StrangerDanger is a big gay (part 4, 5/26/08)

chaos

is a Site Content Manageris a Battle Simulator Administratoris a Programmeris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis an Administratoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnus
Owner
Hey guys, as usual, been a while since the last update. I am all settled in at Auburn University doing research on how to reduce energy consumption in clusters of computers. I'm not totally certain how much free time I will have but I'm fairly certain I will have enough to keep working on Smogon :) As I mentioned in the last update, please, if you care about the site at all take some time to think these issues through so I get more than "read" in replies :chaos: I've even italicized important stuff!

Let's get down to business:

Smogon Training

Shiv, ryubahamut and Blue Kirby now have access to the Smogon source code. Since I am too busy to work on it, they will be learning how to code for Smogon by making (with my guidance of course) the new version of Smogon bash. Anyone with programming experience (any language is fine, but Python knowledge is preferred) may contact me for access to the Smogon source. Setting it up is a time consuming process; I recommend only those who are serious about coding for the site attempt it.

Those who are approved for access to the source will most likely be given a small coding project to work on or alternatively assigned to an existing small coding project (such as the one Shiv, et al. are working on).

Damage Calculator

Doug, I haven't gotten the chance to talk to you recently. I have a skeleton of the damage calculator layout done... it should be completed relatively soon (right now it is my #1 priority).

Improving Google presence

ATM our pages don't have the Google presence they could. If you notice, when googling "Smogon", the description is something ridiculous like "Provides information on pokemons moves and types." Our other pages don't have great descriptions either. This is a simple problem to fix; we need to have meta description tags on each important page of the site describing the content. For articles, we can reuse blurbs from the index pages. For other pages, we'll have to get creative. If you're interested in helping out, feel free to post. No technical skill required, just some good old fashioned "manual" labor.

In addition, Google seems to get confused with our generation specific pages because we don't have the generation in the title. I'm working on a general solution to this problem (#3 priority).

Breeding guide, still

Sorry X-Act, I got your attention on the last update but never really followed up. Since it's such a long article, we should probably partition it. If the 4 partitions it is currently in is optimal, then that's okay. I'd just upload each part in /dp/articles/ so we can see what it looks like... from there we can make improvements.

... on that note...

X-Act, if you want to edit in links to your user.smogon.com pages containing applets on your articles, feel free. I didn't want to link to geocities because their advertising is obnoxious.

"Main section"

Probably our most serious problem with the site is that there are no links to the "main section" of the site. You know, the section with our about page, credits (more to say on this in another topic), philosophy, general Pokemon articles... the closest thing we have to a link is at the top "About" and at the bottom "contributors". I'd like to find a good way to integrate links to main section pages on the front page. The problem is, they don't currently fit in the 3 categories listed on the front page.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to accomplish this? I had a small idea: changing "Participate..." into a combined "About Smogon" and "Community" section. Articles could go under Learn..., but I don't know if this is the best solution. Your feedback would be highly valued!!!!!!!!!!! (#2 priority)

Items

As you may have noticed, only the D/P items are available on the Dex. I've dreaded working on items for a while now but I've gotten to the point where it's almost the very last thing to work on in the Dex before I give it the "grand polishing" it needs.

At the moment, ALL items show on the D/P page. This sucks because most people don't give a shit about the effects of X-Accuracy or what have you. My initial thought was to scrap everything in the items database that didn't have a function in link battles, but this is impossible because the WFTC needs all of the items available. So instead, Brain had the idea of categorizing them and showing only items that have an effect in link battles by default.

There are several ways to categorize items; the most obvious is "Has an effect in link battle/Does not have an effect in link battle". I don't think those categories are great to be honest; at the very least there should be an additional category for TMs & HMs. It's possible to refine categories even more, however. Should we have a category for berries? A category for stat uppers like X-Accuracy? A category for useful EV items like Protein? My personal suggestion for items would be "Link Battle/TMs & HMs/Non Link Battle" but I'd really love some feedback on this.

Also: what do we do about RBY? I guess we could initially show TMs & HMs or Non Link Battle items but I don't know. Help me out here.

Article Revamps

A whole lot of revamps have been successfully completed and put on the site! I give my thanks to those who have participated in this project so far. Unfortunately, however, progress seems to have halted - there are a number of incomplete revamps in the forum and AFAIK no articles out of the backlog have been completed. Can we get this going again? We're so close, I'd really like to kill off those temp forums.

Stickies in Congregation

We decided a while back that if the Face of Smogon stickies were to be placed in Congregation, that "How did you find Smogon" and "What has Smogon done for you?" should be merged. Could someone make a new thread and come up with a good first post to kick it off (and also make sure it stays free of garbage)?

Leaves of Absence Thread

Could someone keep this thread clean? It's hard to figure out who is gone or here.
 
I'll help with the Google stuff.

A whole lot of revamps have been successfully completed and put on the site! I give my thanks to those who have participated in this project so far. Unfortunately, however, progress seems to have halted - there are a number of incomplete revamps in the forum and AFAIK no articles out of the backlog have been completed. Can we get this going again? We're so close, I'd really like to kill off those temp forums.
My article (pokemon tournaments) was edited, HTMLized, and put on the site, so at least one article from the backlog is complete. I'll lock the topic (which I should have done earlier).
 

makiri

My vast and supreme will shall be done!
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Three-Time Past SPL Championis a Two-Time Past WCoP Champion
I'd like to help out with some of the manual labor but atm I'm quite busy with the end of school stuff like finals. Another 2 weeks and I'll be ready to go.

Read.
 

obi

formerly david stone
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
Read. I was talking with Brain and others about the site before with regard to item categorization, and the only really useful thing I contributed was that if we go with multiple categories of item, then items shouldn't necessarily be limited to only one category.
 

Firestorm

I did my best, I have no regrets!
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
The placement of the About button could be part of the issue. It's at the top which really doesn't draw the eye as much as all the links on the side. Especially with the blue link colour blending into the header. I think it would fit pretty decently under Participate! as blurbs about the community and the Smogon philosophy can be thought of as guidelines to keep in mind when participating. If you don't mind it not being a verb, "Community" could be the overall header for the category which would make it fit really easily as it explains the community.

For items, doesn't the game already put everything into its own categories in the game? We could use that. I don't remember if it was a useful form of categorization anymore though. I do however think more categories are better than less. We could use the in-game categories as a start, and then start breaking them up further. I know that when I'm searching for what the different berry effects are, I'd rather not have to sort through a bunch of hold items to get to it.
 
I'd like to assist with the google pages if possible.

For the items I would recommend Link battle/TMs & HMs/Berries/Non link battle. Then again it might just be easier to add a filter function where you could go to TMs & HMs and find the HMs only or vice versa. If possible.
 

chaos

is a Site Content Manageris a Battle Simulator Administratoris a Programmeris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis an Administratoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnus
Owner
I'll help with the Google stuff.

My article (pokemon tournaments) was edited, HTMLized, and put on the site, so at least one article from the backlog is complete. I'll lock the topic (which I should have done earlier).
Thanks.

And yeah, please lock topics so we know what has been done and what hasn't :toast:

I'd like to help out with some of the manual labor but atm I'm quite busy with the end of school stuff like finals. Another 2 weeks and I'll be ready to go.

Read.
Okay cool. I realize a lot of people are going through finals right now... that's why I figure the projects have halted progress.

Read. I was talking with Brain and others about the site before with regard to item categorization, and the only really useful thing I contributed was that if we go with multiple categories of item, then items shouldn't necessarily be limited to only one category.
If we go with a scheme like Item Has Effect When Held/TMs & HMs/Item Does Not Have Effect When Held there isn't a point for multiple categories. This is the scheme I enjoy the most; it's simple (overcategorizing is pointless...)

The placement of the About button could be part of the issue. It's at the top which really doesn't draw the eye as much as all the links on the side. Especially with the blue link colour blending into the header.
Well About was meant to show on every page... it wasn't meant to be the definitive link to the "main section".

I think it would fit pretty decently under Participate! as blurbs about the community and the Smogon philosophy can be thought of as guidelines to keep in mind when participating. If you don't mind it not being a verb, "Community" could be the overall header for the category which would make it fit really easily as it explains the community.
That's kind of what I had in mind.

For items, doesn't the game already put everything into its own categories in the game? We could use that. I don't remember if it was a useful form of categorization anymore though. I do however think more categories are better than less. We could use the in-game categories as a start, and then start breaking them up further. I know that when I'm searching for what the different berry effects are, I'd rather not have to sort through a bunch of hold items to get to it.
I don't own a DS, so you'll need to post the categories if the game categorizes them. I'm personally a fan of less categories because I don't like to click through random stuff if I'm going to use Ctrl+F anyway, but if you are against that I'll need some concrete suggestions on what the categories should be.
 

StrangerDanger

RETURN TO COMPETITIVE POKEMON ISLAND
is a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Signing up for Google work. Just shoot me a PM/tell me next time i see you what to do and i'll work it all out.

also I'M NOT BIG GAY1?
 

chaos

is a Site Content Manageris a Battle Simulator Administratoris a Programmeris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis an Administratoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnus
Owner
Update to damage calculator layout: it's pretty much done, added styles... just a few problems to fix with spacing on the Move IVs EVs etc
 

DougJustDoug

Knows the great enthusiasms
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Artistis a Programmeris a Forum Moderatoris a Top CAP Contributoris a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnus
I'm spending tons of time coding on the damage calculator. I'm not messing with the base layout, since you are reworking that as we discussed. I've been working on domain functions. I've been heads-down on this so much, that I haven't been spending much time on IRC or Shoddy.

Over the next day or two, I plan to focus on the CAP project and try to get the next CAP pokemon creation underway. After that, it's back to the damage calculator. If you have the relative HTML layout somewhat finalized, then I will switch out the DOM calls to use your new layout. I separated all the DOM-based UI functions into their own .js file, so the switchover shouldn't be too difficult.
 

Firestorm

I did my best, I have no regrets!
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
The About could most likely stay there. Philosophy and Credits (or maybe as "Contributors") I think could easily go below Participate. You could link to the others from the About page as well as it does now. Double exposure.

For items, I didn't mean categorize them in separate pages. I meant categorize them in different tables on the same page. Maybe with anchored links at the top for quicker navigation. This way you can still ctrl+f but those just trying to find something that they know is in a certain category but don't know the effects of can find it easily as well.

I don't remember the DS categories too well at the moment and my DS is dead. They were organized as Berries, Poke Balls, TMs/HMs, Vitamins, and General I think. Not fully to our needs. Breaking up General into categories for permanent hold items, one-time use hold items, and items not related to battles (like you said) would be useful. I'm not sure if that covers all the Pokemon battle items though.
 

X-Act

np: Biffy Clyro - Shock Shock
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Top Researcher Alumnusis a Top CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnus
Breeding guide, still

Sorry X-Act, I got your attention on the last update but never really followed up. Since it's such a long article, we should probably partition it. If the 4 partitions it is currently in is optimal, then that's okay. I'd just upload each part in /dp/articles/ so we can see what it looks like... from there we can make improvements.

... on that note...

X-Act, if you want to edit in links to your user.smogon.com pages containing applets on your articles, feel free. I didn't want to link to geocities because their advertising is obnoxious.
Well, to be honest I'm sorry myself for not doing pretty much anything regarding the breeding guide since then, but I'm passing through such a busy patch right now that I couldn't do anything. I don't know when this will end, in fact. I'll try to do my best.
 
I'm all yours after finals man.

I'll take the liberty of doing Leaves of Absence now.

EDIT: done that, I suppose may as well do Cong stickies...

EDIT 2: and done that as well
 
I've also noticed that there is no way to get to the generation-neutral articles through the links. Perhaps the Articles link under Learn should point to /articles/ and that page should have links to /dp/articles etc.

Or the gen-neutral articles could be moved to appear in all of the generations' article pages and /articles/ scrapped.

Agreeing with Firestorm on the items front.

edit: Also count me in for any gruntwork.
 

makiri

My vast and supreme will shall be done!
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Three-Time Past SPL Championis a Two-Time Past WCoP Champion
Before I go to bed the DS item slots are:

Items: contains stuff like Thunderstone, repel, escape rope, and in battle items like Quick Claw, Choice Band, etc

Medicine: Revives, Rare Candy, Calcium, Ether

Pokeballs: Pokeballs

TMS and HMs: TMs and HMs

Berries: Berries

Mail: Mail

Battle Items: XSpecial, Guard Spec

Key Items: Bike, Journal, Pal Pad
 
hi!

i'm finally free after a grueling year of studies and examinations, and am ready to devote quite a bit of time to the site, after ofcourse i tackle some rl issues that propped up :( that shouldn't take long however.

1. regarding coding -- i will be logging on to IRC often and we can talk over IRC regarding the bash project

2. google pagerank gruntwork -- signing up for this one

3. closing articles in revamp/backlog once they're HTMLized -- i have been doing this for some time, i was unable to continue due to a busy schedule, but i'll start doing it again - closing threads and adding a status memo to the title ([htmlized], [on site] etc). on that note, there was something i needed to ask you - do we need to close articles outside revamp/backlog (ie the main C&C forum) once they're HTMLized? i'm refering to X-Act's Damage Formula article which i did not close since it was (and still is) getting a lot of posts.

thanks for your time
 

chaos

is a Site Content Manageris a Battle Simulator Administratoris a Programmeris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis an Administratoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnus
Owner
I've also noticed that there is no way to get to the generation-neutral articles through the links. Perhaps the Articles link under Learn should point to /articles/ and that page should have links to /dp/articles etc.
Hmm... this might be a good idea. I have a feeling from the main page most people are going to be looking for the generation neutral ones anyway (Introduction to Competitive Battling, Introduction to the Tier System, etc).

Or the gen-neutral articles could be moved to appear in all of the generations' article pages and /articles/ scrapped.
We can't clutter up the articles pages like that. There are going to be a lot of generation neutral articles.

Before I go to bed the DS item slots are:

Items: contains stuff like Thunderstone, repel, escape rope, and in battle items like Quick Claw, Choice Band, etc

Medicine: Revives, Rare Candy, Calcium, Ether

Pokeballs: Pokeballs

TMS and HMs: TMs and HMs

Berries: Berries

Mail: Mail

Battle Items: XSpecial, Guard Spec

Key Items: Bike, Journal, Pal Pad
I don't know if this is the best way to sort items on the Dex. Items which have an effect in battle should definitely be a category without sharing space with nonsense like Escape Rope.

In addition, Mail and Pokeballs could be lumped in the "who gives a shit category" ...

i guess i can sort out that leaves of absences thread
come back when you sort out your weight problem

3. closing articles in revamp/backlog once they're HTMLized -- i have been doing this for some time, i was unable to continue due to a busy schedule, but i'll start doing it again - closing threads and adding a status memo to the title ([htmlized], [on site] etc). on that note, there was something i needed to ask you - do we need to close articles outside revamp/backlog (ie the main C&C forum) once they're HTMLized? i'm refering to X-Act's Damage Formula article which i did not close since it was (and still is) getting a lot of posts.

thanks for your time
ok cool. yeah, you need to close those topics - "peer edits" should be made in Article Workshop.
 
Finals right now, but I'm extremely free next month onwards.
As always, I'm up for doing any of the grunt work required.
Also interested in the coding once my exams are over!
 

DM

Ce soir, on va danser.
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
I'm a huge fan of the title of this thread, because it postulates that SD was also a big gay for the previous three iterations.
 

Jibaku

Who let marco in here????
is a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SPL Champion
In with Sage, I can work on revamping some stuff too, although I'll have to wait until exams is over.
 

evan

I did my best -- I have no regrets
is a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
chaos, you know i'm always here for some good old fashioned grunt work.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top