TPFC Database

All suggestions about TPFC should be posted here. Discussions about changes to TPFC will also be carried out here.
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billon
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Re: TPFC Database

#16 Post by billon »

fucking hell
why you keep submitting to db without posting about it in the forum
is it so hard
nobody ever will ever know about your submission

billon
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Re: TPFC Database

#17 Post by billon »

Just fucking unbelievable
They keep doing that
What's wrong with you, people
Or maybe it just spammers?
Can we ban first-time posters from adding new entries?
Or something like - you can't add new entry if there is no dedicated forum topic?
Just don't know anymore

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webfork
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Re: TPFC Database

#18 Post by webfork »

Yeah you caught something that I am also frustrated by. I'm working with Andrew on something for this and hopefully we'll have some resolution soon.

By way of background, the original point was to allow developers to come and add their programs to the database. It wasn't seen as an issue because they weren't public until voted on, but that may not be 100% correct, which is why it keeps happening.

Anyway, more to come.

---

EDIT: I've zapped any clear description of the EaseUS entries as the author obviously had no interest in actually going through the submission process. For the moment the PDF tool just had it's URLs removed.

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smaragdus
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Re: TPFC Database

#19 Post by smaragdus »

billon is right- the database is full of non-portable programs which do not belong to the database. There are also duplicates- people continue to add entries without checking the database, example:
I think that such duplicates should be deleted.

One more thing- usdcs is a moderator but he has been absent for more than 4 years. I suggest that billon should be granted moderation rights- his work on this website is amazing.

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webfork
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Re: TPFC Database

#20 Post by webfork »

I'm going to have to let Andrew respond to a lot of what you mentioned as that's his to decide, but the last time this came up (if memory serves), he indicated the duplicate entries weren't doing any harm and therefore could be left alone. Unless it's spam, I don't have an opinion.

I do agree that billon is doing excellent work on the site, and we're really lucky to have him.

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Andrew Lee
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Re: TPFC Database

#21 Post by Andrew Lee »

webfork wrote:Yeah you caught something that I am also frustrated by. I'm working with Andrew on something for this and hopefully we'll have some resolution soon.
How about this? I will add a batch job to automatically remove private entries that are more than 4 weeks old? That way, there will be ample time to make the entry public.

Note: Instead of deleting those entries permanently, I will simply move them to another table so that they can be restored manually if necessary. Just as a failsafe.

Another possible tweak is to make private entries only visible to logged in members. This means they won't appear in search engines, which should reduce the incentive to cheat?
smaragdus wrote:One more thing- usdcs is a moderator but he has been absent for more than 4 years. I suggest that billon should be granted moderation rights- his work on this website is amazing.
@billion: are you ok with this suggestion?

webfork has also nominated Midas (again) as a moderator.

To make things easy, how about this? If I don't hear any objections (from either the nominees themselves or other members) by Friday, they will be granted mod rights this Saturday. Deal? :D

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SYSTEM
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Re: TPFC Database

#22 Post by SYSTEM »

Andrew Lee wrote: Mon May 07, 2018 8:53 pm Another possible tweak is to make private entries only visible to logged in members. This means they won't appear in search engines, which should reduce the incentive to cheat?
Sounds good to me. Search engine visibility may well be the most important reason to create spam entries.
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Midas
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Re: TPFC Database

#23 Post by Midas »

Andrew Lee wrote: How about this? I will add a batch job to automatically remove private entries that are more than 4 weeks old? That way, there will be ample time to make the entry public.

Note: Instead of deleting those entries permanently, I will simply move them to another table so that they can be restored manually if necessary. Just as a failsafe.

Another possible tweak is to make private entries only visible to logged in members. This means they won't appear in search engines, which should reduce the incentive to cheat?
I like the second solution better, the first one is doubtful to me -- in the past, some entries were downgraded for a long while only to be restored later. Even when that doesn't happen, they perform significant history and documenting roles for the community.

Andrew Lee wrote: To make things easy, how about this? If I don't hear any objections (from either the nominees themselves or other members) by Friday, they will be granted mod rights this Saturday. Deal? :D
Oh, boy. :|

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Andrew Lee
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Re: TPFC Database

#24 Post by Andrew Lee »

OK, I have implemented the change so that private entries will only be visible to logged in users.

If you are not logged in and try to access any private entry, you will simply be redirected to the home page.

Now let's discuss the pros and cons of auto pruning older private entries.

I have another tweak to add to my first suggestion. Maybe we will only prune private entries created by R0 users (we can tweak the R paramater here), and leave the rest alone. Would that make it more palatable?

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smaragdus
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Re: TPFC Database

#25 Post by smaragdus »

About Private Entries
How about this? I will add a batch job to automatically remove private entries that are more than 4 weeks old? That way, there will be ample time to make the entry public.

Note: Instead of deleting those entries permanently, I will simply move them to another table so that they can be restored manually if necessary. Just as a failsafe.

Another possible tweak is to make private entries only visible to logged in members. This means they won't appear in search engines, which should reduce the incentive to cheat?
Sometimes private entries need more time (months and even years) to become public. Also, database entries may be upvoted, then downvoted, then upvoted again. So for me removing private entries older than 4 weeks is not a good idea. I am sure that there are private entries buried deep into the database which worth becoming public. For example iPhotoDraw needed years to become public (mainly because the submission to the database was not announced in the forum and the users were not aware of the private database entry). I am thinking of a kind of notifications when new entries are added to the database, even some developers seem to be unaware that they need to announce their programs in the Portable Freeware Submission sub-forum. Or perhaps a database entry should not be accepted without forum announcement (Forum topic ID is required). For me the private entries are not a problem if they represent portable freeware programs. But I think that when non-portable programs and commercial programs are added to the database these private entries may be deleted.

==

About Moderators

I think that both (in alphabetical order) billon and Midas would be excellent moderators- throughout the years both of them have proven to be dedicated to this site. Of course webfork is doing excellent job but he may need helpers (for example many threads need merging).

==

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webfork
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Re: TPFC Database

#26 Post by webfork »

smaragdus wrote: Tue May 08, 2018 4:23 am I think that both (in alphabetical order) billon and Midas would be excellent moderators- throughout the years both of them have proven to be dedicated to this site. Of course webfork is doing excellent job but he may need helpers (for example many threads need merging).
What did I miss? (Feel free to message me directly to avoid a thread hijack.)

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smaragdus
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Re: TPFC Database

#27 Post by smaragdus »

@webfork
No, you have not missed anything. I meant that 3 pairs of eyes see better than one.

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webfork
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Re: TPFC Database

#28 Post by webfork »

Andrew Lee wrote:Another possible tweak is to make private entries only visible to logged in members. This means they won't appear in search engines, which should reduce the incentive to cheat?
The reason people are posting these entries is because it's showing up on search engines. As such, just making the private database available only to logged-in users would fix that. You could also limit the Add Program functionality to users with a few forum posts.

I'm reluctant to delete old, private entries as there's always a chance (albeit small) that they might come back into development or use and get upvoted. Also you put a lot of time into those old posts so I don't want to toss them unless they're causing problems.

billon
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Re: TPFC Database

#29 Post by billon »

:shock:

shnbwmn
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Re: TPFC Database

#30 Post by shnbwmn »

I agree with @billon and @smaragdus that a forum topic submission should be a requirement for database entry. :!:

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