Topic: BiM Resources - Final Beta phase
February 6, 2011
It's not set in stone yet, but I'm hoping to have everything ready for a Final Beta this Wednesday. The reason I say it's not set in stone is because I have to write the most complicated code so far. I'm trying to hook up the Resources to the forum's PM system, where you get a PM if your link/article has been reviewed. It's a delicate system, and I have to be very careful about getting this done correctly, so it's going to take me a while to get just right.
Other updates and tweaks for the Final Beta will include:
- YouTube video tags that will probably enable embedding of YT videos, though I haven't discussed this with Smeagol yet.
- More complicated sorting of article lists on the category pages, tied in with...
- Recommended articles that stand out from the crowd.
- The ability for users to flag articles and links, for example to report broken links, images that aren't working et cetera.
This Final Beta should pretty much be just like the final version. The only difference would be changes to the look of everything and the filling in of category descriptions, help pages et cetera. Unless someone brings up something different that would need to be added, in which case I would take it down for a moment to add the feature.
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January 25, 2011
So now that my exams are over I've been able to code the Resources and I must say, things are going way better than expected. The next Beta will have fixes to most of the issues found in the first Open Beta, and it has a structure that implements draft saving and a better preview mode. I've thrown away the more flashy form that was there before because it was loaded with bugs and didn't work at all. Instead I coded a more simple form that is easier to work with.
The system will work a bit differently, too. Regular users can only edit their own drafts. Users then have the ability to submit their draft. Once a draft is submitted and accepted as an article by a Resources manager, users will not be able to make edits to their article. This is to prevent vandalism and such, and to keep quality control even tighter. Users will be able to update an article, however: this means writing a new version. But just like drafts, this updated article has to be accepted by a Resources manager before the public can see them. This draft mode will not work for links: links will still be submitted to the Resources directly.
The next Open Beta will be this Sunday, January 30. This Open Beta will be a (structurally) fully functional version: this means that apart from some small changes this will be the Resources as they shall be in their final form. I still call this an Open Beta because while the structure is completely finished, Resources managers will still need to be appointed, help files need to be written et cetera.
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October 17, 2010
OK guys, the Resources are closed again so I can work on fixing all the bugs and issues that came forward in the first testing stage. I'm hoping to have solved most of these problems before the second open beta in 2 weeks from now. New proposed features like saving drafts have lower priority and will probably not be implemented until after the second open beta.
The way I've planned things now is that in a few weeks, the second open beta will start, where all of the currently known bugs are taken out. The second open beta will probably be here for several weeks while I work on the new features behind the scenes. After the second beta, the Resources will be closed again for a day or two so I can work on intergrating the new features into the system, and fixing any new found bugs.
After that, the third open beta will start; this version will include the new features. At this point the Resources are pretty much open and ready for use: most bugs should be taken out at this point. The only reason I call it an open beta is because it's the first time the new features are tested. If after a few weeks or so no new major problems are found, the Resources will drop the "open beta" moniker and be officially opened!
All in all, this should all take place within the next month or so, so I'm expecting the Resources to be back on October 31, 2010 with the second open beta. The third open beta should be here around mid-November, and if all goes well the Resources will be officially opened in late November/early December. Note that the Resources will be up pretty much permanently starting from the second open beta.
So yeah, see you around in a few weeks! During the meanwhile, don't forget to write articles and stuff so the Resources can be filled up faster when the section is back up.
The Second Open Beta will start on October 31, 2010 at around noon GMT.
Note: Not all ideas for features will actually be incorporated in the Resources. We still have to determine which features will and which won't be used.
Also: here's my current list of issues and new features. If you feel that any bugs or proposed features are missing, feel free to say so.
Things that need to be implemented, fixed or otherwise changed whatever.
Explanation of terms
Level 1, 2 and 3: Level 1 items are items that should be addressed as soon as possible. Level 2 items are to be addressed in between Open Betas when the Resources are closed. Level 3 items have low priority and do not have to be addressed until other items have been fixed.
OBx: Open Beta X
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POST OB1 WRITEUP:
The following list has been compiled during and after Open Beta 1. Level 1 and 2 items are to be addressed before Open Beta 2.
Articles should only be added or edited by members, no guest posting level 1
Problems with BBCode (only lowercase BBCode works; case-sensitive vs case-insensitive problem?) level 2.
Resources sidebar panel: "add article", "my articles", "resources managing", ... level 2
Forced preview doesn't work properly level 2
More clarity about what section articles are in: Subsubcat, subcat and cat visible on article view page and in the admin panel submitted articles list level 2
"My articles" - list of articles a member submitted (including subsubcat, subcat and cat) level 2
Fix bug in article submission form (link) level 2
Feature: Save draft - the ability to not submit an article, but save it as a draft first level 3 (To be discussed)
Feature: Commenting on articles level 3 (To be discussed)
Feature: Rating articles level 3 (To be discussed)
...
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October 13, 2010
So you've been awaiting it for far too long (and to be honest, it took us programmers far too long as well), and now we're finally able to open up the Resources to the public! However, you will note a few things: it's pretty empty, and it's pretty buggy. That's right, but that's where you guys come in.
The coding behind the Resources probably isn't finished yet. Because of problems behind the scenes, it has been hard to find and fix bugs using just the web coding. The Resources were programmed by different people in different stages: Schlaeps made the early starts when BiM launched, then most of the actual coding was done by Aled Owen for a few years, then earlier this year I was assigned with the task to finish it. We're still in the last stage.
Everyone can see the Resources, and all members can post articles. Here's what I want y'all to do.
- Make articles! Produce some content!
- If you want to test out how things work, submit the article into the "Open beta/Sandbox" section. Only submit your article to a different section when it's a real article.
- Don't submit too many articles. Instead, you can try out different things using the Edit mode for your already submitted articles.
- Try it out, but don't exploit bugs or anything. Report them instead. If I find out some of you guys are using bugs or holes in the system to your advantage, I'll personally ban you.
- If you encounter any errors, glitches or other things that don't 'feel right', let me know in the thread.
Main things to focus on in the First Open Beta
- When you write your article, you can use special [section]...[/section] tags that should allow you to create a more organised structure. Please experiment as much as possible with these tags. They are not super reliable and I'm working towards perfecting them.
- Try editing or deleting articles. If anything doesn't work, let me know.
- Browse other's articles and comment on the overall visuals. Does everything look right? How is the spacing between paragraphs? Any weird characters in the articles? Et cetera.
Feedback
Feedback is super important! If we don't know about problems you encounter, we can't fix them. Be as complete as possible when you give feedback: describe exactly what you did, and give us something to work with. When you're submitting an article, copy/paste all of your written text and tell us what went wrong. Take screenshots. Copy/paste error codes. Anything that could help us identify, track and solve the problem is welcome.
Now, I will keep the Resources opened for a few days to get some feedback. After that, the Resources will be closed again so that I can fix all the bugs and glitches and other things you guys pointed out. Then in a few weeks from now open the Resources in beta stage again (let's call this the second open beta) so that you guys can help me find more problems with the system. This process is repeated until all major coding issues have been resolved.
The First Open Beta will end on Sunday, October 17 at around 8:00PM GMT. Until that time, go help us out. DO IT!
