Employee
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161 Messages
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5.9K Points
Changes to formats supported for creating links within contributions
Today, Wednesday 15th November 2017, we will begin the roll-out of changes to the types of linking formats supported within our contribution interfaces.
Currently within our contribution interfaces we support two types of linking. They are:-
As part of this work, the existing ability within the legacy format to perform name matching will be removed. An example of this feature is below:-
From today all contribution interfaces will begin being updated to support only the [link=nm1234567] for name and [link=tt1234567]. This change will not impact how the data is displayed on IMDb, it is purely a change to the contribution interfaces. This change affects 23 different data types:-
These changes will be rolling out over the next 24 hours during which time we will be monitoring the launch. We are in the process of ensuring that all submission guides are updated to reflect this change.
If you do spot any issues or have questions/feedback, please respond to this thread.
Thanks,
Rachel
Currently within our contribution interfaces we support two types of linking. They are:-
- [link=nm1234567] for names and [link=tt1234567] for titles. This is our modern linking method, which utilizes the unique identifier for each name or title in the database (which can be harvested from our URLs).
- 'Tomoyuki Tanaka (I)'(qv) for names and _"Buffythe Vampire Slayer" (2001) {Once More, with Feeling (#6.7)}_ (qv) for titles. This is our legacy format which requires in-depth knowledge of our legacy name or title text format and is error prone.
As part of this work, the existing ability within the legacy format to perform name matching will be removed. An example of this feature is below:-
From today all contribution interfaces will begin being updated to support only the [link=nm1234567] for name and [link=tt1234567]. This change will not impact how the data is displayed on IMDb, it is purely a change to the contribution interfaces. This change affects 23 different data types:-
- Plot Outline
- Plot Summary
- Crazy Credits
- Alternate Versions
- Connections
- Articles
- Books About This Person
- Biographical Movies
- Biography
- Real Life Quotes
- Name Trivia
- Trivia
- Nickname
- Other Works
- Portrayed in Other Movies
- Salary
- Spouse
- Trademarks
- Goofs
- Quotes
- Awards
- Soundtracks
- Literature
These changes will be rolling out over the next 24 hours during which time we will be monitoring the launch. We are in the process of ensuring that all submission guides are updated to reflect this change.
If you do spot any issues or have questions/feedback, please respond to this thread.
Thanks,
Rachel
james_johnston_4d5h8woi6a7ga
39 Messages
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1.2K Points
7 years ago
Now that the new format of linking names and titles is fully implemented, some tools that would be nice might be (they probably would have been nice in the past, but, better now than never):
1. Add a button on all name and title pages to write the appropriate format link to the clipboard (or similar location) that could then be pasted into an appropriate place in a submission.
2. Add a button to all appropriate submission pages that pops up a search box over the page so a submitter can search for the name or title they want. Once the name or title is found, a button in the pop-up box would write the link in the correct format to the clipboard (or similar location) so all the submitter need do is paste the link in at the desired point in the submission.
My point is that, by providing simple tools that take a lot of the manual work out of building the link (and hiding the actual mechanics of the link itself), I think many of the complaints I see above would fade away. Also, by having the tools create the link in the appropriate format, any time links are changed/enhanced in the future, changing the tools would automatically provide the new format without changing the way a submitter creates the link.
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ron3
378 Messages
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9.3K Points
7 years ago
Complaint: Readability has been eliminated during editing.
Previously:
Written by 'Justin Timberlake' (qv), 'Tim Mosley (I)' (qv) and 'Scott Storch' (qv)
Performed by 'Justin Timberlake' (qv)
Produced by 'Tim Mosley (I)' (qv)
Currently:
Written by [link=nm0005493], [link=nm0608856] and [link=nm1395028]
Performed by [link=nm0005493]
Produced by [link=nm0608856]
The enhancements Owen suggests would greatly improve this, and should be the highest priority fix.
Suggestion: Putting in something like this should be allowed:
Performed by [link=Justin Timberlake]
and the system would make the conversion automagically.
Putting in something liks this, would bring up the name picker, where we select the correct name (roman numeral), and the system auto-converts it to the name const.
Produced by [link=Tim Mosley]
To-Do item: The back-end needs to update links when name merges happen. Example from soundtracks:
Music by [link=nm2228215]
Name/page doesn't exist under that const anymore.
To-Do item: Links to companies need to be disallowed at submission, and lists scrubbed for them. Example from soundtracks:
Courtesy [link=co0508645]
Typing the new syntax on a virtual keyboard (phone/tablet, etc...) is very time comsuming because the square brackets are not part of the standard virtual keyboard layout. The old (qv) system was much easier to type because single ticks and parens were easy to get to from a virtual keyboard.
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ido_hammer
35 Messages
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956 Points
7 years ago
As things stand now, I’ll be passing on anything that involves this tedious procedure - too much work for me, sorry. I’ll gladly reconsider this decision if and when the system is improved.
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CuriousUserX90
354 Messages
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7.6K Points
7 years ago
0
0
CuriousUserX90
354 Messages
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7.6K Points
7 years ago
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bderoes
Champion
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5K Messages
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118.1K Points
7 years ago
Also, we need a preview function to make sure we've put in the correct links. You don't want to process a bunch of corrections because we can't see what we did. My item has 8 names in it.
It's a BIG shame that you won't let us put in the whole URL instead of just nmXXX or ttXXXX. It takes a lot more effort to extract the code from the url. (To get URL: right click on name and Copy. To get code, either Paste that and remove the excess, or instead Open the link and extract the code. So either it's time to copy/paste/extract or time to open page/extract. Much better to copy alone.)
So the new process is very tedious, especially compared with the old way, and doing it blind is downright exhausting. Fortunately I'm working on a laptop, and opened a list of mine, and set up the links in the comments section of an item, and verified it there before putting it in the Contribution. But please make it friendlier!
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gromit82
Champion
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7.3K Messages
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274.8K Points
7 years ago
I don't know what can be done to make the display of trivia items in edit mode more user-friendly, but I think that something needs to be done about it.
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CuriousUserX90
354 Messages
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7.6K Points
7 years ago
It certainly would seem easier to simply type in the names than searching for weblinks.
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eboy
2.5K Messages
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69.2K Points
7 years ago
But sure, Gromit has a good point also. Updating (existing) names (well, numbers now) can take some time since you have to double check what number belongs to what person etc.
2
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CuriousUserX90
354 Messages
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7.6K Points
7 years ago
1
ron3
378 Messages
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9.3K Points
7 years ago
Here are some examples from the Soundtrack section:
Raw data:
Written by [link=nm0005153] (as Richard Penniman), [nm8991191], and [link=nm0187685]
Display:
Written by [link=nm0005153] (as Richard Penniman), [
You can see how the mistake not only messes up the one name, but the entire line of text on the display side.
Raw data (same thing is displayed)
Written by nm0113768, nm0090303 & nm0921739
Performed by nm0113768 & nm8851569
tt0069792 Motion Picture Soundtrack
Courtesy of co0135933 1973
Raw data:
Written by Cailee Spaeny (nm8314228)
Written by Jackson Tyler Hunt (nm4942699)
Written by Nathan Samuel Langford
Written by Jordan Adelberger
Courtesy of Future Town Music Group
Performed by [link=nm8314228] (nm8314228)
Display:
Written by Cailee Spaeny (nm8314228)
Written by Jackson Tyler Hunt (nm4942699)
Written by Nathan Samuel Langford
Written by Jordan Adelberger
Courtesy of Future Town Music Group
Performed by Cailee Spaeny (nm8314228)
Raw data (same thing is displayed)
Performed by https://pro-labs.imdb.com/name/nm6855911?s=36b00a3b-82c6-bba1-0262-c817c45cff79 & https://pro-labs.imdb.com/name/nm7214498?s=84b00a3b-af7f-aaaa-3425-68e5a5168557
Raw data:
Performed by [ink=nm5326567] and 'Skylar Grey (I)' (qv)
Display:
Performed by [ink=nm5326567] and Skylar Grey
etc... you get the idea.
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ron3
378 Messages
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9.3K Points
7 years ago
The text [error] is replacing linked names in the soundtrack section. Examples:
http://imdb.com/title/tt7657426/soundtrack Song "Run to You"
http://imdb.com/title/tt0492784/soundtrack First two songs
http://imdb.com/title/tt0043783/soundtrack Only song
The problem is very bad in titles that have been {{SUSPENDED}}, which you can find in the raw data on the FTP site. Example:
# "Pequeñeces" (2010) {(#1.1)} {{SUSPENDED}}
- "Pequeñeces"
Written by [error], [error], [error], [error] and [error]
Performed by [error], [error], [error], [error], [error], [error], [error], [error], [error], [error], 'Eugenia García' (qv), [error], [error], [error], [error], [error], [error], [error] and [error]
Recorded by [error]
Published by ACN Music Records
I would suspect that if a title were to no longer be {{SUSPENDED}}, that all the original linked data is lost.
This problem appears more than 350 times in the soundtrack.list file on the FTP site.
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CuriousUserX90
354 Messages
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7.6K Points
6 years ago
5
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CuriousUserX90
354 Messages
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7.6K Points
6 years ago
0
0
ron3
378 Messages
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9.3K Points
6 years ago
A couple more months have passed, and I just submitted another 45+ corrections to clean up more mal-formed links.
What is the status of the submission system being able to detect this mal-formed data at submission time, and forcing the contribors to fix the issue before the submission can be made? (like it did with mal-formed (qv) links)Thanks.
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