The Future of The Site

  Zzap Rrap
  Zzap Discussions
  The Future of The Site

profile | register | faq

Author Topic:   The Future of The Site

iain posted 13-01-2003 02:41 AM GMT
Two Road Diverged In a Yellow Wood
Okay, the site has been neglected over the past year and it's really reached a point where there are two options.
1. The site will slowly die and become totally neglected.
OR
2. The will reinvent itself and become even better.
Option 1 isn't the one I want to take the site. There is still a lot of interest in the site and lots of things that I still want to do with it.
My plan over the past couple of months has been to automate and databasise the site and I have been doing some work to this end, but not an awful lot.
Basically my ideas are.
Get all the scans online and have them fully automated. I'm going to have to encode the filenames for the pages to stop people leeching them all by just typing in the filenames in their browser and bypassing the cookie download limit. I'm also going to write an decoder so you can the original filenames for the files after you download them. I'm going to finish the code for viewing the issues as well, making it simpler to go on to the next page etc. as well as bring back the thumbnail views.
I also want to make the site into a more interactive experience with people helping to add content to the site by OCRing or typing in reviews, features etc. from the main magaine. Basically just the text, since if you want the graphics and layout, look at the scans. You may say why bother when then the scans are there but my dream is to have all the magazine text online and searchable so you can just type in a game name and get all the articles, letters, news items etc. that mentioned the game. This feature would really make the site very useful. I have half coded the part of the site to enable this so people can automatically add their text, but it still needs more work done on it.
I want to add more additional content to the site. i.e. background information to zzap and it's creators. The article on my trip to Ludlow is a perfect example of this. This makes the site a little more up todate and would make it more than just a library of zzap.
I want to redesign the site, while I am coding it to look like the front page or maybe have the style of the reviews in a more classic zzap style like Craig offered to do (I did read your email I just didn't get around to repling!)

Obviously all of this will take quite a bit of work on my side but I need you guys to help me out as well by maybe writing original articles and getting the raw text from the issues online.
I'll get the issues with the scans sorted out first and then we can concentrate on everything else.
I've a nice new fast computer and I've got most of it set up with my development software etc. ready to go.
So what does everybody think of this? Should we try to make a go of it?
I was looking at the AtariAges site tonight and it's a great, well organised, informative site. I'd like to make the Zzap version of that.
Thoughts, comments?
CraigG posted 13-01-2003 10:09 AM GMT
Sounds good. One thing I would also concentrate on is navigation. The current site it a pain to navigate and the front page also makes it fairly tricky to find anything.
While I myself don't really have time to do loads of typing, the offer's still there if you want some design input.
Best

C
akaandy1 posted 13-01-2003 01:20 PM GMT
Option 2 sounds great, and I'd happily contribute to the site if needed. As I'm sure most visitors to this board would.
rik posted 14-01-2003 12:09 PM GMT
Sounds like a really great idea Iain, it would be great for the site to be revived.
Just one point, not to put you off I hope! I'm sure you know that Dimitris of the gamebase team has been steadily working through htmlising the Zzap reviews, so it would be good to co-ordinate things with him in order to avoid any duplication in effort.
A contributers section might work well where anyone can check off an article or review which hasn't been typed and submit them within a week or so time period.
S'funny, it's only when you try to type in these articles when you realise the sheer amount of effort which must have gone into producing them!
Matt posted 14-01-2003 01:05 PM GMT
it's nice to see you didn't give up on this site so far.
well I'm looking forward to all this things to happen and I'd be glad to contribute in any way.
cheers ;)
iain posted 14-01-2003 09:19 PM GMT
I'm aware of what's going on over at Gamebase but when I asked vefore, Dimitris wasn't willing to share the text of the reviews, I could have only linked to them.
The article/review submit section will only allow people to submit text which hasn't been submitted or reserved by someone else so there won't be any overlapping.
BIGGEST JIM posted 14-01-2003 09:26 PM GMT
Yep, count me in too, Iain.
Since I don't have time to start my own site (yet) I'd be very willing to contribute to your site, or to be a moderator or anything.
Every week when I'm flicking thru my mags I come across cool 'things' that would be nice to put on a site like yours.
I think it would be a good idea to create a sort of team that can freely publish zzap/c64 related stuff* to a weekly updated 'news/facts/review' zzap-mainpage (i.o.w. your site)(daily, if more people could do updates) All that while the site is being updated with new html-ised reviews, pics, whereabouts & info about ex-staff etc. etc. etc...
*I , for one, was totally unaware that in 1989 the C+VG reviewing team existed of Julian R, Ciaran B & Paul G, all ex-zzappers!
I only got to know it because I bought a bunch of c+vg's, crashes & CU's. (great stuff, err..although clearly not as great as zzap, naturally :)
Anyway, I'd really like to help out and contribute to a site with enormous potential in these retro dayz,
Cheers
Rob (biggestjim, yup still Rotterdam, Holland)
CraigG posted 15-01-2003 03:05 PM GMT
Paul Rand also ended up at C&VG. The same sort of happened with Future: many ex-Zzap!64 staff moved there, including Gordo, Kati, and Steve J, who's still there as a managing editor.
iain posted 15-01-2003 06:10 PM GMT
I could build a little database of "Did you know..." info bits, like Kim has over at Lemon and display a random one to a user when they load up the front page
I coded the encryption code for the scans last night, I'm quite proud that I managed to do something! :)
akaandy1 posted 15-01-2003 11:49 PM GMT
...and thus did zzap64.co.uk rise from the ashes like the mighty Pheonix of Legend and Myth. Or something.

Hop to:

Contact Us | The Def Guide to Zzap!64

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: The Future of The Site
iain	posted 13-01-2003 02:41 AM GMT Two Road Diverged In a Yellow Wood Okay, the site has been neglected over the past year and it's really reached a point where there are two options. 1. The site will slowly die and become totally neglected. OR 2. The will reinvent itself and become even better. Option 1 isn't the one I want to take the site. There is still a lot of interest in the site and lots of things that I still want to do with it. My plan over the past couple of months has been to automate and databasise the site and I have been doing some work to this end, but not an awful lot. Basically my ideas are. Get all the scans online and have them fully automated. I'm going to have to encode the filenames for the pages to stop people leeching them all by just typing in the filenames in their browser and bypassing the cookie download limit. I'm also going to write an decoder so you can the original filenames for the files after you download them. I'm going to finish the code for viewing the issues as well, making it simpler to go on to the next page etc. as well as bring back the thumbnail views. I also want to make the site into a more interactive experience with people helping to add content to the site by OCRing or typing in reviews, features etc. from the main magaine. Basically just the text, since if you want the graphics and layout, look at the scans. You may say why bother when then the scans are there but my dream is to have all the magazine text online and searchable so you can just type in a game name and get all the articles, letters, news items etc. that mentioned the game. This feature would really make the site very useful. I have half coded the part of the site to enable this so people can automatically add their text, but it still needs more work done on it. I want to add more additional content to the site. i.e. background information to zzap and it's creators. The article on my trip to Ludlow is a perfect example of this. This makes the site a little more up todate and would make it more than just a library of zzap. I want to redesign the site, while I am coding it to look like the front page or maybe have the style of the reviews in a more classic zzap style like Craig offered to do (I did read your email I just didn't get around to repling!) Obviously all of this will take quite a bit of work on my side but I need you guys to help me out as well by maybe writing original articles and getting the raw text from the issues online. I'll get the issues with the scans sorted out first and then we can concentrate on everything else. I've a nice new fast computer and I've got most of it set up with my development software etc. ready to go. So what does everybody think of this? Should we try to make a go of it? I was looking at the AtariAges site tonight and it's a great, well organised, informative site. I'd like to make the Zzap version of that. Thoughts, comments?
CraigG	posted 13-01-2003 10:09 AM GMT Sounds good. One thing I would also concentrate on is navigation. The current site it a pain to navigate and the front page also makes it fairly tricky to find anything. While I myself don't really have time to do loads of typing, the offer's still there if you want some design input. Best C
akaandy1	posted 13-01-2003 01:20 PM GMT Option 2 sounds great, and I'd happily contribute to the site if needed. As I'm sure most visitors to this board would.
rik	posted 14-01-2003 12:09 PM GMT Sounds like a really great idea Iain, it would be great for the site to be revived. Just one point, not to put you off I hope! I'm sure you know that Dimitris of the gamebase team has been steadily working through htmlising the Zzap reviews, so it would be good to co-ordinate things with him in order to avoid any duplication in effort. A contributers section might work well where anyone can check off an article or review which hasn't been typed and submit them within a week or so time period. S'funny, it's only when you try to type in these articles when you realise the sheer amount of effort which must have gone into producing them!
Matt	posted 14-01-2003 01:05 PM GMT it's nice to see you didn't give up on this site so far. well I'm looking forward to all this things to happen and I'd be glad to contribute in any way. cheers ;)
iain	posted 14-01-2003 09:19 PM GMT I'm aware of what's going on over at Gamebase but when I asked vefore, Dimitris wasn't willing to share the text of the reviews, I could have only linked to them. The article/review submit section will only allow people to submit text which hasn't been submitted or reserved by someone else so there won't be any overlapping.
BIGGEST JIM	posted 14-01-2003 09:26 PM GMT Yep, count me in too, Iain. Since I don't have time to start my own site (yet) I'd be very willing to contribute to your site, or to be a moderator or anything. Every week when I'm flicking thru my mags I come across cool 'things' that would be nice to put on a site like yours. I think it would be a good idea to create a sort of team that can freely publish zzap/c64 related stuff* to a weekly updated 'news/facts/review' zzap-mainpage (i.o.w. your site)(daily, if more people could do updates) All that while the site is being updated with new html-ised reviews, pics, whereabouts & info about ex-staff etc. etc. etc... *I , for one, was totally unaware that in 1989 the C+VG reviewing team existed of Julian R, Ciaran B & Paul G, all ex-zzappers! I only got to know it because I bought a bunch of c+vg's, crashes & CU's. (great stuff, err..although clearly not as great as zzap, naturally :) Anyway, I'd really like to help out and contribute to a site with enormous potential in these retro dayz, Cheers Rob (biggestjim, yup still Rotterdam, Holland)
CraigG	posted 15-01-2003 03:05 PM GMT Paul Rand also ended up at C&VG. The same sort of happened with Future: many ex-Zzap!64 staff moved there, including Gordo, Kati, and Steve J, who's still there as a managing editor.
iain	posted 15-01-2003 06:10 PM GMT I could build a little database of "Did you know..." info bits, like Kim has over at Lemon and display a random one to a user when they load up the front page I coded the encryption code for the scans last night, I'm quite proud that I managed to do something! :)
akaandy1	posted 15-01-2003 11:49 PM GMT ...and thus did zzap64.co.uk rise from the ashes like the mighty Pheonix of Legend and Myth. Or something.