Updater Position Giveaway ;)

[Kosta]

Hey everyone!

As you know, our current updater crew consists of Reup and Sebatianos, who have been carrying out this duty beautifly for last couple of months. However, sometimes things get pretty tight with the schedule, so we could use another hand there.

A typical set of tasks that an updater would need to carry out by himself with each update is:
- Collect relevant game info for the game (year, producers, publishers....)
- Move the game archive to an appropriate location using an online file manager
- Use the form in the administration panel to add the game to the site
- Post news on the front page
- Create appropriate topic in game discussion forum

This can usually be performed in under 30 minutes when you get in the loop. The updates are prepared by me, so you wouldn't have to worry about resizing and optimizing pictures, fixing the review, digging up the archive, and so on.

The most important thing is reliability. We need a person that has good organizational skills, so if you say that you can make an update on thursday, we can count on you.

Lastly, any of the following things will be considered a bonus:
- Your computer skills are good and you have past experience or learn quickly
- If you are a forum regular (we know you)
- You are old enough to be taken seriously ;)

Feel free to PM me if you're interested! I'll keep this topic pinned until someone suitable volounteers :)

[Kenney]

The only thing I don't meet with is that you should be known at the forums :(
I would love to be an updater! I use my computer everyday, anytime. So you can count on me. Too bad you have to be a known user around here :(

[Tom Henrik]

You don't have to be known, it's just a plus as we know your personality better. ;)

[Romano]

But you can always send PM to Kosta (http://www.abandonia.com/forum/index.php?act=Msg&CODE=4&MID=2)

[Abi79]

Let's see: I learn quickly :ok:
I'm a forum regular :ok:
Haven't got the smallest ideea what a online file manager is (but I can always find out very quickly) :not_ok:
I'm young (at the age limit) :not_ok:
I'm good at the computer :ok: (regedit :wub: )
I usually have good organizational skills (I can always work on the computer, do my homework and learn at the same time :D ) :huh:

Not qualified. I'll stick to the sending of mails to those who work with the company where my mom is. Oh, well :)

[Kenney]

Ah, I'll give it a try! Thanks! :D

[Blood-Pigggy]

I have no hopes whatsoever of achieving this position.
Hope it lands with someone reliable.

Oh, I'm still available if you do decide for some unknown reason to recruit me.
(If the position is still available)

@Shrek, Post below mine: I did you silly man.

[Shrek]

i' ve been thinking about applying for this position... little fish has been making my head for that, but i don' t know if i' m good enough for that.

it is a position that requires responsability and reliability (like Kosta said) - that i am supposed to have, but probably i don' t, at least sometimes.

can' t you guys just invite someone you trust? or are you expecting to see who applies and from these invite one?

as i' m still thinking about "pm or not to pm" - which i most probably wont - i guess you' ll find the right person :ok: and he or she will do a nice job :party:

@ blood-pigggy: you need to pm Kosta LOL

[punch999]

I would be willing to do so since I fit into everything except age. Which is just a bonus

[TheChosen]

I havent done anything big in Abandonia so far...

So id like to try and help you!

[TheVoid]

Uhm. It would be a good chance to make something useful for the site. I apply for it. I hope I can be taken seriously. :tease:

[Sean]

I also apply.

[Sebatianos]

I completely agree with Kosta's decision to have this public apeal to the members. If anybody would be asked to become an updater - that would be almost pressuring people into doing the job. It's better if they volenteer.
So far The Void is the one who deffinetly seems like an apropriate candidate - but more then one could join the team (curently consisting of Reup and myself - with occasional help from Tom and Kosta).
I think all who sent in the offer to help have at least shown the willingness to accept the responsibility and makes them potential candidates. I guess the perfect situation would be, to have 7 updaters and each could do an update on a given day of the week... A big team (if it co-operates well) is the best way. So ALL are welcome - if you're really serious about it.

Now just to quickly explain once again what an updater has to do:
Check if the game is abandonware!
In some cases just some simple copy-paste. That's if a review is well written with all the aditional information (publisher, producer, year of publishing...), otherwise search for the missing information (usually you find the information on mobygames - if not, search some more).
Often reviewers need to check for compatibility - so you'd have to have a WinXP system with both VDMSound and DOSBox (the games were created for DOS - so they should basically all have to be DOS compatible).
Then you need to move the game to the right place on the server (double-check the archive and the archive name before doing that) and fill out a form that needs all the information you had to gather.
You sometimes need to resize a picture and make a small picture for the news section. So some picture editing programe comes really handy.
Then you need some creativity (this is the hardest part for me) to introduce the game in the news section - sometimes I've no idea what to say.
And that's mostly it. You need to make a new post on the forum and notify the mailing list.

OK - that's about it - if everything is pre-prepared an update takes no more then 15 minutes. But sometimes things get complicated and things get wrong. Actually the most importaint thing is the part when you check for compatibility - you can see if the game has some bugs or a special (not mentioned in the review) way of getting started - then you need to edit the review slightly. Also some reviews need to be ironed out (I know - the grammer squad is doing an excelent job when it comes down to this), but some people are not even using the spell checker while writing reviews...

Hope that clerifys a bit what's an updater's job - and will help you decide if you wanna do it or not :ok:

[Dino]

Originally posted by Sebatianos@Sep 27 2005, 07:17 PM
So far The Void is the one who deffinetly seems like an apropriate candidate - but more then one could join the team (curently consisting of Reup and myself - with occasional help from Tom and Kosta).

Oooops, I forgot to announce that I applied for position yesterday as well. So I won't find myself insulted. :)

I would be very much interested to do that job, wouldn't have any problems with doing tasks mentioned in your post.

[Data]

Originally posted by Sebatianos@Sep 27 2005, 07:17 PM

So far The Void is the one who deffinetly seems like an apropriate candidate
Didn't know Kosta had an alter ego.

[Sebatianos]

Didn't know Kosta had an alter ego.

I just wanted to say, that he meets all the criteria (at least in my opinion). I'm not trying to speak for Kosta. Sorry if my post was misunderstood.

[Blood-Pigggy]

So how old do you have to be to be taken seriously?
That little "requirement" is a bit insulting actually. :ok:

[Sebatianos]

Originally posted by Blood-Pigggy@Sep 27 2005, 09:30 PM
That little "requirement" is a bit insulting actually. :ok:
Well you may find it insoulting, but it makes a lot of sence (at least to me). Older people are more likely to be serious and responsible enough for the job.

[Blood-Pigggy]

Does the "we know you well enough" thing counter that?
Because although some of us might be young, there's probably many of us you can trust to be reliable.
I mean Danny is around here isn't he? :D

[a1s]

Originally posted by Blood-Pigggy@Sep 27 2005, 10:30 PM
So how old do you have to be to be taken seriously?
That little "requirement" is a bit insulting actually. :ok:
the requirement consists of two parts, and you seem to be ignoring one: he has to be old enough to be taken seriously. this isn't really about age, but in nature the older a human being is the more sreious it will be (on the average), that said, I've seen people in their mid 20s who are total bums, and in their mid teens (10-19) who were sucssesefuly leading a student self govering council. Now a person who sees an insult in everything he reads deosn't strike one as mature, does he? :sneaky:

P.S. Just so you guys would know, I'll write an aplication to this too.

[Blood-Pigggy]

Originally posted by a1s+Sep 27 2005, 03:30 PM****</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (a1s @ Sep 27 2005, 03:30 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> ******QuoteBegin-Blood-Pigggy@Sep 27 2005, 10:30 PM
So how old do you have to be to be taken seriously?
That little "requirement" is a bit insulting actually.* :ok:
the requirement consists of two parts, and you seem to be ignoring one: he has to be old enough to be taken seriously. this isn't really about age, but in nature the older a human being is the more sreious it will be (on the average), that said, I've seen people in their mid 20s who are total bums, and in their mid teens (10-19) who were sucssesefuly leading a student self govering council. Now a person who sees an insult in everything he reads deosn't strike one as mature, does he? :sneaky:

P.S. Just so you guys would know, I'll write an aplication to this too. [/b][/quote]
And one who can't see the basic nature of humanity isn't very mature either. :D
When they said older, I thought they meant as in age, and Seb confirmed that, and tell me how I'm not wrong or right.
I didn't take it as an insult, as the smilie would have told you that, I just thought it was a bit short-sighted.
Next we learn the concept of logical thinking a1.

Anywho, I think a1 would make a could candidate anyway, cause he always seems to make his posts at the right time. :bleh:

[moogle]

Originally posted by Sebatianos+Sep 27 2005, 07:46 PM****</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Sebatianos @ Sep 27 2005, 07:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> ******QuoteBegin-Blood-Pigggy@Sep 27 2005, 09:30 PM
That little "requirement" is a bit insulting actually.* :ok:
Well you may find it insoulting, but it makes a lot of sence (at least to me). Older people are more likely to be serious and responsible enough for the job. [/b][/quote]
I totally agree with you, and most of the time, theyr more organized too, some young people are, but others (like me kinda :angel: ) really aren't.

[Alf Hari]

Just some questions:

- How often are updates required, for each updater?
- Does the position involve having to trawl through other sites?
- How regular is the updating, i.e. is it sometimes, busy sometimes not; or constant?

I've only just joined the forum, and I don't know a lot about Abandonia, but I'd still like to hear about the positions.

By the way, I'm a 19 y.o. Australian university student, so using English properly (and creatively) is no problem and I could probably figure out how to use any programs required.

:D

[BeefontheBone]

Well, they do one a day between 2 people at the minute - so it'd be one every other day if possible.
It will need you to check if games are abandoned or not, so you may need to use other sites.
It's once a day.

[Fawfulhasfury]

Oh, me! I could update good! :D

[Kosta]

OK! Thank you for the submissions. I've received more PMs then I hoped for, and I am very grateful for each and every one, so thank you for offering assistance. I will post the name of the new updater here tomorrow afternoon!

[ReamusLQ]

Originally posted by Kosta@Sep 28 2005, 01:08 PM
OK! Thank you for the submissions. I've received more PMs then I hoped for, and I am very grateful for each and every one, so thank you for offering assistance. I will post the name of the new updater here tomorrow afternoon!
<patiently waits to hear the final decision>

Ah crap, I'm too impatient!

<runs to Time Machine>

Dang it, it hasn't been invented yet. I know! I'll make one!

<spends the next 24 hours construcing a time machine>

:D

[Bobbin Threadbare]

Originally posted by a1s+Sep 28 2005, 06:30 AM****</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (a1s @ Sep 28 2005, 06:30 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> ******QuoteBegin-Blood-Pigggy@Sep 27 2005, 10:30 PM
So how old do you have to be to be taken seriously?
That little "requirement" is a bit insulting actually.* :ok:
the requirement consists of two parts, and you seem to be ignoring one: he has to be old enough to be taken seriously. this isn't really about age, but in nature the older a human being is the more sreious it will be (on the average), that said, I've seen people in their mid 20s who are total bums, and in their mid teens (10-19) who were sucssesefuly leading a student self govering council. Now a person who sees an insult in everything he reads deosn't strike one as mature, does he? :sneaky:

P.S. Just so you guys would know, I'll write an aplication to this too. [/b][/quote]
A short version:
It's not your age level, more your maturity age level. Generally, the older you are the more mature.

Dang! I'd be good at this, too late. Maybe next time.

@Reamus: Or you could just use my friends time machine to invent the time machine quicker. :P

[chickenman]

woohoo, i hope i get it :)

[Tom Henrik]

I hope I don't :P

[Shrek]

i know i won' t :D
at least for the main site (i might get that one for the "portuguese translated site") :bleh:

[TheChosen]

Often reviewers need to check for compatibility - so you'd have to have a WinXP system with both VDMSound and DOSBox (the games were created for DOS - so they should basically all have to be DOS compatible).


Darm! I dont have an XP.

Hope i can still make it....

[Kosta]

I've reviewed all the applications once again and made my final decision. Thanks again for your applications. And remember, just because you weren't chosen, doesn't mean that you don't fit all the needed criteria. It had to come down to two people (I decided to take two because of the overwhelming response), so don't feel bad about it :)

OK, and the new people that you will (hopefully) see updating soon are:
ReamusLQ
and
TheVoid

You will be PMd!

For the rest, don't worry, we are bound to have more positions where you can help us in a way, and hopefully you'll still be willing to do so then ;)

[Frodo]

Conrgratulations Reamus and Void. :ok:

Our 2 newest updaters.

:cheers:


May you update many, many games. :D

[chickenman]

:( oh well maby next time

[Blood-Pigggy]

There's going to be a next time? :D
If Reamus collapses from the work load, I will be there for his hug.

[ReamusLQ]

Originally posted by Blood-Pigggy@Sep 29 2005, 12:57 PM
There's going to be a next time? :D
If Reamus collapses from the work load, I will be there for his hug.
yay for piggy hugs.

Just remember, no getting blood on my outfit...this is from banana republic.

[Mr.Snuggles]

Im not that great at being one. Plus i don't have XP but i want it.

[punch999]

Snuggles its already over

[TheVoid]

Oh wow that's a great honour :D

I hope I'll be able to make a decent job..

[ReamusLQ]

Originally posted by TheVoid@Sep 29 2005, 03:19 PM
Oh wow that's a great honour :D

I hope I'll be able to make a decent job..
me too :D

[Dino]

Congratulations to both of you! May you do a good job. :ok:

[xcom freak]

Originally posted by Tom Henrik@Sep 29 2005, 11:03 AM
I hope I don't :P
Yeah same here. I thought you were looking for help, never thought it was a competition.

[bruno]

i think it is good to have so many candidates, it is important because many people want the developing of Abandonia and i Congratulations to both :cheers:

[lethe]

Originally posted by Shrek@Sep 29 2005, 01:53 PM
i know i won' t :D
at least for the main site (i might get that one for the "portuguese translated site") :bleh:
We should probably talk... Could save us both some time. :bye: