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Planning a new MOUL directory: Rel.to
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Durin Mephit
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 3:31 pm    Post subject: Planning a new MOUL directory: Rel.to Reply with quote

I've decided to make good on an old threat. I've registered a domain name and I hope to hook it up to a website that could serve as a directory and forwarding service for MOUL.

Step 1 was getting the domain name. That's done. It's rel.to. But it doesn't point anywhere yet.

Step 2 will be to get a hosting service and DNS.

Step 3 to start planning out the back-end. I'll need someone with some DB skills.

Step 4 is the front-end. I've asked Tweek already if he could help. He says he's pretty busy but he might be able to.

How it will work:

Part 1: The base site. Visitors to http://rel.to/ will be presented with a directory of registered MOUL resources. This would be a bit like MystEmbassy's Nexus but I think I'll organize it a bit differently.

Part 2: The forwarding service. Example: http://rel.to/tgt would forward anyone accessing that URL to www.thegreattree.com. http://rel.to/blog would point to www.urublogs.com. The idea is to let people register keywords and then they can use really short URLs in signatures and KI-mails, where space is at a premium, to direct people to their website.
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rel.to | Marten KI: 59474 | Durin M KI: 11883768


Last edited by Durin Mephit on Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:56 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Erik
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's a very nice idea! Smile If you will need any help with scripting and databasing, I'd be willing to give you a hand.
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BladeLakem
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 6:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I vote for a bunch of keyword style links that link to important forum threads: UO's Cavern Today forum, a few of the informational threads in MOUL and the DRC forums as well.
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janaba1
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds nice, yeah, but I wonder at which point you felt
the need... I mean you really have a lot to do and to
accomplish... Ok, that's your choice and what you're
doing is always great and almost perfect... Very Happy

But really, that sounds like a great deal of work, especially,
when you mention MystEmbassy's Nexus... Marten, please
don't overload yourself with more and more obligations to
meet...in the end you're probably alone with all that...

Ok, just my two cents as to yourself, but however it's your
choice... don't know, if I can contribute anything to that...
if so, just let me know... Very Happy
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Erik
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 12:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rel.to is in the air here... Cool

But ... why? why??? why are you using Times New Roman??! Shocked
He he, just kidding of course, for some reason I really dislike that font. *shrug*

I guess you're working with .htaccess and mod rewrite that points the keyword behind http://www.rel.to/ to a script? Or did you make a separate folder for each link with a redirect script?

- Erik Smile

EDIT: Perhaps it's a nice idea to use MOUL's Mac icon? That's the nicest picture of a Relto book I've seen so far.
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Durin Mephit
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The website is merely a placeholder, chewing gum and a bit of string, for now. I'm seeking assistance in getting it set up. Someone to build the database, someone to build the front end... Baby steps for now though.

Over the next few days I'll try to find some time to share my ideas for Rel.to, how it should look and how it will work.
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rel.to | Marten KI: 59474 | Durin M KI: 11883768
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Durin Mephit
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rel.to: Concept Phase

I'm not even at "requirements" yet. Let's discuss what Rel.to could be.

* Identify existing services such as MystEmbassy Nexus. What other services are out there already?
* What are the successes and shortcomings of the existing services?
* How could the shortcomings be addressed? How could the successes be strengthened?

Related Thoughts:
- A more carefully thought out organization. How are people going to approach the site? By guild hierarchy? By play style (IC/OOC)? By play interests (puzzles, Ages, story)?
- Use tags for searching and relation-building. "Categories" can be certain preferred tags.
- An attempt to browse to rel.to/tag where multiple sites use that tag should provide a page listing the matching sites
- A browse to rel.to/tag matching only one site should redirect to that site
- A good "starting database" will spark interest in the site
- Advertise to raise awareness
- A possible goal: Replace the "Links" pages on many independent websites. One possible implementation is to allow any given site to mark 'favorite sites' and offer a specialized links page for that website. For example, rel.to/links=gog -> guild of greeters' favored links. If implemented, also might need to let people create 'accounts' on rel.to to manage this information.

Other thoughts:
- What web software packages already exist that come close to needs/desires?

Technical notes on the current implementation:
- Yes, it's just a bunch of mod_rewrite rules. But ultimately, that has to go away and the linking has to come from a database in order to accomplish the above ideas.

PS:
Mine this for ideas - here's my original conjecture on a better way to organize the community; http://forums.drcsite.org/viewtopic.php?t=2175
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Erik
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Marten wrote:
Yes, it's just a bunch of mod_rewrite rules. But ultimately, that has to go away and the linking has to come from a database in order to accomplish the above ideas.

Well, not really... Wink
You'll still need one mod_rewrite to redirect all requests to rel.to/* to a script that searches for * in the database and that directs you to the real website or displays matches.
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Durin Mephit
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

True.

Here are some more thoughts.

- There needs to be a way to indicate "aggregate" sites. This can be done either with a special flag to the site itself, or, it can be done for specific tags used by that site. Any given tag, when applied to a specific site, is going to need the option to carry meta-information anyway. (I'll explain later.)

Example: mystblogs.com and urublogs.com are aggregate sites. If a person does a search on Rel.to for "blog", I would expect results of aggregate sites first (alphabetized), followed by personal sites (alphabetized):

* Mystblogs.com
* Urublogs.com
-------
* Butch
* Dan'nee
* Echo McKenzie
...

- There is always a possibility that we might later want to reserve some tags so their addition requires admin approval. This would be the case if we needed to create a category that applied only to aggregate sites and wanted to prevent single entries from being added. At the moment, I can't think of an example where this would be necessary... so this is a "nice to have, just in case" type of idea, unless someone else can offer a scenario.

- We should discuss what actions require administrative approval. (Security, such a lovely topic.) Obviously, I want to create the least possible amount of work for myself while creating a useful site that isn't filled with spam.

Adding the second instance of a tag (which causes a direct link to become an index page for sites with that tag) might be a particularly important case for some sort of top level admin approval.

I'm inclined to have three levels of clearance - admin, trusted, and untrusted. Trusted would be assigned to any verified account that we know we can trust... if Tomala wanted to add or remove tags from "Slackers", or if Dan'ni wanted to edit an entry for "UruObsession", these actions would be permitted without need for review. If we later find that someone has done something unsavory in their own space, that person's access will be reconsidered.

If a person wants to propose an edit for someone else's site, maybe there could be a contact option so the entry owner could be notified of the proposed change. I dislike the idea of making users hunt for people on other sites to PM or e-mail them just to get a typo fixed.

New accounts would be untrusted and could create and edit entries but these entries would not be made public until an admin boosts the site to trusted status.

- Tag meta information needs to be implemented. Tags can have different meanings. Here's an example:

GOM could mean "Guild of Maintainers". It could also mean "Guild of Messengers." If there are multiple entries tagged with "gom" that are related to maintainers, and multiple entries that are related to messengers, then the page needs to sort itself out like this:

GOM(Maintainers)

- link1
- link2
- link3

GOM(Messengers)

- link4
- link5

So, anyone adding the "gom" tag would need to specify which category of "gom" is intended, or create a new category. A search on "gom" would connect the user to a page listing all categories of "gom".
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rel.to | Marten KI: 59474 | Durin M KI: 11883768
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Erik
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

These are all good ideas. Smile

If everything will be built properly and user-friendly, then this will be a great new resource for the whole community. Not "yet another website", but a highly valuable tool for every Explorer. User-friendliness is the key in this, that's what will make or break this service. I now understand better why you don't want to rush this. Wink
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Durin Mephit
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Should the "Front page" of this service be a directory of most interesting sites? Or should it be more google-ish, minimal with a search box for tags and perhaps one additional link to a directory where a user could "get started" ?
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janaba1
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 9:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not too google-ish and minimal... yes, with a search box, but the
"Front page" should at least give an idea of what this service comprises...
And Blades suggestion of "a bunch of keyword style links, that link to
important forum threads" would be great as well... Very Happy

In general, I believe, that it'll be maybe a bit difficult to inspire people
for bigger projects... not for the idea itself, but for the implementation,
at the present time... Razz
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BladeLakem
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think a directory on the front page is a good idea.
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Myst Headlines - http://news.mystembassy.net
MOULagain KI#27460
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Erik
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 2:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps a section with "just added links"?
And a box with the most frequent used tags, with the most frequent being the biggest. Like the box on the left on the Gametap forums.

Janaba wrote:
In general, I believe, that it'll be maybe a bit difficult to inspire people
for bigger projects... not for the idea itself, but for the implementation,
at the present time...
I disagree. Wink
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Durin Mephit
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd like to counter both Jana and Erik's positions. Cool

Rel.to doesn't have to be everything we might envision on day one. But, I want to get a good idea of how we want it to develop. It is a seedling now. Before it can be a towering oak, it has to grow. Companies refer to this sort of planning as a "roadmap."

I want to see more ideas and discussion contributed here... but with the understanding that Relto v1.0 will not include all of the ideas. We'll select a feature list that is not too big; something that gives a sense of accomplishment and will be useful but that won't overwhelm. By knowing what features we may add in the future, we can build Rel.to so those things can be added without a total re-write.

Here is another idea. Do we want to permit sites to add small icons or pictures for their listings?
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rel.to | Marten KI: 59474 | Durin M KI: 11883768
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