The In-Tray: A Collaborative Workspace for Journal Authors

Trollheart · 02-19-2015, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aux-in

I'm working on my next write-up for my Journal. What I'm trying to decide is...I am a visual person as well, so I'm not sure the spoiler tags will be right for me. OK, I am sure...I really don't want to do that. I am new to this process, but the goal is full creativity. I don't mind if it takes awhile to get approved. It's a journal entry and not a regular forum post, so even if it took a day or two, it just looks better to me to have the videos be ever-present in conjunction to the points I'm trying to make. What say you?

Journals can all be different depending on what you'd want to do. If I started a journal about rock, for instance, I would want to try to resist the temptation to go on tangents about other types of music...tempting as it is. It's about whatever works for you. If I started a general one and then had an idea for something unrelated but specific, I might start a new one focusing on said specific topic.

The thing is, some of the mods whose job it is to approve your entry have slower, older computers and I certainly got a right bollocking for crashing at least one of them. If you go through anybody's journal with videos, even Unknown Soldier's, where he groups four videos together at the end of the review, your PC will stutter and the page will freeze for a few seconds. And my PC is a good one: AMD six-core Phenom II. Now, multiply that by the amount of journals these guys have to approve, and if it keeps happening two things are going to happen: you'll get a warning not to use so many videos or spoiler them or, worst case scenario, your entries will not be approved or will take a while to be.

If you're determined to use all your videos unspoilered, I'd PM the mods who will be approving them (Janszoon, Loathsome Pete, Urban, Vanilla, Goofle etc) and ask if they're ok with that. If you don't do this, you run the risk of getting under their skin, which is never a good thing. But also bear in mind that people reading your journal may struggle with a bunch of videos and this may cause them not to bother coming back. You could always do a bit of a survey I guess, see who is affected by it and how.

I rarely use videos anymore. I feel my writing should say enough about the music without having to "draw pictures" with video. After all, if someone really wants to hear what you're writing about, YouTube is only a click away...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

http://www.musicbanter.com/general-m...r-edition.html

It's what the people want, Trollheart.

Yes, but is it complete yet? I'll certainly think about it, as I said originally I might link the two.

**Frownland** · 02-19-2015, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yes, but is it complete yet? I'll certainly think about it, as I said originally I might link the two.

No it's not complete yet, but we're around 150 in and I'm sure it will grow if you wanted to start catching up on them now. Your choice, I just think people will respond better if you reviewed albums that they (and me, mwahahaha) picked. If you catch up more quickly you can incorporate the other list into your reviews again.

Key · 02-19-2015, 10:20 AM

Seeing another journal by Trollheart would be exhausting in a good way. He has plenty for me to read from, I don't know what i'd do if he made another one. Just throwing that out there.

Trollheart · 02-19-2015, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ki

Seeing another journal by Trollheart would be exhausting in a good way. He has plenty for me to read from, I don't know what i'd do if he made another one. Just throwing that out there.

It wouldn't be another journal though: I'd just link it to the current "1001 albums" one, add in the MB ones. I may do it. But not till after Star Trek Month. Even I can only do so much.

Neapolitan · 02-19-2015, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

The thing is, some of the mods whose job it is to approve your entry have slower, older computers and I certainly got a right bollocking for crashing at least one of them. If you go through anybody's journal with videos, even Unknown Soldier's, where he groups four videos together at the end of the review, your PC will stutter and the page will freeze for a few seconds. And my PC is a good one: AMD six-core Phenom II. Now, multiply that by the amount of journals these guys have to approve, and if it keeps happening two things are going to happen: you'll get a warning not to use so many videos or spoiler them or, worst case scenario, your entries will not be approved or will take a while to be.

If you're determined to use all your videos unspoilered, I'd PM the mods who will be approving them (Janszoon, Loathsome Pete, Urban, Vanilla, Goofle etc) and ask if they're ok with that. If you don't do this, you run the risk of getting under their skin, which is never a good thing. But also bear in mind that people reading your journal may struggle with a bunch of videos and this may cause them not to bother coming back. You could always do a bit of a survey I guess, see who is affected by it and how.

I rarely use videos anymore. I feel my writing should say enough about the music without having to "draw pictures" with video. After all, if someone really wants to hear what you're writing about, YouTube is only a click away...

Yes, but is it complete yet? I'll certainly think about it, as I said originally I might link the two.

Do you know of a limit of videos per-page that would do that?
I don't have that problem of my computer freezing then crashing, just curious if there is a limit.

The one thing I have mind when writing a journal is how much time does it take for a reader to go through a post. Both reading and listening to the song or album if they chose to do so. I'm sure there are readers who either read and listen to everything, or they're there just to read, or they're there just to check out the videos. I figure e.g. if a reader spent 5 minutes a journal and went through a dozen journals that is an hour or however you want to figure it — (How much on listening to the songs or album + reading time) X how many journals. I provide videos as a time saver to find it. I am sure the popular stuff they can find on their own, but sometime less popular videos won't show immediate in the search returns. They're found in, what people like to call, "the other side of YouTube."

Quote:

Originally Posted by aux-in

I'm working on my next write-up for my Journal. What I'm trying to decide is...I am a visual person as well, so I'm not sure the spoiler tags will be right for me. OK, I am sure...I really don't want to do that. I am new to this process, but the goal is full creativity. I don't mind if it takes awhile to get approved. It's a journal entry and not a regular forum post, so even if it took a day or two, it just looks better to me to have the videos be ever-present in conjunction to the points I'm trying to make. What say you?

I guess another way of providing videos other than having them embedded is to provide the link(s), and change them. Include a song title and add them to what you write, like who says You Can't Do That?

In case you don't know how to fiddle around with them:

copy/paste url(s), clicking Preview Post adds the tags:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Dpt7TI9q0
delete the red:
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Dpt7TI9q0[/url]
add the blue:
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Dpt7TI9q0"](type or copy/paste) title[/url]
result:
You Can't Do That

Trollheart · 02-19-2015, 02:17 PM

I believe Urban mentioned a limit of three videos per entry that could be unspoilered, but I don't know what's official. As I say, I don't use them anymore, at least in album reviews, and if they're in any other article it's probably just one. If it's a list or something, like "What's in a name" or "Variations on a theme", I would always spoiler them all. I mean, how long does it take to click the button to see the video?

Urban Hat€monger ? · 02-19-2015, 03:56 PM

There is no limit, it's common sense.

And this became a thing when SOMEONE here posted 208 youtube links (I counted) over 20 entries.

If you're not going to do anywhere near amount that you have nothing to worry about

Aux-In · 02-19-2015, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I rarely use videos anymore. I feel my writing should say enough about the music without having to "draw pictures" with video. After all, if someone really wants to hear what you're writing about, YouTube is only a click away...

There are multiple ways to express art. I prefer abstract and not always telling people what I'm thinking, or it's that something should be experienced the way the artist/musician wanted rather than me adding a bunch of words to it. Don't get me wrong, the point of a Journal is to write about something; I will certainly be doing that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

If it's a list or something, like "What's in a name" or "Variations on a theme", I would always spoiler them all. I mean, how long does it take to click the button to see the video?

It's more work for the viewer, IMO. Also, for the tl:dr crowd, they are probably not going to click on links and spoiler tags. If I have the embed video, all they gotta do is click on it. I usually keep it to about 4 videos per post, sometimes six. I won't be loading up posts with 20+ vids. For my one journal, that's also why I'm working on a text-based list. That might be helpful for people who would want to explore that stuff without sifting through my words or vids that hang up their computer. I dunno. We'll see where things take me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?

There is no limit, it's common sense.

And this became a thing when SOMEONE here posted 208 youtube links (I counted) over 20 entries.

If you're not going to do anywhere near amount that you have nothing to worry about

If I get to 207, I will start a "Part II"

. I keed.

Unknown Soldier · 02-19-2015, 05:42 PM

Everytime I flash read this thread, I see things like AMD six-core Phenom II and have no idea what you mob are on about.

Neapolitan · 02-19-2015, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aux-in

If I get to 207, I will start a "Part II"

. I keed.

I think UH? meant in the 20 posts made there were a total of 208 embedded YouTube videos, that's ~ 10.4 videos per posts.

02-19-2015, 02:17 PM	#26 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	I believe Urban mentioned a limit of three videos per entry that could be unspoilered, but I don't know what's official. As I say, I don't use them anymore, at least in album reviews, and if they're in any other article it's probably just one. If it's a list or something, like "What's in a name" or "Variations on a theme", I would always spoiler them all. I mean, how long does it take to click the button to see the video? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

02-19-2015, 03:56 PM	#27 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	There is no limit, it's common sense. And this became a thing when SOMEONE here posted 208 youtube links (I counted) over 20 entries. If you're not going to do anywhere near amount that you have nothing to worry about __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave. Last edited by Urban Hat€monger ?; 02-19-2015 at 04:02 PM.

02-19-2015, 10:20 AM	#23 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Seeing another journal by Trollheart would be exhausting in a good way. He has plenty for me to read from, I don't know what i'd do if he made another one. Just throwing that out there.