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[m0d]

It's a mystery - the login system is working, the member registrations are open, a couple of members have registered - but nearly nobody is posting comments on their favourite modules! What gives? You can browse to a song on the archive and fill in a comment and rating on the song of your choice!

It generally encourages you to mention what you like about it, or why you recommend it (or why you dont like it and why you don't recommend it).

All comments get featured on the front page (up to 10 at any one time), it's a nice touch if you feel a particular module should have a mention.

Need I remind you that multiple people can comment on the modules?

The idea eventually is to switch charting of the songs from being based on the "review score" (we have hardly any review crew to write dedicated and detailed reviews - which is what is required of the review section) and instead base the charts/scoring on the average scores of the comments - which are posted by you, the visitors.

All you need is an existing Modarchive account, be it an artist, reviewer or crew - if you don't have one you can register for a member account via the Register icon on the site.

So, please - give it a go. Make sure you read the comment posting rules, and let's see how it goes.

[Cmdr_Dats]

I've been pondering on that same issue - I would like to rate/comment on songs fairly often, but actually having to open my browser, go to modarchive.org, find the song, comment on song is just too demanding on my time (i usually have two or three other things i'm busy doing at the time when i hear a mod i'd like to comment on)..

How keen would you be on the idea of a modarchive integrated player? I'm looking to build something (based on the Java platform) for properly managing my mod collection, and if it could integrate neatly with modarchive, I'd be over the moon.

Some key integration idea's I've had :

 - Rate/comment a song
 - View ratings/comments for a song
 - View the top 10 lists (today, this week, month, etc)
 - Browse modarchive directly, download a song directly into your library and play it

Another little thing I'd like to figure out it a 'currently playing' applet or something that I can put in my blog, so readers can listen to my currently playing/last played song, downloaded from modarchive (with a link to there, of course).

Anyway - let me know what you think

[Eagle]

Well, I agree with m0d on this issue. I really doubt that the people around here are that terribly "busy" that they can't write a few lines and a number to their favourite module (or any module they have an opinion on at all).

However, I personally feel better to do a full-fledged review while I'm already writing about a module, but that's only because I like to write and because reviewing is nice.

Though, I still think I could comment on a few modules.

@Cmdr_Dats: Welcome to the modarchive, Cmdr_Dats; leave your sanity at the door and enjoy your stay! I like your ideas, by the way. I think there was a thread before on an experimental Java module player which may still be in development. To integrate it to play the modules from TMA directly in your browser like that would be quite awesome and certainly inviting to newbies to modules or TMA in general.

Of course, whether this is technically possible or not is up to m0d. But if it was possible, it would be great.

Your other ideas are already integrated, I think, so smile, smile! Be happy and gay! :thumbup:

[Cmdr_Dats]

Hi Eagle thanks for the welcome ^ ^.

I see what you mean, I guess how I mean is that I wouldn't update my blog if it wasn't for the integration of blogging into flock. In the same way, I would be more encouraged to comment about a song if it was a simple 'comment on TMA' button inside my player.

Oh, and 'Java based' as in, not inside your browser, but a standalone desktop application. just in case there's confusion there. I was thinking of a seperate widget for websites to integrate some more..

hmm, i can only find a flash based modplayer on the forums? maybe i'm not looking in the right places.

Anyway, I guess I'm a little off-topic now - Maybe I'll draw up some kind of document outlining the details of what I want to do and post it in a new thread so everybody else can throw in their 2c

[m0d]

I've been pondering on that same issue - I would like to rate/comment on songs fairly often, but actually having to open my browser, go to modarchive.org, find the song, comment on song is just too demanding on my time (i usually have two or three other things i'm busy doing at the time when i hear a mod i'd like to comment on)..

How keen would you be on the idea of a modarchive integrated player? I'm looking to build something (based on the Java platform) for properly managing my mod collection, and if it could integrate neatly with modarchive, I'd be over the moon.

Have you ever heard of Plopbox? Well, they have made a java-applet player (in contrast to a standalone) however you're going to have to cater for all of the formats on the modarchive, and making a java programme play Impulse Tracker files will certainly put your box-spec to the test if anything especially when java only has (what i have read) a fairly rudimentary audio system.

Regarding:

 - Rate/comment a song

I will not be allowing 3rd party applications to interface with the login system of the site for very obvious security reasons. You can code a wrapper to encapsulate a specially loaded website form from modarchive.org (from which users will need to log in to), but nothing as direct as actually giving direct login and direct entering of comments via any backend system.

 - View ratings/comments for a song
 - View the top 10 lists (today, this week, month, etc)
 - Browse modarchive directly, download a song directly into your library and play it

You will be happy to know I have developed a backend XML search/browse/random retrival that works on just basic HTTP GET requests. However, I must stipulate that modarchive.org's bandwidth is about as problematic as your own 5gb limit per month (so i have read) So I cannot give a big thumbs up to something which a) circumvents display of our mirror owner and sponsor's banners and b) doesn't give the opportunity for the site to display ads in order to recouperate support costs. There is currently a development ongoing of a similar standalone player (with TMA intergration for playing) for the Playstation Portable, and I have also voiced this concern to them aswell.

Another little thing I'd like to figure out it a 'currently playing' applet or something that I can put in my blog, so readers can listen to my currently playing/last played song, downloaded from modarchive (with a link to there, of course).

This would be more client side, I guess - so nothing I would be involved in?

There are probably a lot of folks out there who are looking for an app just like this, however I'd like to see a working app before I am commiting to anything as you can probably understand.

On a related note, Modarchive used to have it's own standalone Java player sometime back in the early days, but that only supported 4 channel mods and as far as I know it knocked us about quite a bit with load on bandwidth at that time. Unfortunatly the source code is not open (it's not mine either).

At least Plopbox are a working example of a working Java app (not for XM or IT files though, probably because of CPU intensity. What are your comments on that?)

All the best
-m0d

[Saga Musix]

i love the new comment system, but i think you've already figured that out, m0d
it's very cool to see what others think about modules (e.g. your modules) and also to compare your opinion to theirs.

[Cmdr_Dats]

Thanks for the feedback m0d,

I hadn't heard of plopbox, thanks for pointing it out.. Looks interesting I was thinking of using the fmod library (http://www.fmod.org/) and the java fmod wrapper (http://jerome.jouvie.free.fr/) for actually playing the mods.

This does limit it to a standalone application instead of an applet though, but I won't worry about the applet thing right now.. Perhaps when I'm feeling like serious challenge I'll look into that..

Also, regarding licensing of the app, I'll probably be publishing it under GPL or LGPL..

Regarding the comments :

That makes sense and i'm happy to work it that way round - to open a simple browser window that could point to TMA, have the user login and take them to a comment/rate spot on TMA itself? That way you get to control what that part of it will look like.

Viewing comments, top 10 lists, etc :

I could handle that in the same way as the comments, so that it opens up in a mini browser window where you can show the ads along the top? (clicks on those ads would open up in a normal browser window)

----

I'll see when I can get an app together then I'll post again to get some integration with TMA going.  I desperately need to build something to organise my mod collection though.. i hate losing songs i really enjoyed!

[m0d]

If you want to look into implementing the XML then you can customize the lists yourself, the sponsor stuff is also in the XML. At the moment i havent finished it but you are welcome to look at the current functionality is has. XML parsing your end should be relativly simple as it sounds like you know what you are doing with Java.

Imagine, you'd be wired into a customizable datafeed. If you want to see, then the best way to get in touch is on IRC via our own portal (or your own client) where i can be reached directly, however i wouldn't count on it much tonight as I have a terrible headache.

[Saga Musix]

I hadn't heard of plopbox, thanks for pointing it out.. Looks interesting I was thinking of using the fmod library (http://www.fmod.org/) and the java fmod wrapper (http://jerome.jouvie.free.fr/) for actually playing the mods.

To be honest, I wouldn't recommend FMOD for a mod player software. Of course, it's a great lib, but it isn't as compatible as f.e. BASS (which has a better modplug support):...

[Eagle]

That may be because ModPlug does not stick to standards! So, anyway, what do you propose, Saga (Jojo)?