Collectorz.com Newsletter June 2008
Dear Collector,
This is Alwin, president of Collectorz.com, with the monthly update on what's cooking at our office.
New release: Comic Collector 4.1
This version brings more integration between the program and our online comic database, with added "New Releases" and "Daily Updates" tab pages in the Add Automatically screen.Check the screens here.
We're proud of the result and our fingers are itching to bring similar features to our other programs.
Personally, I would love to have a "New Releases" list in Game Collector. It would make it sooooo much easier to add my new purchases. Guess what Ronald is working on at this very moment :-)
Behind the Scenes: The Collectorz.com movie database
A continuing project at Collectorz.com is our own online movie and DVD database, so I thought it would be a nice idea to give you a quick "behind the scenes" on how we process your movie submissions.
We receive hundreds (sometimes thousands) of submissions on a daily basis. Processing them all manually is impossible.
So we are using a scoring system that helps us decide whether a submission should be either:
- 1: Looked at manually
- 2: Processed automatically
- or 3: Discarded immediately.
Another method we use is what we call "locking". As soon as Martin and Alain have found a movie entry to be complete and correct, they "lock" it.
This lock prevents future submissions on that movie from modifying movie data (but still allows new DVD details). The "locked" flag also affects the scoring: no points are awarded for submitted movie data anymore.
The above system helps us to handle your submissions effiently. But still: if you want to help improve the quality and coverage of the database, make sure your data is clean and correct before you submit:
- Check that the IMDB number is filled in (and correct).
- Check your cast and crew list for duplicates and bogus entries.
- Check that the barcode matches the one on your DVD box and matches the cover you are submitting.
Meet the Collector: Evelyn Eide
Here's Evelyn, telling us about how she uses Book Collector to manage her home library.
Hi, my name is Evelyn, and yes, I’m addicted - to books. My current collection consists of 2.712 books (and increasing).
I don’t have the ability to get rid of them after they’ve been read, and if I borrow a book, and like it, I just HAVE to get it for my own shelves. I love to have books around me, and my friends know that it’s no use buying me “stuff” - there’s no space for it. My friends also get a bit pale and panick every time I talk about moving...
I’ve always liked to read, and before I learned how to, I was very impatient and eager to learn, and terrorizing my surroundings to teach me. In my teens I went around to all our neighbors and borrowed piles of books. My mother didn’t like it - she wanted me to get out and get some fresh air once in a while - so then I started to stash the books under the mattress.
Some years ago I downloaded a trial version of Book Collector, and was stunned by the possibilities. Still it took some years before I dared to buy it - scary internet-paying.
The first time I registered my books, I used afternoons and weekends for months to do the job. Then my computer CRASHED! Now I have BACKUP.
I also have some movies, both DVDs and VHS (887). This is not an obsession like my books, it just happened during the years. Still, it was a relief to get my Movie Collector program to keep track - and of course - managing loans.
Maybe my next project has to be the music I’ve got stored on a external hard drive - about 150 GB with about 35.000 files. For that lot I really could use the Music Collector.
Take care!
Love from Evelyn in Bergen, Norway
- Happy Collecting -
Alwin Hoogerdijk
President, Collectorz.com
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