#1
10th Dec 2006 at 3:57 PM
Last edited by Delphy : 12th Dec 2006 at
4:53 PM.
Changes to download section - members and creators please read!
Hi All,
Short version:
Todays changes to the site include:
- Addition of /creator/ shortcut, to go directly to a creators profile by name
- Addition of /member/ shortcut, which acts like the above
- Change to the download pages, whereby the Featured items now get shown in pages other than the download root, so you can, for example, go into the Sims section and see only the featured Sims.
- Changed some of the links to the members profiles on the download screen to use the new shortcuts above
Long version:
Firstly, As you know, on MTS2 - as on every vBulletin board - member profiles are traditionally accessed via your userid (the id number you get when registering - mine is id 1 for example).
Some of you may have known about the /members/ shortcut to access your profile for a while, however, previously this just did a straight redirect to your profile. Today I have slightly changed this system to the following:
- All download pages now reference the creator by using /creator/creatorname, for example /creator/Numenor or /creator/V1ND1CARE
- You member profile (and thus, downloads), can be referenced by using /member/membername. This is essentially the same as the creator shortcut above.
What does this mean really? Well, instead of being
http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=1, you can be
http://www.modthesims2.com/member/delphy (well, ok, you can't
really be me, but you know what I mean). Essentially this gives you a "home" on MTS2 thats linked to your creator or member name directly - much more friendly and above all it's easier to remember.
You can put your /member/ shortcut in your signature, on other boards - wherever you like, and you'll be much more accessable.
Secondly, I have extended the featured creation system so that it follows you as you "drill down" through sections. Click on Downloads has traditionally given you only the latest 3 featured + a random one. This has meant that once a featured item is bumped off the front page, it's only accessable through the normal download browsing or through the special Featured page.
Today, when you browse down through sections, you'll see that sections featured downloads at the top. As an example - if you go to Downloads and then click on Lots & Housing, you'll see only the featured items within Lots & Housings. Then, if you click into Residential, you'll see only Residential Featured items. It means that Featured items are much more visible and also gives the staff a little more flexibility since bumping something off the front page wont be as detrimental to a downloads popularity anymore.
That's it for today - small changes, but some nice ones. I'd recommend that everybody start using either the /creator/username (for creators), or /member/username (for normal people).
Additional information: 12th December 2006
I have implemented a caching system for the Featured item slots on the download pages. This saves 2 mySQL database queries per user per refresh of the download pages, but has the caveat that
the "Random" featured item (the right most one) only updates every 30 minutes now - however this has the knock on advantage of creating more exposure for older featured items in addition to having them on the sub-forum download pages.
Don't be suprised if, after being used to having random featured items show up on the download pages, you see the same one for a while.
End of changes
As usual, any comments or feedback or questions, let me know.
Regards
Delphy
Story books are full of fairy tales, of Kings and Queens, and the bluest skies.