Webpage directory

[Mantis Keeper]

I have a suggestion. If we could get everyone who has a mantis related webpage to give their links so that a database can be made. This would help newcomers to the forum search other places for information as well as provide more access to what people may have available for sale or trade. The directory could then be stickied in a section of the forum, whether in this section or not is another story but it would be helpful overall. (not sure if this belongs in this section or other discussions so just move it if I posted in the wrong area)

 

[infinity]

I agree... Although pretty much all of them have already been mentioned *somewhere* in the forum, they're all kinda scattered so a big list would be useful. I think Ian already put up a list somewhere of mantis related sites but perhaps a more organised list would be useful.

Suggested titles (perhaps ranked):

-Caresheet information

-Pictures/ identification

-Common names - for all those people who can't get to grips with the latin (or vice versa) - I think Sheldon is perhaps working on this...

-A site with FAQs doesn't really apply - just type a keyword into the forum

-Perhaps a poll on the top livefood sites

-A list of traders (those people you can email when you're looking for a species)

-Perhaps a name and shame list - JUSTIFIABLE reasons

Might be going into overkill here but hey- I know a lot of the things above would be useful to me

 

[Mike]

Yes i think this is a good idea.

 

[Jackson]

Already tried to make it a sticky

http://www.mantidforum.com/forum/viewtopic...useful+websites

 

[Rick]

Not everyone who keeps mantids has a website. I don't. Most of the sites are low traffic and not really worth the time. That is why we have this site.

 

[Jackson]

Ummm......what?

Its not gonna take up THAT much bandwidth now is it....

 

[Ian]

You do realise you only have to start worrying about bandwith when you are exceeding like....5,000,000 visitors a day? And, regardless, whats the harm in having lots of reference? Most website contain different information anyway, so its a good mix. I think this forum is more for discussion that fact, like you would find on a website.

I think it's a great idea, would be willing to give my input, or even buy a domain name and make a simple site just full of links?

But yea, all these references are defo to widely spread! Need to look in one place, to find what you want.

 

[Jackson]

You do realise you only have to start worrying about bandwith when you are exceeding like....5,000,000 visitors a day? And, regardless, whats the harm in having lots of reference? Most website contain different information anyway, so its a good mix. I think this forum is more for discussion that fact, like you would find on a website.I think it's a great idea, would be willing to give my input, or even buy a domain name and make a simple site just full of links?

But yea, all these references are defo to widely spread! Need to look in one place, to find what you want.

Completely agree...

Most of the time ideas to improve these forums are quickly booted out because they claim to be un-needed. I dont see why we can't keep improving the features on these forums to make it better and better...

Why stick with a basic site...

 

[Ian]

Precisely. The users of this forum are gradually increasing...and I think its great that the mantid community as a whole, is doing the same. I was also looking on google, and this forum is very search friendly, and if we expand it, it will become even more search friendly. I have also enquired about modding the forum a little, done quite a bit with phpBB, and there is a fair bit I could add on here to make is easier, and more exciting for users!

 

[Sheldon Johnson]

Ian, i think you're over exagerating a little there. Lets say you have a cap of 1gb a month (pretty low, but its an example). Lets also say that you have an image gallery and each image is 100kb. That means that there can only be 10,000 views, before the cap is reached.

As for traffic, you have to rmember that unless you pay a rather pretty penny, your website is hosted with about 50 others from the same machine and sharing the same line out onto the web.

then you also have to consdier server side processing (PHP, ASP and perl etc) as these also slow the machine, so even if you have a rather sizable bandwidth rating, the server may not be able to process it at that speed.

The final thing to consider is that if your website is using databases, and even if it isnt a shared sserver will almsot vertainly be. Once agian this will slow the system.

You msut take into account that bandwidth is a term thrown around by ISPs because they feel that they can milk it as a cash cow "53459405789mbps! Thats superfast broadband! buy from us!" What im trying to say is to take into consideration there are many many more factors concerning "bandwidth" than the average consumer will understand.

Sorry to rant, bandwidth is jsut a little pet hate of mine.

 

[Ian]

Yea, I see what you are saying. I don't know a lot about band width myself...but never really looked at it as a big issue to take into consideration? Although, I do haver unlimited bandwidth...which is available by quite a lot of hosting companies for the same price you would pay for say, 5GB bandwidth by another. I just think that issues such as hoting, which costs what, £20-30 a year is not much to worry about if you want to host a decent site! I know some people don't agree, but hosting a website really isn't as much of a problem as some think it to be.

 

[Orin]

I agree with Rick. Ideas are great but not every idea is worth the effort implementation would require. Anyone who wants to make a site with links to all web mantis info and put the address in their tagline is welcome to it.

A link list is not a bandwidth issue because bandwidth has to do with usage not number of users.

 

[Sheldon Johnson]

No, hosting isnt much of a problem for the mantis community, but you have to remember Ian, that most mantis websites currently available are very basic. The 3 most advanced features we see in the community is TT's database, shopping carts and forums. None of which are particulary system intensive. If you were to develop a website that was a lot more technical you would start to understand some thigns that you might not have realised.

But you are right in what you saying Ian, hosting isnt supposed to be diffifcult and there is very little availible which wouldrequire more than a very basic hsoting package.

Also just to let you know ian, you dont have unlimited bandwidth as such, that is just a marketing thing. You will have the maximum speed of the line used for the server to conenct/websites on the server in current use/time.

This basiclaly menas that even though they tell you you have no limit as to how much you send per month they really mean that you are capped to Xmbps/time.

Sorry, im ranting again. I think ill stop before i get annoyed with "bandwidth"... that term gets more abuse than a blind hooker.

 

[Ian]

Oh, I was told I had unlimited so I just went along with that...although there is no chance it would make any difference to me whatsoever. I just don't really see the problem with gathering a small database of invert related links, surely it would be a benefit to all?

 

[Sheldon Johnson]

Nothing wrong with it at all Ian! Im jsut being pedantic, thats all. I just wrote a 125 page report on that sort of stuff and im just being funny about it because im in an odd mood.

Overall the idea is fine, there are a few problems i can see with it, but really if someone wants to take the time to do it, it should all work out fine.

 

[Ian]

Yea, I guess so. There was something I wanted to tell you as well Sheldon. But I have forgotten. Oh well.

 

[Sheldon Johnson]

If its anything really important, you can always PM me when you remember.

 

[Mantis Keeper]

Wow, I dissapear for a day and come back to a whole discussion. I see this idea has mixed reviews, but it seems to be positive overall. This mean we are going to do it?

 

[Rick]

Like Orin said it's not an issue of bandwidth here. It's great that the hobby is expanding. However most of the mantid related sites I have visited have very low traffic on the message boards. Also they are often made by amatuers and contain little useful info. But a list of mantid related sites IS a good idea but like I said most of them are not worth the time. If I owned this site for instance I would put in more info in addition to the great message boards we have.