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User Review / Rate / Feedback

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User Review / Rate / Feedback
Heya all,

I use LinksSQL to drive my Classified Ads. I would like to offer my visitors an option to rate users and provide feedback in the same manner as you can do on E-Bay. Would be good if people can get a sense for the reputation of the user they may be dealing with.

Said differently: I'd like to tie an additional set of reviews to the LinkOwner on top of those linked to the LinkID (I will even consider just swithcing the current reviews to the LinkOwner)

Does anyone have something like this? Ideas?

Safe swoops
Sangiro

Last edited by:

sangiro: Nov 21, 2003, 7:11 PM
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Re: [sangiro] User Review / Rate / Feedback In reply to
Shouldn't be too hard to add. I have something like this in the works for several plugins coming shortly.

I actually have modified some of the other features of the ratings system, and will be applying this to the other ratings.

I have a need to not only rate links, but the content (classes) and the link owner (instructor).

My class scheduler should have an initial release this week. It will allow a user to be flagged as an instructor, then add classes. There will have to be a different add/modify system, and that is what I need to complete now.

A few columns are added to the Links table, then a separate table is used to hold the class data - and a schedule.

When a class is added, and when scheduled, is tied to both an instructor and a Link record.

Hopefully, different instructors will be allowed to teach the same "class", and you can enter a class once, and schedule it for different days.

A "class description" is added to the links database. It can have one instructor, or many. When a class is scheduled, a pointer record will be created that holds a link to the instructor, the class description, and a time slot. This pointer record will have a unique ID, which increments, so that each class will have a specific ID -- not only a description.

Might be confusing, but it's pretty flexible, and 90% is working now. I need to deploy this by monday/tuesday, so I'm stressing.

But, part of the system will allow ratings of the users. This might be what you are looking for, and depending on how it's finally implemented, it might be able to be cut out separately, or you could add this plugin and just ignore any of the class scheduling features.

I know I've been pretty thin, but over the next few months, a whole bunch of stuff should start to be released. It's all shareware -- you can use it as long as any modifications are shared with the general community -- templates, code changes, database changes, etc. Or, you can register it, and purchase a support contract. Because I don't have the time to support as much code as I have created, support will be on an as-available basis, or by a paid support contract. But, since anyone can download the programs, hopefully an active user base will form that will support itself, improve the code, etc.

Oh, the above plugin will _hopefully_ tie in with GoCart and/or the paid links feature of links. I don't use PayPal, or have access to anything but Authorize.net, but hopefully all GT supported payment options will work. (I want to allow on-line registration and payment for classes).


PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

The best way to contact me is to NOT use Email.
Please leave a PM here.
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Re: [pugdog] User Review / Rate / Feedback In reply to
Pugdog - sounds interesting. I'll ping you about this a little later when you're done with it. In the meantime, will this also allow users to rate "categories"? Think about that one...

My categories are "manufaturers" and my links are "gear items". Obviously people want to review gear, but sometimes they want to post about their experiences with the actual companies. Being able to review categories will solve that... Smile

Safe swoops
Sangiro
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Re: [sangiro] User Review / Rate / Feedback In reply to
Hmmm... category ratings. I'm sure this can be added in. It's not something that makes sense for most people, but in your case I can see why you'd want to.


PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

The best way to contact me is to NOT use Email.
Please leave a PM here.
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Re: [pugdog] User Review / Rate / Feedback In reply to
Anything further on the Feedback Plugin? Smile

Safe swoops
Sangiro

Last edited by:

sangiro: Apr 3, 2005, 11:41 AM
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Re: [sangiro] User Review / Rate / Feedback In reply to
Nothing specific, but there are a half dozen progrms I've been working on that need a good ratings/review system, and once this blogger message/comment system is finished, I'll mod the review system to "plug in" to just about any type of system that has a uniqu ID field. Right now it enhances the Links ratings/review system (without interfering with it), but it needs a few more features to really do what you and I want it to do.

When a user leaves a rating, they can also leave a short comment on it. Ratings are tracked, and agregated so that you can see how many 1's, 2's, 9's 10's, etc a person got. It doesn't do time-windows, but it could. (eg: past 1 month, past 3 months, etc)

If reviews are enabled, then the rating system will accept a rating + comment, and the review system will accept a rating + longer comment. They are Separate items.

If reviews are disabled, the comment system allows a review/rating number + comment. It's a little harder to explain.

The reason is the "reviews" system was set up to be different from a simple "rating" or feedback system. Trying to preserve the best of both.

The comments system, which was proposed a few days ago, is going to be done shortly. I got hung up on templates, and some details that I hadn't planned on. What that will do, is attach a running list of comments to a link. (It could actually do it any system that has a unique index key).

The comments are *not* designed to be a forum, or comment on each other, but to comment on the main Link. The number of comments can be limited, or left open. Comments can automatically close when they hit the limit, or "roll over" (drop off the oldest, to insert the newest).

Despite my better judgement, i've enabled a means for non-logged in users to leave a comment, and potentially edit it, but I still don't see why a user should not be required to log in to participate. It's opening up to problems.

There is no "built in" ratings system, since the ratings/review system will hopefully just plug on to any comment, message, or whatever. All you do is pass in the key (table name) and the record number. One script will manage multiple tables, ratings systems, etc. All it needs is a unique ID. Category:ID, Link:ID, etc. It's up to you to create the HTML and link to call it, and to provide an add or modify form (based on the standard one).

Right now I'm trying to move everything over to the 3.0(2.99) calling conventions, and put most things into functions rather than "hooks".

I'm debating whether to use a flag field in the main table to count comments, reviews, etc, or just do a separate call to a ratings table. There would be a performance boost to adding a flag field, if you consider the link or other record is updated rarely, but read often. But, as evidenced by some of my 5 and 6 year old sites, the link record gets pretty cluttered, for no good reason.

As webservers get faster, it becomes less important to squeeze all bits of performance from the hardware, and more important to concentrate on REASONABLE coding, 80-90% data normalization (100% is cookoo, and less than about 70% is pointless) to enhance EXPANDABILITY, MAINTAINABILITY and UPGRADABILITY.

The last 2 years of release delays have not been without benefit. Certain "practices" have changed, certain things have become clearer, and many things have been simplifed, and unified, into multi-function modules, rather than dozens of separately maintainable modules.

If there are specifics you want, or need, in a comments/messageing/ratings/review system, please post. Now is the time, as the database is 90% or 95% set at this time, but there is still time/room to add in fields that make sense for additional features.


PUGDOG� Enterprises, Inc.

The best way to contact me is to NOT use Email.
Please leave a PM here.
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Re: [sangiro] User Review / Rate / Feedback In reply to
** Bump **

I'm still looking for something like this. No need to over-engineer it. It can be a simple comment field and a rating dropdown. Only registered users can comment/rate. No rating validation required. Anyone? Wink

Safe swoops
Sangiro