Author Topic: Members suggestions for improvement of the website  (Read 23997 times)

Offline Pieter_Inpijn

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Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« on: February 26, 2020, 09:10:49 AM »
Suggestions for improvement of the website:
1)   Conversion of all vessel names of all the posted photo
.........

jimmcquarrie

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2020, 08:01:16 PM »
Hi Pieter-The late Ken Smith (Admin)-Sent me a PM saying not to use Caps a it was Overbearing-I used them all the time

Offline P.F. KERR

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2020, 08:31:59 PM »
I think it's time to remove the NEW! from "NEW! View the summary page for this ship"; but I would retain the red for emphasis.

Peter Kerr

Offline Pieter_Inpijn

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2020, 08:48:11 AM »
For Jim McQuarrie: the reason for conversion to uppercase:
1) On the bow and stern of ships I see for 99.99 % only uppercase characters
2) The search-engine of the "Ship Photo Search" index table on the right hand top of the main screen has a problem with different entries like DEVONIA, Devonia and devonia.

Regards,  Pieter
.........

Offline lappino

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2020, 10:18:10 AM »
Add the automatic reading of date when a photo was taken from Exif data, with an option of manual input.

Makes no sense for scanned photos upload, but would definitely save time for us geeks with digital cameras. :)

Offline teachers

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2020, 12:35:34 PM »
I have 2 suggestions for improvement of website.

Firstly, due to the vast number of photos on the site, you could limit the numbers posted to a maximum of 2 per ship.

Secondly, many photos are posted by members who did not take the photo, could there be an option to add the photographers name to the photo if known or unknown.

Offline Emmanuel.L

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2020, 02:12:35 PM »
I have a lot of suggestions to make, but please I  bear in mind that this site is administrated  on voluntary basis by dedicated members  with photos being loaded on the site from world wide members at all hours.
Members are increasing daily as are the photos, so some suggestions are difficult to be attained.
Members could be of greater help in giving more information, as to date of building, flag, tonnage, dimensions, IMO numbers etc. on the photos sent.
Please use the site as form of making friends and not to cause friction in your comments.
We don't have the perfect site but we have the best one, so make the best use of it .
Thanks to all and regards to everyone
Emmanuel.L.(Malta)

Offline Jens Boldt

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #7 on: February 27, 2020, 03:11:20 PM »
A possibility to sort the photos of a member's album alphabetically, not only "newest" and "most viewed" would be nice.

And I explicitly support Pieter's suggestions concerning the ENI!

 :)

Offline smithy166

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #8 on: February 27, 2020, 05:55:52 PM »
Would it be possible for members to preview the changes, to give feedback on the re-design? Through say beta.shipspotting.com or something similar? Might be easier to give feedback if we can see what's changing!
Enough torque to restart a dead planet! OOW with an unlimited CoC looking for work. :)

Offline Allan RO

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #9 on: February 27, 2020, 06:12:21 PM »
I do not consider using upper-case for names is the right option and would certainly not improve the site.  Stolt, for example do NOT use capitals and neither do the Mein Schiff vessels, just to mention 2 that spring to mind.

Allan

Offline Bj

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #10 on: February 27, 2020, 06:20:12 PM »
The field in front of the URL www.shipsotting.co/ circle with an i
View site information
Be careful
The connection to this site is not encrypted.
This makes it easier to steal sensitive information such as passwords.
???

Offline davidships

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #11 on: February 27, 2020, 09:42:55 PM »
Just a few observations on some of the points raised - those where real discussion is desired will be moved into specific threads.

1) Capitalisation of ships' names
It is true that the vast majority of ships' names are in all-caps on ships themselves.  But this is just a matter of tradition and, in some places, national registration law.  There are indeed some exceptons where owners have themselved adopted something different for individual styling or branding preference - including cursive scripts, some miniscule words, misplaced full stops and hyphens etc.  None of this is directly relevant to what we do on here.

This has been discussed several times before; and the site's guidance was revised in the light of the last round to reflect the division of opinion
http://www.shipspotting.com/support/faq.php?category=How%20to%20Upload%20Photos#76

Whether a name has capitals or not makes no difference to a name search - devonia, Devonia, DEVONIA, DEVoniA etc all produce the same 35 photos.  But I agree that the drop-down lists are a pain as they are, and must be improved (at the very least to prevent the actual search button being hidden by the drop-downs).

Anyway, I'll put this subject in a separate thread so that others can give their views.

2 Auto-logout
That certainly should be improved - I assume that it is common issue (I don't experience it at all, but that may be an Admin thing).  I've put this on my list for IT.

3 Use of ENI numbers
Will take this up - it's attractive in principle, but there might be some technical issues (eg where ships have both IMO and ENI numbers) - and it is only relatively recently that ENI numbers became "unique for life" like IMO numbers.

4 (New) Summary page
More importantly this needs improvement so that each name the ship has had can be selected individually

5 Auto-reading Captured date
Interesting idea.  A definite help if technically feasible.  It's on the list!

6 Limits on numbers of photos
This subject actually has many facets and has always proved highly contentious.  Frankly I'd like to park this one for a little while (but won't forget!).  But in the meantime I will check with IT whether there are underlying bandwidth issues for the new site

7 Identifying photographers
I assume that this is effectively adding a discreet watermark.  The site at present does not favour watermarks, but does allow subject to limitations.  A tool to be able to add them in the circumstances described could be considered

8 Upgrading project
Dealing with the various security issues that have arisen over the last year or too is one of the fundamental reasons for the upgrade.  The intention is to bring it fully up to modern standards.
We are only at the beginning of the process and my expectation is that it will be some months before a parallel site will be ready for trials.  I will keep you informed.

If you want to comment further on any of these points, please open a specific Subject thread - I can copy over what has already been said here. All discussions here will be evaluated by the Admin team in liaison with the site development managers (IT)
Meanwhile, thanks for your wise advice, Emmanuel - now just waiting for your list!

David
« Last Edit: February 27, 2020, 09:48:29 PM by davidships »

Offline Emmanuel.L

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #12 on: February 28, 2020, 10:40:18 AM »
I like to say something on the number of photos for warships, 4 in number is already a bit low, take for example , if you get to photograph a Russian vessel ,she will be bristling with armaments,, a flight deck , the ship crest, so 4 will be not be sufficient for sure ,unless you return on the morrow to further photograph her  (if she is still available)
on  the other hand some categories could be done with, say ships interior (a lot of cabins etc.) lifeboats, etc,
Also please provide  more up to the minute info on the vessel.
This is my humble suggestions.
regards
Emmanuel.L.(Malta)

Offline ventuari

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #13 on: February 28, 2020, 06:14:04 PM »
What about adding more ports to the drop down menu port list.
From time to time a lot of comments and questions about it in the forum.
A lot of ports in different areas and countries around the world not covered, including countries without sea but with big river ports ( a bunch in Europe ) and of course big ports and new ones not covered, for example, in Canary Islands.
Well, think about it...
Regards.
ventuari

Offline davidships

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Re: Members suggestions for improvement of the website
« Reply #14 on: February 29, 2020, 04:51:59 PM »
1.  The port list has already been put on the agenda

2.  Warships.  I think that there may be some misunderstanding: for the  main "whole ship" category (frigate, submarine etc) the limit is indeed four, with significantly changes of angle. Interiors/ship's decks/bridge/engine rooms are additional and have a combined limit of six - and flight decks are included with these; ships crests are one per crest, and for fixed armaments one photo per type.  (Zero for side views of planes and helicopters, I'm afraid)

 

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