Question the "Magazine" section of the Database

[vnerob]

Hi,

Is there a guide for making entries in the "Magazine" section of the database? I can't find it if there is. It's mentioned in the FAQ. Am I missing it?

I see that some EGM's are done a little differently. Some people use bullet points, some don't etc.

So anyway, yeah, I'd like to do some Game Player's. There looks to be a lot of those that need doing. Is there a guide or template I can use? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

EDIT: Woops. Forgot a word in the thread title.

Edited October 4, 2015 by vnerob

[Sean697]

There is not a guide. You can straight up copy paste someone else's style. And change the info. Or you can make your own. Frankly I think the site would be happy to have more people filling out the magazine information. It really is up to you. Anyone can edit so if someone is not happy they can fix.

[Phillyman]

At this moment, we dont really have a standard on how to add information to the databases. Right now we are more concerned about getting something in place for each record, rather than being strict with what has to be done.

[vnerob]

OK great. Sounds good!

[RetroDefense]

With my entries, I like to include a list of covered game systems at the start - so a visitor can immediately know what to expect from the issue. Then I transcribe or summarize the table of contents in outline format.

It's important not to build your entry based on the table of contents alone, however. You'd be surprised how often the TOC is incorrect. And they're often not very detailed. I usually find myself expanding on each section with notes and bullet lists when necessary, including actual article titles, authorship notes, review and preview lists, etc. In my notes, I try to include words and phrases a site visitor may literally search for when visiting RetroMags if the TOC didn't include them already.

Edited October 5, 2015 by RetroDefense

[vnerob]

With my entries, I like to include a list of covered game systems at the start - so a visitor can immediately know what to expect from the issue. Then I transcribe or summarize the table of contents in outline format.

It's important not to build your entry based on the table of contents alone, however. You'd be surprised how often the TOC is incorrect. And they're often not very detailed. I usually find myself expanding on each section with notes and bullet lists when necessary, including actual article titles, authorship notes, review and preview lists, etc. In my notes, I try to include words and phrases a site visitor may literally search for when visiting RetroMags if the TOC didn't include them already.

Thanks for that, retrodefense.

Initially, I thought I would just be able to use the TOC, but you're right, there's so much there that is not included, at least for the GP issue I've started with.

On the whole, it is more tricky than I thought it would be. The "meaty" sections, like reviews, previews, etc. are quite simple, but other sections, not as much.

For instance, one of my favorite things to read in old mags, are the news/gossip type sections, and I feel perhaps to others as well, so I want to cover them in my entries, but they can be difficult to succintly summarize. Too wordy, and you may as well just have copy/pasted the entirety of what it is you are referencing. Too few words, and you end up with something too vague, and therefore of little use.

Also, some things in a news section might be pretty lengthy pieces. Other things, just a few sentences. Do/should you include everything? Say there are 10 things, but one of them is just two sentences long, and isn't really that important. Do you include it? Do you not? Who are you to decide whether something is important or not?

And yeah, search engine usefulness is something I'm keeping in mind too. It's like, what are the absolutely most relevant words here, and how can I string them together in very short way that maintains meaning.

One other thing, and maybe you guy's have advice. It's probably best to use an example, because it's a bit hard for me to explain:

Let's say there's a blurb in a news type section concerning the Ultra 64. Now, we of course living in the present, know that this was the given name of the N64, before it was actually released. In the database entry, do you think it is best to leave the name as Ultra 64? I would think, yes it is. It seems more proper. Like, it's probably best to remove ourselves, and what we know, from the process. But on the other hand, what if someone doesn't know that before it was released, the N64 was referred to as the Ultra 64?

Like say the story is about developers getting N/Ultra 64 development kits, and their noteworthy reactions to it. Say someone heard about this - wondered if it was mentioned in an issue of an old game mag - did a search - but for whatever reason (it doesn't matter) they didn't know the N64 was called Ultra 64 before it was released? Theoretically, they might not be able to find the story.

Thoughts? Advice?

[RetroDefense]

Also, some things in a news section might be pretty lengthy pieces. Other things, just a few sentences. Do/should you include everything? Say there are 10 things, but one of them is just two sentences long, and isn't really that important. Do you include it? Do you not? Who are you to decide whether something is important or not?

News sections can be tricky as their format varies from magazine to magazine. My usual news section summaries involve listing a news headline, then including some brief notes to clarify the headline if necessary. I'll usually spend more time detailing the news sections of pre-mainstream Internet magazines as scholars and researchers often have to rely on these 'zines more so than post-Internet publications. (I'll be the first to admit I need to revise several of my summaries for this very reason.)

Some magazine news sections are very structured - with these, I'll usually include the amount of page real estate dedicated to the news story (1/4th page, 2.5 pages, etc) as a general metric of how "important" it is. Sometime news columns are so sporadic & fluid you almost have no choice but to concentrate on the focus and imply the remainder with a "misc" or "etc" - otherwise, you risk emphasizing the minor along with the major. It can be a judgement call as to whether it's relevant or not.

Let's say there's a blurb in a news type section concerning the Ultra 64. Now, we of course living in the present, know that this was the given name of the N64, before it was actually released. In the database entry, do you think it is best to leave the name as Ultra 64? I would think, yes it is. It seems more proper. Like, it's probably best to remove ourselves, and what we know, from the process. But on the other hand, what if someone doesn't know that before it was released, the N64 was referred to as the Ultra 64?

Like say the story is about developers getting N/Ultra 64 development kits, and their noteworthy reactions to it. Say someone heard about this - wondered if it was mentioned in an issue of an old game mag - did a search - but for whatever reason (it doesn't matter) they didn't know the N64 was called Ultra 64 before it was released? Theoretically, they might not be able to find the story.

Thoughts? Advice?

Anymore, I typically indicate development and import coverage in my leading "Primary Systems Coverage" section. I never try to assume someone is familiar with development code names, etc. So in the case you've described, I'd list the Ultra 64 in my systems section as "Ultra 64 (development coverage; the eventual Nintendo 64)."

These summaries we put together are pretty open-ended, though - as mentioned earlier, there are no strict guidelines. And there's no right way, either - some of us are very matter-of-fact with maybe some running publication history thrown in (raises hand) while others can both inform & entertain - Areala is especially good at this. I'd recommend browsing around - get an idea of what other folks have already done - and see if anything agrees with what you want to do. Then use these as a template or as a starting point for a template of your own.

Cheers, and welcome aboard!

[vnerob]

Thanks for the info and advice, retrodefense, and for the welcome. I like your method/idea of having that "Primary Systems Coverage" headline/section. Might implement something like that.

I may have picked the wrong mag as my first project - a Game Players from the "wacky years". Lol. Half the headlines are like, smart-ass word-plays, or innuendos or whatever. Well maybe it's not quite to that extent. Anyway, I'll figure it out.

I will take your advice too on the looking around part for ideas and methods. Would be great to see how people have handled something comparable to a Game Players from the wacky years. Do you know off the top of your head of anything? That someone has already completed? There are so many mags here that I've never heard of.

[Areala]

News sections can be tricky as their format varies from magazine to magazine. My usual news section summaries involve listing a news headline, then including some brief notes to clarify the headline if necessary. I'll usually spend more time detailing the news sections of pre-mainstream Internet magazines as scholars and researchers often have to rely on these 'zines more so than post-Internet publications. (I'll be the first to admit I need to revise several of my summaries for this very reason.)

Some magazine news sections are very structured - with these, I'll usually include the amount of page real estate dedicated to the news story (1/4th page, 2.5 pages, etc) as a general metric of how "important" it is. Sometime news columns are so sporadic & fluid you almost have no choice but to concentrate on the focus and imply the remainder with a "misc" or "etc" - otherwise, you risk emphasizing the minor along with the major. It can be a judgement call as to whether it's relevant or not.

Anymore, I typically indicate development and import coverage in my leading "Primary Systems Coverage" section. I never try to assume someone is familiar with development code names, etc. So in the case you've described, I'd list the Ultra 64 in my systems section as "Ultra 64 (development coverage; the eventual Nintendo 64)."

These summaries we put together are pretty open-ended, though - as mentioned earlier, there are no strict guidelines. And there's no right way, either - some of us are very matter-of-fact with maybe some running publication history thrown in (raises hand) while others can both inform & entertain - Areala is especially good at this. I'd recommend browsing around - get an idea of what other folks have already done - and see if anything agrees with what you want to do. Then use these as a template or as a starting point for a template of your own.

Cheers, and welcome aboard!

Well, you managed to guilt me back into adding stuff to the database if nothing else with your kind words, so CGW #58 just got the treatment. Before long, we'll have the first sixty issues indexed, which is pretty damn cool.

I don't think I'm nearly as entertaining as RetroDefense claims, but I'll play along just for his benefit.

*huggles*

Areala

[vnerob]

Gah.

Does anyone have any tips for bullet lists?

I'm trying to indent them. I can, but when I go to save, or preview, or when I use that little icon in extreme upper left of the toolbar (to view the code), the indents are erased. Is it not possible maybe?

[RetroDefense]

Gah.

Does anyone have any tips for bullet lists?

I'm trying to indent them. I can, but when I go to save, or preview, or when I use that little icon in extreme upper left of the toolbar (to view the code), the indents are erased. Is it not possible maybe?

I know your pain - I've experienced this many times. It must be a bug with the WYSIWYG editor - unless something follows the indented portion of the bullet list, the indent formatting is often (always?) ignored with submission.

I always try to have something follow the indent to work around this. Sometimes this means sorting a list of items differently than the magazine. Like so:

• Item 1
• Item 3
  • Sub-item 3-1
  • Sub-item 3-2
• Item 2

I try to avoid this whenever possible but am flexible if order is not important. Other times, I'll simply separate sub-lists from the primary list with line breaks and a note. Like so:

• Item 1
• Item 2
• Item 3 (includes:)

• Sub-item 3-1
• Sub-item 3-2

[E-Day]

You can always hit the little light switch icon in the top left of the WYSIWYG box to turn off the formatting and use old school form code!

[LIST]
[*]item 1[/*]
[*]item 2
[LIST]
[*]item2.1[/*]
[/LIST]
[/*]
[*]item 3[/*]
[/LIST]

[vnerob]

You can always hit the little light switch icon in the top left of the WYSIWYG box to turn off the formatting and use old school form code!

[LIST]
[*]item 1[/*]
[*]item 2
[LIST]
[*]item2.1[/*]
[/LIST]
[/*]
[*]item 3[/*]
[/LIST]

This was a few days ago now, and I wasn't in the most patient mood, but...I thought I had tried doing it this way and still running into the same problem?

But anyway, thanks for the suggestions/tips retrodefense and E-day. I'll figure out a way that works for me.

[RetroDefense]

I should have mentioned - the code editor has the same problem. When submitted, this will be displayed properly:

[LIST]
[*]Item 1[/*]
[*]Item 2
[LIST]
[*]Sub-Item 2-1[/*]
[*]Sub-Item 2-2[/*]
[/LIST]
[/*]
[*]Item 3[/*]
[/LIST]

But this will not:

[LIST]
[*]Item 1[/*]
[*]Item 2[/*]
[*]Item 3
[LIST]
[*]Sub-Item 3-1[/*]
[*]Sub-Item 3-2[/*]
[/LIST]
[/*]
[/LIST]

The problem occurs only when the indented portion of the bullet list is present at the end of the bullet list. It will look correct in the editor but the indention is lost with submission.

[Areala]

That loss of indentation problem is why I put my little "trivia" sections down at the bottom. It's strictly to keep anything with a list towards the end from being un-listed.

*huggles*
Areala

[vnerob]

Is there any possibility of getting this 'bug', if we can call it that, fixed?

[Phillyman]

Is there any possibility of getting this 'bug', if we can call it that, fixed?

I will check with the developers tomorrow to see if they have a fix.

-Rob

[vnerob]

I will check with the developers tomorrow to see if they have a fix.

-Rob

Thanks Phillyman. And, thanks for all the work you've done/continue to do with this site.