4.8.09 Growing AutocadeI’ve been thinking about adding new features to Autocade, which is currently a few models shy of 900. Since I started the site in 2008, a few people have contributed to it, with the lion’s share being done by yours truly during my “spare time” (maybe we should call it ‘procrastination time’). Peter Jobes was responsible for the PHP programming that saw the site get its random list on the home page, as well as a random entry. The site has only managed 30,000-odd visits to its home page—hardly surprising considering it hasn’t been properly launched, still sports a ‘beta’ tag, and its models only number in the hundreds and not the thousands. Here’s the proposal: as well as having its current model, nameplate and marque pages, we should add lists on there that relate to what the individual ranges looked like in any one year. Right now there are individual pages for, say, some Ford models such as the Ka, Fiesta, Fusion, Focus, Kuga, Mondeo, Galaxy and S-Max. I propose adding an extra series of pages that might be titled, for example, ‘Ford, UK, 2009’. The page would feature links to the individual cars, as well as extra links to the country and the year. It would also feature links to missing models, such as the C-Max (not yet entered in to the site). Since Autocade evolved over the last year, I have found it a resource not just on automotive specifications, but on the marketing of cars. This may be a way to take that further and make it a more useful global resource. The trouble I have right now is how these extra list pages would be tidily incorporated. It would be great if someone could arrive on the ‘2009’ page, to use the above example, and select a marque, then a country, or any combination of the above. But is this conceivable, because the structure, as far as I can picture it so far, is a terrible jumble? Autocade is run with the same software (MediaWiki) as Wikipedia, except there are no senior admins sending me private, abusive emails over days on end. I also want to encourage contributors to make lists on their own pages on Autocade. I’ve already made two incomplete lists of cars I have owned or driven, just to personalize my entry. Ideas from experienced MediaWiki users or even database experts would be welcome (not nutter admins, please). Posted by Jack Yan, 10:43 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
|
NoteEntries from 2006 to the end of 2009 were done on the Blogger service. As of January 1, 2010, this blog has shifted to a Wordpress installation, with the latest posts here.With Blogger ceasing to support FTP publishing on May 1, I have decided to turn these older pages in to an archive, so you will no longer be able to enter comments. However, you can comment on entries posted after January 1, 2010. Quick linksAdd feedsIndividual JY&A and Medinge Group blogs+ Previous posts |
||
DonateIf you wish to help with my hosting costs, please feel free to donate. |
|||
Copyright ©200210 by Jack Yan & Associates. All rights reserved. Photograph of Jack Yan by Chelfyn Baxter. |