Upload a Cover upgrade needed

[ShoothimNow]

Good afternoon all,

Currently, I am uploading 44 various Raws containing fronts for Dreamcast/PS1/DC/PC and I came to think if there was an easier way to upload a cover.  This is what I came up with because I have been lazy from other websites/programs.

Personally I understand why one might wish to have a "1" cover upload, as some people might go crazy with uploading random things, however this has not yet happened yet (to my knowledge). However,

SnowCone, I was wondering if it was possible to rework your upload form?  I (and I know for sure Arseen & Akrate69 would also agree) think that it would be AMAZING if we could add the option to add more than one cover at a time to the raw/completed folders on TCP.  The way I was initially was like this

|----------------------------------------------------
| *QUEUE: No Covers Have Been Added To Queue
|
|----------------------------------------------------
|   Author: |__________|
|   Cover: |__________| Browse..
|   Country: |__________|
|   Platform: |__________|
|
|   [ ]This is a raw scan (Raw scans are covers that need to be cleaned up or are the individual front, back,
|   and spine images for a particular game. Do not click this if you are uploading a completed cover)
|
|   My Cover is:
| [ ] : A Retail Cover
| [ ] : A Custom Cover
|----------------------------------------------------
|
|   [ Add Another Cover ]                    [Upload File]
|----------------------------------------------------


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


When [ Add Another Cover ] is pressed, Then add the information to queue, making a temp queue list

|----------------------------------------------------
| *QUEUE: Shoothim Now.retail.raw_ps1_jetmoto3front.jpg [Remove]
|                Shoothim Now.retail.raw_ps1_darkstonefront.jpg [Remove]
|                Shoothim Now.retail.raw_ps1_finalfantasyviifront.jpg [Remove]
|
|----------------------------------------------------
|   Author: |__________|
|   Cover: |__________| Browse..
|   Country: |__________|
|   Platform: |__________|
|
|   [ ]This is a raw scan (Raw scans are covers that need to be cleaned up or are the individual front, back,
|   and spine images for a particular game. Do not click this if you are uploading a completed cover)
|
|   My Cover is:
|   [ ] : A Retail Cover
|   [ ] : A Custom Cover
|----------------------------------------------------
|
|   [ Add Another Cover ]                    [Upload File]
|----------------------------------------------------

Just SOMETHING that isnt as TEDIOUS as what it is right now!  I have been uploading covers since 10AM and I am STILL not done because I am getting bored in between waiting.

"What you could do is open more than one tab up and upload more than one cover at a time this way"
As this is true, it also does not ensure the full cover is uploaded.  I understand that a cover has a 20MB file limit, but we really need a better upload form.  I would upload SOOOOO Much more if it wasn’t this dang boring and annoyting!!

[argobeat]

agreed, it would definitely give more incentive to the people that are sitting on a pile of covers because it would take them all day to scan them in.

I mean, if it's not too much trouble.

[juan0tron]

I agree with this. Even though I don't spend any time uploading covers, I definitely see the advantage to this. If someone manages to spam this system, I'm sure there would be a way to delete the entire batch of covers uploaded by said user in one click.

Just adding to the suggestions here, but would it be possible to design a Photobucket-esque system for individual users to upload their raw scans? Every user would be able to view a list of his/her uploads, tag wether or not they need cleaning up, and even be notified if the cover was accepted or pending or not. It would probably cut down the amount of noobs asking "Was my cover accepted?" all the time. We still don't have to give reason if we don't want to.

[Jonesat]

i think the potential for harm outweighs the potential for good with adding the option to add multiple files at once.
much more easier to just upload them when your done or as you go so you dont end up with a huge stack of them not handed in

[ShoothimNow]

I can upload more covers FASTER at college than home.  I dont have a scanner at college, but I do at home.  The only harm I see is some douche uploading 500X of some 1KB picture, WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED YET to my knowledge.  The availability to do so right now is there, but yet no one cares to do so

[Velmeran]

Why not do a combination of both?

Allow for a max of 10 covers per batch.
5 Batches per hour (Max of 50 Covers for hour)
with a max of 150 Covers in a 24 hour period.

Wouldn't think it would be that difficult the script.

[KaiserWAVE]

The only harm I see is some douche uploading 500X of some 1KB picture, WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED YET to my knowledge.  The availability to do so right now is there, but yet no one cares to do so

They do unfortunately Not too often but there are idiots out there uploading album covers, random images, photos(!) of game boxes and a bunch of other things. Fortunately it doesn't happen too often, but it DOES happen and it's a pain to find and delete all these things because some even have the nerve to upload them as game xy. But that's not to say that I don't agree with and appreciate your idea.

[Aulbath]

I have been trying to upload raws for a few times now, I think I never completed any of these uploads - my browser at one point always stopped uploading/responding with the webpage. Being on a slow connection and sending from Germany doesn't exactly help. However, I really like the concept behind this page and want to seriously support it.

How about, for the serious uploaders (like the above mentioned who wouldn't spam the system), some sort of FTP access (username and password given out by Snowconer so he is still in charge - maybe even with just restricted folders to have write/read rights in). With a guideline to name the files there should be no trouble.

I could provide 100 Master System covers, with the majority not yet on the site (plus a bunch of quality updates and including some rareities like Masters of Combat or Cosmic Spacehead) as well as over 200 Mega Drive covers, again quite a bit not on the site. Also I got a bunch of SuFami and jpn Gameboy games to scan and provide. With the way things are right now though, it's no fun at all and a serious waste of time - which is kinda sad, considering what a great ressource this page is.

[ShoothimNow]

I was just talking to Akarate69 about something like FTP'ing over to the server.  It would be extremely nice if we (those who are committed uploaders) can uploaded inside the actual system folders.  That way we can actually link to our pictures without the fear of an admin mass-moving the pictures to their respective folders 5 minutes after the "[System] Raws" thread has been created

[tiktektak]

Our ftp server was allready compromised once and that with only a handful of people having access (this almost resulted in our site getting shut down by the webspace owners).

So the more have access and if only for parts of it the more likely there will be no coverproject anymore sooner or later.

[Michael]

I was reading a post on how they are dealt with after uploading, and was quite surprised that everything was done manually, even i could right a small app to list all uploaded items, automatically create preview images, act, where it would just need an admin or someone to click "Accept" or "Reject", I would of thought something like that would have been a better way to deal with them, it would allow faster checking, and for much of the acceptance process to be automated.

I could also write a little app to do uploads of an expire directory in an hour or so, but dont know if something like this would be acceptable, (People may misuse it), but i could make it and post it here if anyone wants?

[tiktektak]

Nice thought but when publishing covers on our site the most time is used to check and maintain quality. This will always be needlework!

The publishing process itself is pretty easy and straight forward for us admins.

[argobeat]

Nice thought but when publishing covers on our site the most time is used to check and maintain quality. This will always be needlework!

The publishing process itself is pretty easy and straight forward for us admins.

I feel like the admin's manual checking of uploaded covers for quality is what makes the cover project so special that's why tcp is #1 in quality! 

[ShoothimNow]

But what the admins check is not on the physical "Upload A Cover" page.  The "Upload A Cover" page is very primitive and takes forever to upload things on.  I have ~100 things scanned, but I hate the "Upload A Cover" page and have hesitated since I first posted this thread.  Takes longer to upload them instead of scanning at 1,000 DPI.  Really really sad.

To scan -
1 - Place manual / cover in scanner
2 - Select custom settings
3 - Scan as "_______Front.jpg / _________Back.jpg . _________Inlay.jpg"
4 - When done, replace manual / cover in scanner
5 - Repeat 3 and 4 til done.

To Upload -
1 - Find the cover you wish to upload
2 - Type in your Name (or the name where the scan originated)
3 - Select Region type for game
4 - Select Platform type for game
5 - Indicate if it is a raw or not
6 - Indicate if it is a custom or retail cover
7 - Upload
8 - When done, repeat 1-7 as nothing is auto-filled in the form.

It's a waste of time and I have more important things to be doing than wait.  I have a crap load of covers that I "wish" to upload, and I'm sure Akrate69 would agree (Holy Hell have you seen how many covers he has uploaded!!!!?!!!) that if there was a more "automated" "Upload A Cover" page for uploaders : NOT ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE, then more of us would contribute more.

Facebook has an automatic file uploader which allows ~60 pictures to be added.  I'm asking for more like ~5 max or so.  5 Pictures at 20 MB (max upload size) would take me 30 minutes to upload at home or 10 minutes at school.  I would be able to pump out soooooo many covers at school if it was more automated

[akrate69]

ShoothimNow, after I upload a scan, I click "Back" and all my info from the last scan is there except for the "Cover" selection. It saves a lot of time.