to d/l mods as well, but not likely to happen.

Due Date: ~1 month

ahem. hehe im glad this is being implemented :D
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Soddball Senior Member

Soddball

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I think you should obtain some sort of funding - ideally I'd like to see a PayPal scheme or the like, so that we users can contribute to the running costs you're incurring. What you could do is produce a list of how much bandwidth everyone is using, and suggest that they might like to contribute based on usage.

As for scenarios - at the moment there are several places which offer this facility. It's up to you but I would say that our little community 'needs' a mod site more than we 'need' another scenario site - if you see what I mean.

Voting for mods would be quite fun but obviously isn't critical smile.gif

I'm on a 56k line so speed isn't such an issue for me - my downloads will be slow no matter WHAT you do. smile.gif

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ColumbusOHGamer Senior Member

ColumbusOHGamer

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Originally posted by Soddball:

I think you should obtain some sort of funding - ideally I'd like to see a PayPal scheme or the like, so that we users can contribute to the running costs you're incurring.

You have mentioned that before, and I forgot about that idea. I will try and have something set up by the end of the week. Thanks for the thought.

What you could do is produce a list of how much bandwidth everyone is using, and suggest that they might like to contribute based on usage.

That borders on being a pay-per-use site, which I don't want to do. I want to provide a free place for everyone to distribute and/or receive mods for the game.

Thanks for the input.

COG

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ColumbusOHGamer Senior Member

ColumbusOHGamer

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Originally posted by Abbott:

I would like to see a comments section available for each mod on the download page under the screenshot. Authors and users could offer comments, suggestions and commentary.

I'll add it to my list, but it probably won't have much higher priority than the voting section. Not because it's a bad idea, just becuase the ROI for that is relatively small for the amount of time required to implement it.

But please keep the ideas coming!

COG

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WWB Senior Member

WWB

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Regarding the scenario DB, how about a scenarios in testing DB. There really needs to be a place for it, as beta scenarios should not be at the depot but people are putting them there anyhow. This would cover a gap nicely.

WWB

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Admiral Keth Senior Member

Admiral Keth

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Originally posted by wwb_99:

Regarding the scenario DB, how about a scenarios in testing DB. There really needs to be a place for it, as beta scenarios should not be at the depot but people are putting them there anyhow. This would cover a gap nicely.

WWB

WWB,

I'm currently divesting myself of a number of clients who consume more time for which I don't get adequately compensated. After the beginning of the year I'll be able to devote a greater amount of time to enhancing and correcting issues at The Scenario Depot, including adding a seperate "Self-Service" beta scenario section. I have the design for this feature all layed out, I just need the time and energy to put it together.

I also have a super long list of things that needs to be attended to (actually there's two lists - the "HoneyDo" list and the Depot's list), but RL job demands necessarily come first.

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WWB Senior Member

WWB

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Originally posted by Admiral Keth:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by wwb_99:

Regarding the scenario DB, how about a scenarios in testing DB. There really needs to be a place for it, as beta scenarios should not be at the depot but people are putting them there anyhow. This would cover a gap nicely.

WWB

WWB,

I'm currently divesting myself of a number of clients who consume more time for which I don't get adequately compensated. After the beginning of the year I'll be able to devote a greater amount of time to enhancing and correcting issues at The Scenario Depot, including adding a seperate "Self-Service" beta scenario section. I have the design for this feature all layed out, I just need the time and energy to put it together.

I also have a super long list of things that needs to be attended to (actually there's two lists - the "HoneyDo" list and the Depot's list), but RL job demands necessarily come first.</font>

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Admiral Keth Senior Member

Admiral Keth

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Originally posted by wwb_99:

I would take care of your "honey-do" list first, we like you alive and in one piece, not to mention living in a home instead of a roach-ridden efficeny.

Did you get the note I sent last week?

WWB

WWB,

Yeah, the HD list is impressive, but I've managed to get one of my own tasks on there...upgrading my homebrew system to 100 quarts. Yep, 25 gallons of homebrew goodness each batch. Kinda makes some incentive to get any preceding tasks finished.

**shuffles through papers**Got it! I read it at about 1am one morning and intended to respond the next day. I'll reply tonight. Apologies for the delay.

[ November 18, 2002, 12:02 PM: Message edited by: Admiral Keth ]

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Agua Senior Member

Agua

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COG,

First, thanks for putting together the Mod Database. It has become a one stop place for mods and that is the beauty of it. At the same time, if you were to begin hosting scenarios, it would degrade the "one stop" quality that the Scenario Depot has acquired. I don't think it would serve the community well to create another site that people would have to check in order to find new scenarios.

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Lou2000 Senior Member

Lou2000

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The site is excellent and getting all the credit it deserves. :cool:

I particularly like the fact that it is 'simple' in design making it easy to navigate and get to the goods. A rare thing these days, when website designers seem to want to show us all their bandwidth hogging tricks.

I would make one small suggestion though ... any chance of reducing the mod image sizes a little.

The pic of the winter Turan II for example - 75% of the pic is pure background. Smaller pics would speed things up for sure.

Im on ADSL but i'm sure some of the 56k'er are cursing those nice big screenshots.

Lou2000

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ColumbusOHGamer Senior Member

ColumbusOHGamer

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Originally posted by Lou2000:

...I would make one small suggestion though ... any chance of reducing the mod image sizes a little...

I wish I could, but that would require some fairly sophisticated tools to automaticaly resize the picture files. I don't have that autonomy yet, and probably never will.

I do plan on posting a set of "Guidlines to post mods" as soon as I get the login feature working. Sorry...

COG

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Lawyer Senior Member

Lawyer

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Well, COG, your site is the new Wal-Mart of CM. No stylish presentation (and no "Happy Face" greeter either), but you give us the mods we want with no frills. It works, even for a 56k download guy like me.

Now I vote to change the whorehouse green background on your site to something more tasteful and subdued. You may be Wal-Mart, but you could give us a better appearance, much like J.C.Penny's. We don't expect Nordstrum's, but we would like to preserve our retina's for a few more years. I don't know what it is about you tech savy guys, but you all choose glaring colors that attack human senses for your websites .

I don't give a hoot about ads, except they take time to load. Don't give us the old "user ID" crapola either. If you want to keep statistics, just count the user downloads. That is the only stat that makes sense.

Again, many thanks for your work. You seem to understand the KISS principle. We will all benefit if you stick to it.

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ColumbusOHGamer Senior Member

ColumbusOHGamer

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Originally posted by Lawyer:

...Now I vote to change the whorehouse green background on your site to something more tasteful and subdued.

I gotta agree there. The website colors didn't show up on the screen like they did in my head when I was thinking about this.

OK, I've got limited time to work on this, so if someone wants to come up with a pretty color scheme for me, I'll gladly implement it post haste!

Here's a minimum of what I need:

Background for Main Frame

Background for Menu Frame

Primary Text

Secondary Text

Visited Links

You give me that and I'll change the colors ASAP. Thanks.

COG

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Rob Murray Senior Member

Rob Murray

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Regarding someone's suggestion that your site become pay-per-use: Some of us don't have a lot of spare cash to throw around ( particularly if it involves paying in US funds ). I really do appreciate sites like yours. We're able to download mods which suit our taste & not get dinged in the wallet. Please if you can; don't implement the pay-per-use suggestion. It will shut many people like myself out who can't afford it. Perhaps you should get advertising if it will help offset your costs. I don't have a problem with pop-ups or banners if it means that your website will remain free to use.

[ November 18, 2002, 11:15 PM: Message edited by: Rob Murray ]

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