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Post by DSkillz on Oct 11, 2014 20:51:40 GMT
Sorry it took me so long to get back to Database discussions; the past week has been much busier than expected for me. But here we are.
Not too long after the Database was created for MagneticFox, we've had character profiles split amongst eight categories:
Comics, Anime, Cartoons, Horror, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Games, and Pop Culture.
These categories were, of course, created in the tradition of CBUB's character database. It has been suggested on a couple of occasions, however, that these categories overall may be too broad or too narrow in scope, or may otherwise not be well-defined. So we once again come to you, the community, for some input on the Database. The poll question for this is:
How can the Database be structured?
I've put up the options to be voted on, whether to keep the categories as is, or to change them up. For this thread, though, what would be more important than the vote is to get specific input on how the Database should be structured. For example, what categories should be added/subtracted, what types of characters should be where, should certain characters not be added, etc.
Please vote and, more importantly this time, comment.
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Post by bigballerju on Oct 11, 2014 21:19:03 GMT
Pop Culture is very broad. A lot of comic characters like Iron Man, Spiderman, Superman, and more might be considered Pop Culture. Pop Culture spand different age groups and has many different definitions. For our database we need to modify the definition from what it was on CBUB. Many characters from other categories could fit into it.
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Post by SSJRuss on Oct 11, 2014 21:28:54 GMT
I agree with Bigballerju. Pop Culture is too broad of a category and doesn't help in the way of helping people navigate the Database. Its kind of like a Superhero category, at the end of the day that's very broad and doesn't accommodate those whom may have trouble looking for a character. Pop Culture should be divided up into sections, as should the others. It may not be that we need to add more categories or take them away, but maybe just add sub-sections. We could keep Comics, but then have sub-sections separating Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, IDW, Image, etc. Pop Culture could be done the same way with Movies or Television or Public Domain.
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Post by bigballerju on Oct 11, 2014 23:24:15 GMT
Another name should be given to real life people who are famous and popular.
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Post by DSkillz on Oct 11, 2014 23:43:57 GMT
I agree with "Pop Culture" being too broad of a category name. Realistically, any character, fictional and otherwise, can be considered part of pop culture. At the very least, that name could be changed.
As for breaking down the categories, it would be good to have many profiles in more definite categories. However, we can't really make deeper levels on this forum (i.e., making Marvel or DC sub-categories within the Comics category). What we can do is create more categories within the Database board (i.e., like Comics: Marvel and Comics: DC).
Still, if we do make more categories, we have to be wary how far we want to divvy things up. If we're not careful, I could see the Database literally containing dozens of categories, and some categories may end up containing much fewer profiles than others.
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Post by bigballerju on Oct 11, 2014 23:58:34 GMT
Oh no sub-categories. Just change the name and modify the definition. You could just simply keep the name and change the definition.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2014 8:31:38 GMT
Couldn't the Pop Culture section just be renamed 'Everything else'? I mean, people obviously know that they won't find, say, Schmidt from 21 Jump Street or Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother in the fantasy, Sci-fi, or any other category, so I think a name like that could be useful.
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Post by DSkillz on Oct 12, 2014 22:43:48 GMT
Keep the votes and input coming, guys.
Also, to be clear, I'm not necessarily saying "no" to expanding the categories, just that we'd have to be careful if we do so.
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Post by SSJRuss on Oct 15, 2014 15:46:42 GMT
I say it does need some expanding, but yea we have to be careful. The problem with changing the names like Pop Culture to "Everything Else" is that your really not changing anything. Seeing as we can't do sub-categories maybe it would be best to rework them into something less broad. Maybe divide sci-fi or fantasy into Novel characters and film characters.
Another question comes to mind is how big do we actually want the Database to be? Because the bigger we make it the harder it will be to maintain.
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Post by shockwave on Oct 16, 2014 11:17:35 GMT
I've always associated it with the eight we got. Maybe one point we need to do an elimination round to weed out to ones not being used.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2014 17:29:49 GMT
I've always associated it with the eight we got. Maybe one point we need to do an elimination round to weed out to ones not being used. Are you suggesting that we... *chokes*... Delete some character entries?! We can't do that! |
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Post by shockwave on Oct 17, 2014 0:17:32 GMT
Maybe. After a period of non-use, say 3 months?
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Post by Ruinus on Oct 17, 2014 2:36:20 GMT
Frankly, I think all the categories are unnecessary as is. Cartoons/anime is a ridiculous distinction, because they are both frankly animation (and if anyone wants to make the argument that anime is "Mature" while cartoons are for "Kids" I direct you to all the nonsensical comedy/harem/idiocy anime while also pointing at things like Aeon Flux, Spawn, Batman etc). And the categories making distinctions between Horror, Sci-fi, etc and the like run into the problem that franchises often blend genres together. Isaac Clarke from Dead Space, for example. Where do you put him? Science fiction, horror, games, cartoon or comics? The xenomorph from Aliens goes into sci-fi or horror or both? Why not just: Then, all you do is put a character into whatever category they originally come from. Goku would be from Comics (since DB started as a manga - a comic). There might even be a catch-all Other category, for shit like characters coming from characters that originate from online webstories without any original sources, things like Slender Man, all those Creepy Pasta dudes, characters from pop culture (like wrestlers and shit). Hell, you could even make the categories smaller. - On-screen (characters from movies and tv)
- Lit (characters from books and comics)
- Games (video games and card/table top games)
- Other (everything else).
Here, it's much easier to put characters into a category. Isaac Clarke goes into Games, the xenomorphs go into On-screen, Goku into Lit, etc. |
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Post by xLEGACYx on Oct 17, 2014 15:06:48 GMT
I like Ruinus' idea the best. In my opinion this would cut down and simplify the system
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Post by Z451 on Oct 18, 2014 0:49:46 GMT
As far as it pertains to database divisions, I'm somewhat neutral as I've just sort of gotten use to these categories as they were, that said, can someone give me a significant reason via example of how this idea would be beneficial to our activities here?
Not trying to start a fight, I'm just curious on what basis you guys are making your judgements.
On the topic of database management, as I've told D and the others in our conversation, I think what we can do is have what I call "cool down" periods, where addition slows or temporarily ceases so as to provide time for organizational matters.
Deleting profiles to me doesn't work as A) it eliminates both obscure and well-known but not frequently used characters, and B) holds the potential of causing unnecessary tension among the community, that we'd be better off avoiding in this site's development.
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