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Ratings/Review - current status

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Ratings/Review - current status
If you want to grab the current .tar, it's at:

http://linksql.com/...ges/files/Review.tar

It's _GUARANTEED_ _NOT_ to work!!

It compiles, and perl checks, but that's all! It's completely incompatible across scripts, and I haven't risked running the install yet (not that it would do any damage, but it would probably start me on a 2-3 hour debug cycle that I can't afford right now!

I need to take a break until at least tomorrow night on this, so if anyone wants to take a crack at it, and post the fixes -- or just take a look at where it's going, feel free.

I'm concentrating on the "install" so that people will be able to install and test it out, without fear of damaging their current operation in any way. Big chunks are missing --

1) The basic outline of the install is in place
2) The basic options for the tables, hooks, etc are in place.
3) It's a combination of 3 main development thrusts, so there are a _LOT_ of incompatibilities in variable names, passing parameters, and internal variables! (as well as configuration options!!).

I'm trying to upgrade all the "logic" to the current level Alex/GT is at. Every plug-in has used a different layout and set of logic. I'm trying to take the best of each, and create a working "install shell" that can be used in other projects as well, by just changing a few of the data blocks.

I hate releasing this at this point, but it's a group project, so maybe someone with more time in the next 24 hours can smooth over some of these issues.

Please don't try to "fix" things, unless you know where I'm going with it, and
you think you can make some progress!

Try to keep everything in separate "blocks" with their variables and actions close together.

I figure I've got about 8-10 more hours tweaking and polishing up the install, and merging the $IN-> variables and options before it's ready for it's first "run". At that point, it would be safe for anyone to try out -- even on a live site.

We do need "routines" for installing the various ratings systems, and creating the extra database fields. The user needs to be asked which rating system they want to use, if any at all. Right now the options seem to be "None", "1-5", and "0-10".




PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Forum:http://LinkSQL.com/forum
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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
Rather than start a new thread...

I updated the on-line file, to include a working "install". It _really_ needs some clean up, and it could use about twice as much error checking.

Right now it installs one table, and updates the Links table, installs the templates, and creates a backup set.

If someone wants to work on it, and start cleaning it up, I'm going to stop working on the install, for awhile, and start trying to get the .cgi and .pm to work in-line with the install.

As long as you don't change the "content" of the Install, it should work.

I need to add a better table install system, so that multiple tables are adding using hash data, rather than duplicate code.

This has to be a group project!!! I really don't have the time to release and maintain a program of this size. I can start it out, help set it up, contribute along the way, but I can't do it all!! If people don't start taking an interest -- any interest, I'm going to have to just add this to my list of things to release after the Image Upload/Gallery program, and I guarantee it won't have a 2 digit price!! :)

As a group project, starting an interest would be looking at the code, trying to figure out what it's doing, where it's going, and suggesting changes, or asking questions.

Part of this is a "learning" experience, and I hope to gain more knowledge, and hopefully things that come up along the way will be taken on by GT to improve the basic Links engines.

GROUP PROJECT!! Means more than one person!

PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Forum:http://LinkSQL.com/forum
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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
I have been following the review mod (the many that seemed to be almost there ) for some time now. The fact is I don't even own links sql yet. I will be using it for a personal future project (of course no profit and a lot of work have been delaying this project, unfortunately). This mod is very interesting for me, and I guess many others feel the same way...
I don't think I can contribute much, since the discussion on how to do this is completely unknown to me (and again I guess a lot of people may be in the same situation). As far as suggestions, I believe what you outlined is very interesting. I just want a basic review of links and I believe that (at least version 1) should provide that basic functionality, everything else would be a nice extra...if time/resources allow them, but not very important at this time (at least that's my opinion).

Anyway, I just wanted to express that there is interest in this, it won't help much actually but I guess the reason many people don't contribute here is just the fact that we don't want to say something stupid...


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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
Saying something "stupid" may help clarify issues for other people. But helps people to know there is interest -- and feedback -- on what they are doing.

Most programs are developed to fill a need. I have a need. I could write this to fill my need, but it would _not_ fill the needs of most of the people out there. By taking a bit longer, I could do a more general program, and by getting other people involved, it will take less time, and have other people who can help.

Like with the Install. If someone(s) start working on that, then those people will be able to help others and fix bugs when people try to use it. So we have an "install" coders group.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

The silence is really deafening around here!!!

:)


PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Forum:http://LinkSQL.com/forum
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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
Maybe "stupid" was not the rigth word (my english sometimes doesn't help here..), what I meant is that I (at least and I am sure others as well) have been following this and appreciate your dedication. What prevented me from posting so far is the fact that the discusion is a bit technical for me...

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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
Pugdog,

I am interested in the Review plugin and some of the other plugins you are working on. Unfortunately, I am unable to really assist you, as the last time I did any programming was in pascal in 1984 in pursuit of a Business Finance degree. I have a couple of perl books on my shelves, but obviously to be of real assistance, I would have to be fluent in perl now. I also use a WYSIWYG HTML editor and accept the results and limitations of that choice.

One of the other challenges I face is learning Unix, as my experience has been learned on the CPM-80/DOS/Win path. While I am learning stuff, even understanding the Unix file and directory permission settings enough to really help someone is still a ways off.

Most of this situation was indirectly referenced in a separate thread regarding GT documentation and newbies being attracted by the quality of GT product and user base.

That said, I have the perspective of one of the newbies and would be able and willing to help write the documentation. Unfortuanately, that is not where you are in need of help right now and probably when the plugin is finished, it won't need a great deal of documentation.
--
Rob Van Deren
www.beaverheadriver.com

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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
I spent much of last night working on the "flow" for adding a link via review.cgi.

I have about two screenfuls of pseudo code, that needs to be expanded into something workable.

webmasters are going to want to display reviews in 2, or maybe 3 ways.

1) at the bottom of the detailed page, with <span>
2) by clicking a link that takes them to a set of review pages, with <span>
3) a combination, where a certain number of reviews are shown on the detail page, then the rest of the links are shown on a set of review pages with <span>

Users are going to want to display reviews:

1) associated with a link
2) associted with them
3) associated with another user (validity checking)

Webmasters are also going to want to:
1) build the entire site statically
2) build the entire site dynamically
3) build the site statically, but dynamically generate the reviews
4) build the site dynamically but use "static" review pages (that change only when new reviews added). These would be linked via option 2) above.

Additionally, webmasters are going to want to allow the following types of reviews to be entered:

1) short reviews < 255 char
2) long reviews > 255 char
3) both, where one is a "title" or "summary" for the long review.

Additionally, they are going to want to restrict the addition of reviews (besides registered/editor/admin permissiongs) to certain rules:

1) only one review per link, per user, entered once.
2) only one review per link, per user, per unit time (default 30 days).

3) only one review per link, per user, but the user is allowed to "edit" it as often as they want.
4) only one review per link, per user, but the user is allowed to "edit" it as often as they want, per unit time (default 30 days).

5) Multiple reviews per link.
6) Multiple reviews per link, per unit time (default 30 days).
7) Multiple reviews per link, but the user is allowed to "edit" it as often as they want, per unit time (default 30 days).

#7 is sort of an odd one, but it means a user can edit any of their reviews that is older than at least 30 days (or whatever the default is).

Additionally, the webmaster might want to allow users to enter only < 255 char comments, but editors, or authorized reviewers to enter longer ones.

I'm sure there are other options to follow (since we haven't talked about "ratings" at all, but that should only add a flag -- either allow/enforce ratings, or disable them.

Then we enter the realm of actually entering/editing the reviews.

When a user enters "add a review" from a click via a link record, the user should be presented with any of their existing comments on that link (and any clickable options they are allowed -- delete, edit, add, etc).

The user should also have a link to pop open a window that will list "similar comments/reviews" they have made on links that are "similar".

Now, reviews need to have a "flag" that indicates whether the review is "approved" or not. If a review is "edited" then that review, that review is moved out of public view until re-validated. After all, if the author changed opinions, no reason to leave the old one around until the new one is validated.

On many sites, the short reviews will be auto-validated (as comments) but the long reviews might want to be manually reviewed. This needs to be a config option.

I'm leaning towards "dynamic update" of the review system, every time a review is added. That means, when a user enters a review, their user profile/stats, as well as the link record/stats is updated at that moment. If static pages are used, a new set of static pages for that link is generated. That way, the review system is always up to date. Updates and cpu use is spread throughout the day.

If I get industrious, "lazy" updates would be an option, where a cron job would be run every so often to update the user/link stats. This would consume LESS resources on a site where some links were very active, or a user was very active. It would prevent repetitive builds and updates, by grouping updates every 5 or 15 minutes. A "dynamic" site wouldn't really need this, but a site using static pages would benefit greatly by the reduced I/O load of page builds.

We now move into what actions are allowed on the site:

View.
Add.
Update/Edit.
Delete
Administer.

These are actions requiring a form Input/Output.

We also have actions the user is going to want to do, which fall under the realm of reporting:

User Profile/stats
View other users stats
View Link stats
View related/category stats
View monthly/weekly/daily stats
etc

Once the information is in the database, all these "views" can be added by creating the right query/output routines, and if necessary the intermediate data tables and static pages.

This is pretty much where I got to last night (of course with psuedo code type layout), but as you can see, there are lots of questions, lots of things to consider, lots of things that will probably need to be answered and worked out, etc.





PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Forum:http://LinkSQL.com/forum
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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
Hi pugdog,

I just want to flag up my interest in this project. Like everyone else :) I'm very busy but I'll try to get to grips with what you've done so far and see whether I can add anything. Having purchased the LinksSQL licence several weeks ago, I still haven't updated from Links2 because I need this plugin - so that's quite an incentive to get it working!

For some reason I don't seem to be able to get the email digests for any of these forums to work which would make it much easier to keep up with where everyone is.

Laura.

Webmaster
TheUKHighStreet.com
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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
Pugdog your __review__ is mighty fine! I am very look forward to your finish, but my perl is not veteran! Good luck!

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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
BlushStrangeBlush.

http://www.gossamer-threads.com/...&vc=1#Post115864
In Reply To:
Alex (Administrator)
Posted on 3-Dec-00 04:14 PM

Hi,...
In reply to:
-----------------
- What plugins will be make as u know ?
-------------------------------------------
Internally we are working on a spider (we will be charging for this), a review module (free) and a ad banner system (bundled with a full featured for sale ad system).
..
Cheers,
Alex
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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
They have a simple review module, this one is not simple.

PUGDOG® Enterprises, Inc.
FAQ:http://LinkSQL.com/FAQ
Forum:http://LinkSQL.com/forum
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Feature Suggestion In reply to
I think it would be cool if you could have an option to email the user that submitted the link any reviews or ratings of his/her link.

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  In reply to
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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
Where can you download that?

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Re: Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
Any news on the review module, i wold like to incorporate it into a new site.



Regards

MDJ1
http://www.isee-multimedia.co.uk
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Re: [pugdog] Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
Yes I am very interested in this script. When do you foresee its release?

P a i n t b a l l C i t y . c o m
http://www.paintballcity.com
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Re: [Ground Zero] Ratings/Review - current status In reply to
I've had to back off on this, as I have on many of the other items.

GT is working on a review script, but I don't know anything about it.

I really want to see the next release, since a few new fields and changes are being made to the file_type, which is how my review and image mods have plugged in.

Alex and I have done it slightly differently, but I'm trying to move mine over to the way GT is doing it, where possible, to make upgrades easier. I've just been out of the loop awhile, and am trying to get back into it.




PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

The best way to contact me is to NOT use Email.
Please leave a PM here.