Survey! How many of you have own websites?
We certainly have some critical mass of people using Racks and Tags already. Things are looking pretty well, so we consider adding some integration features that will allow you to embed Racks and Tags updates in your website.
This very informal survey will make some decisions easier for us, so please take a minute to respond. You can reply either in comments or in this forum thread:
1) Do you have your own website? (yes/no)
2) Would you be interested in embedding some of the information in your Racks and Tags database in your website, and what kind of information:
– your top artists
– recently purchased albums
– recently played albums
– new album ratings
– multiple choices/all of the above?
3) What method of embedding would you prefer:
– WordPress widget
– generic JavaScript widget
– image
– swf
– something else (json, xml)?
4) any other comments/suggestions?
Isn’t this already possible? I use the RSS-feed embed on my webpage to show my recently purchashed albums!
Martin –
Correct, you can already embed RSS feeds using third-party scripts. However, some of the data is not exposed in RSS (for example, top artists). Embedding RSS requires skill and understanding of how it works.
I am talking about more specialized and accessible widgets and banners, which you can copy and paste anywhere in HTML code or even in forum signatures.
Andrei
1) Yes, I have my own website, a blog which I built myself. I also already use RSS feeds to embed dynamic content throughout the site. Specifically, I have a feed from netflix.com which shows which movies I currently have at home, and a feed from GoodReads.com showing what I am currently reading. In fact, the whole reason I sought out Racks And Tags was because I was looking for someplace online that I could create a list of what albums I owned, and mark what I’m currently listening to or most recently purchased, so that I could stream that info to my site. I am still awaiting the ability to either tag albums through the site or have them automatically tagged by playing them using Orange CD Player.
2) Yes: recently played albums, recently purchased (added) albums. Perhaps ‘most played albums’ as well?
3) Either a straight RSS feed, or a generic JavaScript widget. The advantage of the RSS feed, of course, is that I can fully customize the display. (Though I would still voluntarily give credit and a link to RacksAndTags.com)
4) Please make it so the listing of one’s album collection can be updated through the site! Please make it so that albums can be marked “new” or “playing / just played” through the site! Please enable RSS feeds of the above! Thank you. 🙂
Hi, I believe adding interactivity (in any way) with members’ personal websites would be a great idea. This should also be easy to implement for newbies and people like me who have limited skills in developing websites with advanced techniques. Also, how-to’s would be welcome for those who would wish to tweak predefined widgets and tools. Thanks for the great job with Orange CD Suite and Racks and Tags.
I like all the ideas
Would love to implement them in my website’
1) Do you have your own website? (yes/no)
I do have a website, and until Racks and Tags came along, I used to export the database to HTML files and upload them to the site. This worked well in as much as the information is customisable and I was able to specify the size of images etc (see number 4 for more on this subject!)
2) Would you be interested in embedding some of the information in your Racks and Tags database in your website, and what kind of information:
I also currently have a little blog in development and I would really like to be able to add information onto it, and to be able to completely customise the content of this information (to include all of the suggestions you’ve made) and maybe more (ie a link from the album/artist to the corresponding place in Racks And Tags) would be splendid!
3) What method of embedding would you prefer:
Although SWF is a really neat way of displaying information, I tend to avoid using it because there are still people out there who don’t have the latest version installed, or have it installed at all. WordPress widgets would be good, as would some sort of customisable Javascript/HTML etc. I am not massively clued up on anything other than HTML/PHP but would be happy to be able to play around with code to get the right info in the right format etc.
4) any other comments/suggestions?
I would like to be able to place more images with my album information. I tend to scan the cover and disk of CDs that I buy (don’t ask me why!) and would quite like to be able to add all images to the OrangeCD database, if not Racks and Tags as well. Although I only scan the front cover, and not the whole boolets, I appreciate that could/would mean a significantly increased use of disk space on the website if it were available for upload, but I would be willing to pay a little more monthly fee for that functionalilty.
As well as the capability of adding widgets etc to my website/blog etc, I’d quite like to be able to modify the layout/design of my racks and tags pages – especially the individual album pages. As mentioned before, I’d like to be able to show bigger cover images if nothing else.
A wordpress widget would be great
1) Yes
2) I would love to embed! I would particularly like to show an artist cloud, and a genre cloud if genre tagging is ever enabled here. I used Wordle once to generate a cloud for my site, but I have to redo it every time I add new artists.
I would also be interested in showing recent acquisitions, and maybe a customizable playlist – I already do the playlist through another site, Grooveshark (currently visible on my site). Adding images to the RSS feeds would also be great.
3) Personally, I prefer the most flexible/compatible methods, so I’d like images and javascript, and maybe more RSS. SWF if the others aren’t possible for the function needed.
I would be very interested in adding my music library to my website. I think a Java applet would probably work best, although I don’t mind making a whole page available in an iframe.
I think if you are going to do it, you should make ALL of the data available online.
Thanks and good luck.
Kenny
1) Do you have your own website?
Yes. My whole music database is online on a dynamic website fully written in ASP. While the albums here (Racks and Tags) are only the ones that are on my notebook.
2) Would you be interested in embedding some of the information in your Racks and Tags database in your website, and what kind of information:
Maybe the recent played, not really sure what could be embedded from R&T
3) What method of embedding would you prefer:
Some widget or open code
4) any other comments/suggestions?
I came to R&T thinking that I could hear some of the music online. My mistake. Would be great. The “community” side of the site could be better. I really don’t know how, but something that would let all the member comment and share about their musical experience. Maybe it’s not the place to do so. As I said, I don’t know what, but something is bugging me.
1)Yes I do
2)Multiple Choises
3)JavaScript Widget
4)Keep up the good work