Status Update
It's been a while since I've made a status update so I figured I would let everyone know what is going on with the transfer of the site.
Over the last couple months I have been building up the new site and working on the data transfer code. This is in testing now, I ran the first full imports for users and lists last night. Some good news - all the data is coming over. All the content, comments, user accounts, endorsements, and favorites. In response to the feedback received below I have expanded the allowed HTML a bit as well.
My hope is to have the site code complete by February 1, at which point I'll take a snapshot and put it up somewhere for some beta testing and feedback. While that is going on I'm going to put hosting together and work with Jim on the more administrative tasks, and the goal is to launch the new site March 1st.
One thing I decided to do is to combine the article, blog, and news types into one type called article. As far as content goes, these are exactly the same, just categorized in different places. The new site will have free-tagging so you'll be able to do this yourself if you like, or categorize any other way you want. It will be trivially easy to view a list of articles by category, and all the lists will be rss-enabled. Any existing blogs will be tagged 'blog' on import, and any existing news will be categorized 'news'. How do people feel about this? It makes a lot of sense to me.
I've also been giving some thought to the front page, basically I would like to do more with it. I like the blog-style postings we have now, because they give some voice and personality to the site. However I would also like to surface more user content to the front page too, since it is that content that really makes the site what it is. I would also like to have the blog-style postings separate from more news-oriented postings as well as a more prominent "what is this and what do we do here area" to make things a little more welcoming for new visitors. If anyone has any thoughts about this, please post a comment or let me know. I have lots of ideas but it's your site!
Thanks, we're almost there!
I noticed that the video embed code doesn't seem to work anymore. Is there any way I can embed videos in articles now, it does help break the monotony of reading long articles, or is it permanently disabled?
Another idea: a way to message one another?
Secondly, I have a question for you (well, for Heyrocker and possibly Jim - not sure who currently has full ownership). I would like to do more with my lists than is currently, or will likely ever be, possible on listology (and would, quite frankly, be very unfair to your site - things like posting links to locations on music purchase sites beside each track so people can hear a sample of it as hosted by these purchase sites, and putting samples up for those that I can't do this for). So, I am currently making a website to host them. However, I want to keep a lot of the same user base for my new lists, so would it be acceptable for me to post links to my site that will host the music on my current lists on listology, as well as my user profile? The main issue is because I will be using advertising programs like adsense to support my site (and if all goes well make a little bit of money from it - I'm a starving student after all - although I'm not counting on this). That wouldn't violate any terms of listology or be an abuse of the site, would it? I will, of course, also link back to listology from my site (if you wish).
I only ask here because I can't find any contact information for you or jim anywhere on the site. If you want to discuss it out of the public domain (which would be quite understandable), you can e-mail me at darktremor@gmail.com.
Cheers,
Darktremor
(I'll of course give you my actual name and info if we continue the discussion in private through e-mail)
I have no real "terms of service" per se, and I don't really care if anyone wants to link off to any other content. If you're linking off to Amazon, i'd prefer you use our affiliate ID in the links or none. The divide I see here is - if you're linking directly off listology to another site using your own affiliate id, that's a bummer to me because you're using the site as your own advertising platform. If you want to link off to your own site, that's fine I don't really care about that, within the realms of legality and whatnot.
All that said though, I don't plan on sitting around policing links all day and unless someone complains about some content I'm pretty easy-going about things.
Well, it's not so much an advertising platform, it's just that I want people who like my lists here (there is a fair base, judging by the number of comments, especially on my trance list) to be able to access them at a location where I can include extra features, especially the much-requested track samples. You're right though, it does have the side effect of turning my current lists into an advertising platform. Problem is, if I provided music samples links from a legitimate location on my lists, I'd be quite literally using listology as an advertising platform, and if I provided links to pirate locations, I'd be compromising listology on legal grounds, neither of which I want to do.
Hmmm...what are your thoughts? My thought would be to provide links back to listology from my site so it's more of a link exchange. Would that be acceptable? I want to have a solution you guys would be comfortable and happy with, since your site has been good to me over the years.
Sounds great! Thanks for the hard work! I love the idea of doing more with the front page.
Damn, you been busy! Great work, mate!
RSS!
That sounds fantastic! It also sounds like you've been working hard on this - we really appreciate it. :D
My one suggestion would be to have an e-mail address up specifically to request that a list or article go on the front page - if one thinks it is particularly original or interesting.
I was thinking of a checkbox or flag of some sort the registered users can hit to recommend content, or most viewed across a rolling time period, 'most recommended', definitely something along those lines.
Awesome, looking forward to it :D
All sounds great to me, thanks for all the work you've put into this, I can't wait to see the finished product!
Some great ideas, Greg. I totally agree that there should be more user-generated content on the front page. I have enjoyed the blog posts by Jim and Dan, but maybe there is a way to include them as well as additional user content.