Survey posted 2006-01-19 04:04 by Jon.

Contribute ideas to surveys by sending a mail to survey@ticalc.org.

Survey idea by Steve Hartmann <steven_hartmann@hotmail.com>

I voted Other: all of the above.

you guys really need to update emulator page, account preferences, user profile, user submitted site page, and pretty much everthing to include 84+/SE and the SilverLink, USB DirectLink cables.

The user submitted site page doesn't even have the 83+.

other than that though I really like TiCalc.org, except the archive pages get really long. you should make it so that there are only 25 files per page, but not create the next page until it has 30.
So that way if there were 26 files in a category they'd all be on the same page, but then once you got up to 30 files, you'd have 25 on one page and 5 on the next.

I think the first 3 are the most important, in that order.

I think updating the pages is most important, for all the people who want to know how to get ROMs from their 84+, and then when they discover Rom8x wonder why it wont work with VTI, cause TilEm isn't on the emulator list.

Or all the people who get asked for help with SilverLink, when they don't even have one but don't know the difference between USB direct and SilverLink and got asked for help.

whoops

I meant got told that SilverLink was the USB cable.

nor is PindurTI.

Agreed - I voted for the second Archives, but Community and the second Archives were my next choices.

Hmm... I chose Survey: have multiple select option

that's messy... it's generally not done

But it would be a good idea for THIS survey.

I think that a Forum should be added so people can ask questions about programming. I currently use the calcgames.com site forum to get my programming questions answered.

What I had in mind with organizing the programs is doing something like what TI-Files did. They split the programs up into different genres (games would be puzzle, racing, fighting, and so on). I think this was practical and it made a lot of sense to the users.

Related to that, I think many people are turned off from ticalc.org because there are so many subpar programs. I know that ticalc.org wants to be the catch-all for all programs made (good and bad), but that is partly what causes the problem. If people know their programs will be accepted just as long as they submit them (which let's face it, is basically the case currently), then there is no reason to actually put any considerable amount of work in them. Until this changes, the archives quality won't improve.

I think the archives could also be made more user-friendly. Back when Dimension-TI was still a refutable site, it had what I considered a very good look and feel. The archives were no exception.
People could search for programs by many different means (author, handle, name, etc.) and they could select how many files on a page that they wanted to see. I think this is something that ticalc.org definitely needs to do. It would make the archives so much easier to use.

Really, the whole site needs to be cleaned up and reworked. These things I have listed are just the beginning. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to bring ticalc.org back up to its once golden standard. I hope these suggestions will actually be used by the ticalc.org staff to improve the site. I think the future success of the site depends on it.

Quote:
Related to that, I think many people are turned off from ticalc.org because there are so many subpar programs. I know that ticalc.org wants to be the catch-all for all programs made (good and bad), but that is partly what causes the problem. If people know their programs will be accepted just as long as they submit them (which let's face it, is basically the case currently), then there is no reason to actually put any considerable amount of work in them. Until this changes, the archives quality won't improve.
:End quote
YES! absolutely agrd 100000% to the max!!!!
Ticalc has become a place where (no offence) n00bs put really, REALLY bad programs that hardly work or don't at all. Another thing is that there are TOO many of these progs so that the good ones get mixed in, and no one can end up finding anything.

This has been tossed around for years, but ticalc.org has never shown a great interest, unfortunately. :(

I'm sure it would probably take some time and effort to do some of these things that have been suggested, but I think it would be worth it. If they aren't willing to do it themselves, maybe they could let the users? I'm sure most of us here would be more than willing to help out. Anything to make ticalc.org better.

Good idea. Maybe a council of sorts of the more experienced programmers who could process requests from people that report low-quality programs.

What someone should do is write up a summary of all of the different points that people have made so far. They should be separated by the different sections of the site (archives, search, information, links, and so on). This will hopefully show the ticalc.org staff that we are serious about improving the site, and they might decide to put some of the ideas into action.

the problem is identifying who those are.

And what do they comprise of? Mostly BASIC or ASM programmers? In general, ASM programmers will hate BASIC programs...

There is a definite divide between Basic and Assembly programmers. This shouldn't act as a hindrance, however, because both are working towards the same goal.

One possible way to assuage Assembly programmers is to more closely scrutinize Basic programs. Basic programs that are unique (there is no other program in Basic or Assembly) or that provide a useful function or that are fun would be considered programs that should stay. This is just an idea, of course.

I don't know that I agree with you on that. Sure, many of us ASM programmers and even advanced BASIC programmers get annoyed at newbs who release tons of random programming, but we can't be completely angry because we know we used to be exactly like that. So there is _some_ identification, and surely no one would propose removing the BASIC archives entirely. Just consider the countless *millions* of hours that have been put into those projects...

Although I understand your point about valuing all programmers (even noobs) for their contributions, I think there still needs to be a more rigorous litmus test for accepted programs. There are lots of other people using the site besides just noobs, and most of those people don't really want to have to sift through all of the useless or subpar programs.

How about this. Have several more file archivers, and each one is responsible for testing all submissions to a certain category, and at least eliminating any programs with errors, etc.

I agree- noobs should do what i used to do, share their programs with their friends at skool through ti-ti cables, and have their friends test the prgms. This allows the noob to practice more programming, have large feedback, and when their program is fully complete, and as bugfree as they can get, then upload it.

I guess the bottom line is that noobs shouldn't upload every program they make, but only ones that their friends agree are actually good.

Only some. I think that many, like me, will try to judge the program on the quality alone, not on the language it's written in.

The file archives could be sorted by rating, instead of alphabetically. Of course, then people would need to rate files...

I don't think sorting the file archives by rating makes much sense. Several people have already pointed out some of the flaws with the rating system, including the noticeable fact that rating files just isn't done by most people (they can download files, but they are too lazy to rate them). The only files that are rated are assembly programs (because those are the programs that everybody wants to use) and the junk programs (because people want to criticize them or state how they could program a similar program so much better). So, some other sorting arrangement needs to be devised for the archives.

All you need to do is to go to the file list page and click on the "Rating" link at the top of the column. You can also sort by date.

I definitely agree- not only should the ti program testers check to see if the program is decent, they should require it to be more then 1 thing, and not accept multiple copies of the same types of programs-

i.e say ticalc.org has 50 quadratic formula programs that only solve 1 thing- the quadratic formula. They should accept maybe, 2 of those quadratic formula prgms, and delete the rest. And the two prgms they select would need other functions besides solving the quadratic formula, maybe factoring and completing the square, too. This would save lots of time for pages to load for dial-up users (like me) and give ticalc.org a TON of extra storage space.

The archive quality is an issue, that is why I only download programs written by names I know

how do you get to know the names in the first plcae? I generaly try to look at screen shots of a file and read the description to tell if it is any good.

I completely agree about the archives, but I have to say that I think the rest of the site is great (except for maybe a general forum or developer forums?).

I create a forum about TI VIntage calculator; you should register PLEASE!

vintageti.forumsplace.com

Thanks
Michel

The archive files are so difficult to find. It is almost always impossible to find a certain file that you want. I think that the TI-CALC staff members should put files where they think it should be instead of the TI-CALC members choosing where to put it. There are so much random files in each different Category of programs/flash apps.!!!

We only use that directory as a recommendation; we can (and often do) change the directory from what was given.

Freaky coincidence. I was looking on this site for some official contact info to see if we could get a forum!