Archive searching
There has for many years been comment about searching the archive and particularly the absence of participants being tagged. This in turn renders the filters quite ineffective at times. In response to comments it is often pointed out that the scale of the problem is such that there is insufficient human resource to tackle it. Can I suggest two potential short-term fixes.
- The ability to search within the text of the title/description. There are many archive items where the participants are named in the title/description but not tagged. This would allow subscribers to find recordings not currently tagged with participants. I can use Lexy and Pete as an example: If you filter participants to show those Lexy is tagged in there are about 600 results. This may seem a lot but they do not include the whole period they were in one of the apartments of their own. If you go to the archive for ‘Capo’ you will find that approximately pages 58 to 74 are all of Lexy and Pete’s apartment. They are not tagged as participants but the title/description does include their names. This omission represents over 1000 recordings which are not returned when using their name in the filters.
- To allow subscribers to add or suggest tags for a video. These to be selected from a list which includes all past/present participants as well as a separate tag for their original apartment name. These additions to be reviewed by VHTV for accuracy before being committed. This is a much less onerous task for VHTV
I would initially suggest two lists of pre-defined tags being available. One for every participant (and guest whom has been given a name). The second a list of all apartment names that have ever been used. This second list would not necessarily replace the one already attached to the recording but be added as well. This would allow searching by the name of that realm at the time those participants were in it and remove the reliance upon knowing what realm number was in use at the time. Those who regularly view the archive would benefit from adding the tags as finding their favourites becomes easier as those tags could then be filtered.
This by no means resolves the overall problem with the archive but if those viewing the archive check the tags on the video they are viewing, it will reduce the number of untagged elements. I am not suggesting it is a subscriber’s job to do this but when someone does view a recording it would only take seconds to check the tags and add any appropriate ones. Longer term the increase in relevant tags would make it easier to migrate to an alternative archive.
I realise there are those among you that would get rid of the archive thereby alleviating the associated concerns of past participants but that is a completely separate discussion which I believe already has a thread elsewhere in the forum. In the meantime, whilst there is an archive, can we work to improve the searching whilst we are using it.
If you are still reading here, then thank you and my apologies for such a long (possibly boring) post.