What to do with SongFight.NET

Paco Del Stinko · Post by **Paco Del Stinko** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:07 am

I'm not quite certain of what's happening here, but it seems like some good ideas being tossed around. Like Hoblit mentioned, I'd be glad to make this part of my routine if usable/fun/informative. I'm useless for computer stuff, but would be glad to contribute...something.

wages · Post by **wages** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:25 am

bzl wrote:Just point the .net to the .org and make things non-confusing. Y'all can create whatever extra content you want but there is no reason to have a second web-site for it.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Just point .net to .org and combine any content. If you are going to take the time to write some code, why not write code that helps automate the process of posting songs? THAT would be the biggest help to admins, I assume, and of course, it would please the masses.

starfinger · Post by **starfinger** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:38 am

i like the .net distinction, fwiw

-craig

wages · Post by **wages** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:46 am

king_arthur wrote:A potential .net use would be to allow us to set up a forwarding thing so that email to "king_arthur@songfight.net" could be forwarded to my real email address (without revealing that email address to the sender) and also a way that I could bounce my replies back through songfight net to hide my real email on replies. When somebody signs up for a songfight username, that would be one of the things they get. Maybe a lot of potential for abuse and need to maintain, though.

That would be cool.

king_arthur wrote:Could something be set up within the .net world so that when there is a coverfight, the covermaster could create an area to run the fight (and, he said, knowing that the answer will be no, host the songs)? FM might have an initial approval ("okay, Jim, here's your space and password to run the Rone Rivendale coverfight on songfight.net") and I s'pose hosting covers of non-SF written songs could be a problem... nonetheless, I keep asking 'cause maybe someday the answer will be yes...

That would be flippin' sweet! OR even a way that the covermaster could use a form to officially post coverfights even if they are hosted on various sites. The covermaster would simply paste in the URL to the songs into a form, type in the artist's name,and whamo! m3u list auto-created, voting could easily be included, etc, etc, etc.

king_arthur wrote:In one of the other forums, I suggested that it'd be cool if each songfighter could post and update their "ten favorite songfight songs" as a .m3u playlist... for new folks coming here who don't want to wade through a ton of songs to hear something they'd like.

Or we could take it in a different (or additional) direction that it shows you which songs you voted for throughout the past. That would be handy dandy.

king_arthur wrote:Oh, yeah, and set up a couple gizmos on the .net page so that people can sign up to receive an email when (a) new songs or (b) new titles or (c) fight results are posted.

Yes, once they are created, its all automated. Man, I wish I knew PHP, I would be willing to help with code. Of course, code and dictation software don't play nicely together.

Jefff wrote:I'm picturing a page with maybe 100 one-line summaries of all sorts of random SF shit. Like new songs, song-of-the-day posts, show announcements, even just lame blog posts about how so-and-so feels that day. A nice clean, text-heavy page I can scan for "Frankie Big Face" or "Starfinger" to see if there's something I'm interested in.

Would be cool. Could it also have filtering so one could set a setting (saved as a cookie?) so that you can choose which types of posts you see and don't (such as NO blog posts, or NO roll call posts, etc).

<b>My own suggestions?</b> Well, since I'm not sure I've ever gotten my artist photo, text blurb, and collab-links info successfully to SPUD to be added to my artist page (ya know, the one that lists the songs I've entered), maybe we could have a form where artists can submit their tiny bit of info so that admins don't have to be bothered over and over again about it. Or if my info gets posted, it's not so important....

Stats! Stats! Stats! The more useless stats we can get, the better.

Reist · Post by **Reist** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:29 pm

Here's my idea for a small portion of SF.net. It might make navigating artists easier for new people. They would also find better songs.

I think it would be cool if it could be a page where an artist with 4+ SF entries could choose their favorite entries and post them on their 'personalized' page. For example ...

I have 16 solo SF entries - therefore I'm eligible for a page. I request a password and username for entry into a page where I can edit my page in the context of a few small boxes where I input some information. I put 'Jolly Roger' into the 'name' box, 'Calgary' into 'hometown' box, 'www.radnoise.com' into the 'website' box, and type the archive address to my chosen songs into 'song1', 'song2', etc boxes, along with the names of my chosen songs. When I click save, my page is set up, and I can edit it at any time. All the pages are set up in an archive page - only the artists have to work on it. People could also do their articles and crosswords, but that would be in a different section.

Anybody like this idea?

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:15 am

...or tie in a search functionality that allows you to find SF entries that received at least 2 or 3 (or any number you choose) votes. To help you find 'better received' material. This probably doesn't belong in this thread... this is probably better fitted for a 'suggestion' than what to do with SFNET.

j$ · Post by j$ » Thu Sep 06, 2007 7:17 am

That 'songfight explorer' that Plat (?) wrote might look good in an official location ....

j$

Billy's Little Trip · Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:49 am

jolly roger wrote:Here's my idea for a small portion of SF.net. It might make navigating artists easier for new people. They would also find better songs.

I think it would be cool if it could be a page where an artist with 4+ SF entries could choose their favorite entries and post them on their 'personalized' page. For example ...

I have 16 solo SF entries - therefore I'm eligible for a page. I request a password and username for entry into a page where I can edit my page in the context of a few small boxes where I input some information. I put 'Jolly Roger' into the 'name' box, 'Calgary' into 'hometown' box, 'www.radnoise.com' into the 'website' box, and type the archive address to my chosen songs into 'song1', 'song2', etc boxes, along with the names of my chosen songs. When I click save, my page is set up, and I can edit it at any time. All the pages are set up in an archive page - only the artists have to work on it. People could also do their articles and crosswords, but that would be in a different section.

Anybody like this idea?

This is what I was thinking. But I like your idea of having a required number of entries to be eligible. As I said, make a portion of the site similar to myspace, but way better. I hate using myspace as an example, but that's the one most are familiar with. I just hate pointing people to my band at myspace because it's such a lame place and full of retards. (not anyone in my friend list of course)
I'd love a cool band page located within a musician community.

By the way, I like the site that Caravan Ray is on. Triple J Unearthed
But I don't completely like how his site navigates, nor how the mp3 player works. It would be better if the player was more like the one at.....you guessed it, myspace, lol.

erik · Post by **erik** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:07 am

Why should this be on sf.net instead of replacing the band pages currently in the archive?

Hoblit · Post by **Hoblit** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:40 am

again, outside of myspace, garageband, OpenMusic, there are even more of these sites out there. We don't need ANOTHER one just for lil' ole' us.

Billy's Little Trip · Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:45 am

erik wrote:Why should this be on sf.net instead of replacing the band pages currently in the archive?

Those are fine as far as band archives, but they are not navigation friendly, the page is boring and it lists everything you've submitted to SF. I think a band page should be set up so that you can showcase the songs that you want to be represented by, with a link to the archive if anyone is interested in hearing more. Maybe have a rating system, comment area, Q&A area, videos, pictures, etc. But most importantly, a good easy to use player in bedded that is a standard for all band pages, like the one Lunk posted. Just my buck O five.

Billy's Little Trip · Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:00 pm

Hoblit wrote:again, outside of myspace, garageband, OpenMusic, there are even more of these sites out there. We don't need ANOTHER one just for lil' ole' us.

You keep saying that Hobz, and you are right. But those sites aren't anything like SF. SF is a whole different world and stands on it's own. SF should be the new standard, fuck those other guys. Because our site is cheeky and fun, and their sites are cruel and tragic.

erik · Post by **erik** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:01 pm

No, I get that the archive is boring, I'm just saying that if someone was going to go to the trouble of designing all that, having it be on a seperate website seems like a waste.

blue · Post by **blue** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:24 pm

erik wrote:No, I get that the archive is boring, I'm just saying that if someone was going to go to the trouble of designing all that, having it be on a seperate website seems like a waste.

i think a lot of people are missing the question and giving grand ideas for a redo of the whole site, instead of .net.

(as usual

)

erik · Post by **erik** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:29 pm

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEMIX

Billy's Little Trip · Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:40 pm

Well, as I said. A banner type link pointing to the archive would be good.
There could be a standard starting layout that has things that the owners want, such as links to the pod casts, fights, news, ad banners so they can make a buck, etc etc. Then fields that the bands can add their own stuff.

Billy's Little Trip · Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:44 pm

blue wrote:
erik wrote:No, I get that the archive is boring, I'm just saying that if someone was going to go to the trouble of designing all that, having it be on a seperate website seems like a waste.
i think a lot of people are missing the question and giving grand ideas for a redo of the whole site, instead of .net.

(as usual )

What was the question again?

Post by jb » Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:13 pm

In general, I want to keep the sites separate exactly for the reason Jeff specified. I think there's value in a "Network" type deal, that brings together things that everyone in the greater community may be doing. That's why somesongs is among the links.

I like the separation, and the idea, but need a way to achieve the same goal with minimal *ongoing* effort on my part.

As far as a page for your band... if you're embarrassed about a song, don't send it in.

I dunno if you've noticed, but Song Fight is very inclusive and pretty reluctant to do any kind of sifting or culling of the content that is submitted. That is for your benefit, really.

So far my inkling is to implement WordPress and the RSS plugin for it, especially since Jeff has offered to spend some time making a theme for it. I would also like to investigate putting Platt's SF Explorer on the site, if he's up for it. But I haven't seen it in a while, so I dunno how viable that is. SF.org is not databased or anything like that, so it might be more of a chore than its worth for the ten people who would use it. And if it's in like, ASP or something then it's a non-starter 'cause I'm not going there.

If you have any SMALL ideas for things you'd like to see, please continue brainstorming. If all you can think of is "Let's make another Myspace" then perhaps put those ideas in a new Monkeybusiness thread or something.

Continue...

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 2:39 pm

jb wrote: If you have any SMALL ideas for things you'd like to see, please continue brainstorming.

>>

king_arthur · Post by **king_arthur** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:14 pm

Given the number of IRC servers that seem to have bailed out under us, would there be any value in songfight.net hosting our own chat service and web interface to it?

As far as per-band pages, one reason for doing this would be that songfight doesn't seem to want people direct linking to mp3s from outside songfight, so this would be a way for us to set up something like that... (I know about m3u and rss linking).

Does anybody have a full archive of the old dumbrella forums that could be put on .net in a read-only format so we could go back and look at old reviews and lyrics and such?

Those are probably big things, though.

I know I keep saying this, but, to me, the biggest shortcoming of songfight has to do with all the offshore stuff that gets lost once it gets pulled off the individual websites... but again, that's a big thing...

Charles

blue · Post by **blue** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:34 pm

king_arthur wrote:Given the number of IRC servers that seem to have bailed out under us, would there be any value in songfight.net hosting our own chat service and web interface to it?

nothing has happened to the irc server that i know if. it's still running fine.

Ross · Post by **Ross** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:26 am

jb wrote: So far my inkling is to implement WordPress and the RSS plugin for it,

So if I understand right it would basically be a blog? Or would each member have a blog within it? I'm not clear what this looks like as a network and why it's an advantage over these discussion boards. A pm from someone who can clarify would be nice (not trying ot bog down the thread). Thanks.