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Architecht

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Journal Entries posted by Architecht

  1. Architecht
    Get out your copy and paste, because these are the web pages you want to read - from cameras and scanners to lighting and lenses.
    I saw someone else ask about photographing coins in a collectors' journal entry, but rather than answer directly, I thought it might be nice to put up an answer for everyone to peruse.
    This question is a really common one that I've seen come up many times on the NGC chat boards, and while I'm no expert myself... I know a few people who are. Copy the web addresses below, paste them into your browser, and soak up the info:
     
    1. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=261452&an=&page=1&vc=1
    2. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=542148&an=&page=&vc=1
    3. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=440992&an=&page=&vc=1
    4. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=768605&an=&page=&vc=1
    5. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=235575&an=&page=&vc=1
    6. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=389629&an=&page=&vc=1
    7. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=298537&an=&page=&vc=1
    8. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=808763&an=&page=&vc=1
    9. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=553454&an=&page=&vc=1
    10. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=477292&an=&page=&vc=1
    11. http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=493955&an=&page=&vc=1
    12.
    http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=833429&an=&page=0&vc=1
  2. Architecht
    Well, at this point I've absorbed quite a bit about collecting through osmosis. You can't be involved in putting together web sites like the CCG companies have without starting to really "get it". But I haven't been bit by the collecting bug... yet.
    I have to admit, though, that I've felt the pull on occasion. I bought a Roman coin, I own a Dave Sim graphic novel... little tiny tastes of collecting. But while I have yet to take on the collecting addiction directly, the experience has left me thinking about the basic sub-culture traits shared by all of the flavors of hobbies - from collecting to every other pursuit.
     
    I'm a tech geek myself. Gadgets, software, gaming, computers - that's my thing. I'm sitting here right now trying to write this article while staring at a FedEx box dropped off on my desk that I just KNOW has my new BlackBerry cell phone in it! MUST OPEN NOW! (grin)
     
    I've also poked around the 4x4 off roading sub-culture, even taking my brand new Xterra out on the trail... until I ripped off a side view mirror on a tree anyway. Oops. And I've got friends who are into the fast-car sub-culture, restoring old muscle cars, working over the engines and exhaust system to squeeze every last horse out them. One friend of mine has a car that I swear... stomping on the gas is like flushing a toilet of gasoline into the engine. He must get 2mpg.
     
    Anyway, there have been a few things that have struck me as pretty universal about these activities.
     
    1. The desire to build
     
    2. The pursuit of knowledge
     
    3. The excitement of sharing
     
    At their heart, all of these pursuits seem to me to be about these three things.
     
    If your thing is computers, you get excited about souping up your computer to the heights of performance. The desire to build something faster, better, and that just plain looks good is there. Throwing that next piece of hardware into your machine, or installing a bit of software that cranks up your system - these are the moments that are hobby-exciting. It's a process of building something, and the reward is that feeling of standing back and looking at what you've wrought and loving it. Is it really so different than plugging the next key date coin, or key issue comic into your collection?
     
    Or perhaps you get engrossed in understanding the nuances of memory performance, processor cycles, the latest video cards, and you take a certain pride and joy in the process of accumulating knowledge. There's a piece of yourself invested in the things you've come to learn. There's a prestige in knowing that you know your stuff COLD. Is there really such a difference between knowing exactly how to performance tune an engine, knowing what memory timings work best in a computer, and for instance understanding how to identify monster natural toning? Or really know that a price variant on a comic is a rare and beautiful thing?
     
    And once you've done all of that - once you've built your car, or assembled your computer, or completed your set, and pulled together a run of comics... you know what the next thing you want to do is.
     
    You want to show it off! You want to find other people that can feel a bit of the same excitement you felt learning everything it took to build what you've built! You want to share that silly grin that fishermen share when telling stories about the one that got away or the awed look that art collectors get as they view each other's newest pieces.
     
    You want to discuss the intricacies of your hobby like two golfers do who share tips on the latest and greatest drivers, or the best way to eliminate a slice.
     
    Build. Learn. Share.
     
    It's what it's all about, and it crosses hobbies and sub-cultures and really cuts to the core of human nature. It cuts to the soul of the social, building, learning beings that we all are. I've got to say. I'm pretty proud to have been involved in helping to build the registries, the Collectors' Society, the CS message boards... Knowing that the "collecting" bug is really just a universal urge for us all to get together on a few things really makes it feel... in a small way... like something noble.
     
    Too corny for ya? Sorry. I didn't mean to wax corny.
     
    Arch
     
  3. Architecht
    I got to cheat a bit and be the first person to post a journal entry, since I had a little insider-knowledge about when it would be going up.
    But I've already received 3 or 4 "Contact Member" messages on that first article, and from people that I don't THINK I've seen hanging around the message board much. I knew that this feature would be a great way to get people started sharing their thoughts about collecting. In a sense it's quite different then the message boards, in that you have a much stronger place to build up an "identity".
     
    Your user home page gives you a spot where you can not only sound off about your collecting passion, but you can build a real history of your thoughts. People can drop by and truly develop a sense over time of your collecting journey. Who knows, this may even spawn mini "collector celebrities" whose home pages become really popular hot-spots for people to visit for their compelling opinions.
     
    I didn't really think much about the personal "contact member" function, though. But having posted an article, I'm really starting to think that the direct 1to1 feedback this could inspire could lead to alot of great collecting friendships!
     
    I'm envisioning alot more coin/comic show dinner/lunch meetings from this one!
     
    Arch
  5. Architecht
    Just a quick update on things I'm keeping an eye on in terms of web development.
    Many times, new features or enhancement begin as simple observations about how the site is being used, and only blossom into announceable features later. The "chewing on an idea" phase isn't of interest to everyone, but for those who wonder what we're looking at on an average day, this might give a bit of a peak into things.
     
    There are also usually larger updates in progress. I can't always let the cat out of the bag in terms of what's coming, but the little things are nice to talk about too.
     
     
    Recent Thoughts:
     
    I'd like to update the Collectors' Journal to accommodate web links, and perhaps the display of images. Currently we don't allow the processing of HTML through the journal in order to prevent people from exploiting the system maliciously, but a controlled set of HTML might be just the thing.
     
    I'm also starting to see a few buy and sell requests through the journal. This may lead eventually to us allowing people to categorize their entries to help others focus in on areas of interest.
     
    I'd like to provide the ability for members to respond publicly to each other's article in addition to using the "contact member" link. There's a fine line between this kind of functionality, though, and what's provided in the "chat boards" area. This needs some design thought to determine where the most benefit is.
     
    I've been watching the Total Registry Ranking page, and we've done some fine tuning to how those point totals are calculated. You may have noticed the recent shuffling of points. These have been calculation changes to Total Points, but have had no effect on set points. We should have some text up on the Ranking page with the next minor release to explain how the points are totaled.
     
    The "Most Viewed Sets - Top 100" listing page is also of interest. The intent of this page is to allow the public in general to "vote" by viewing the sets they find most interesting and thus push them up the list for others to view. Initially I expected to find a bunch of the Best Presented winners (the little blue ribbon) right near the top, but it hasn't fully worked out that way. My expectation is that it will take some time, but that the cream will rise to the top.
     
    It does suggest to me, though, that a more concise place to view all the award winning sets in a list that links to their CURRENT configuration (not just what they looked like when they won) might be in order.
     
    We've added memory to the server that runs the CS, and that's had a nice effect, but I'm still looking at other way to increase performance - both hardware and software.
     
    The PMG Order Form has recently gone up, so I'm waiting for feedback on how that's been working both for customers and for PMG. Assuming all goes well, we'll be putting the same thing in place for NGC and CGC. It's a fairly familiar format, but the code base behind it is new and performs better.
     
    Of course, our recent announcement of changes in our ranking structure to address score-ties provide some insight into our thinking there. There's an interesting thread on the chat boards under the "NGC - NCS - PMG" area in the Certified Registry board discussing the update here:
     
    http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=851456&an=0&page=0#851456
     
     
    The coin gallery is a really nice feature, and for those who have discovered it, it's quite popular. There are some really neat way to find members with lots of pictures that people may not be aware of:
     
    1. Go to the Total Registry Point Ranking page
    2. Click on the column header "% images" to sort it
    3. Find people with high coin counts and high % images.
     
    Those are bound to be interesting Coin Galleries. Just click on the member name to view their home page and jump over to their Coin Gallery using the navigation along the top.
     
    On the Chat Boards, I'm trying to gather feedback on the boards interface. Some have said it's a bit hard to use. You always get some measure of that feedback as every new or unfamiliar system requires some adapting, but I'm trying to get down to specifics on exactly what is hard to use. This will help determine if there are changes we should make or if it's simply the "this isn't like the last place" syndrome. We're also looking into hardware upgrades for the boards.
     
    Well, that's all I've got at the moment. Please forgive the stream of consciousness flow of this article. I wanted this to be a little informal and to share some musings rather than just "ready for prime time" announcements.
     
  6. Architecht
    Well, we've just launched the Signature Sets and I have to admit that I'm already surprised.
    The new collections that have been entered really prove that there are more ways to collect than anyone could define.
     
    From Overdates
    http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/ViewPersonalCollection.aspx?UserCollectionID=11
     
    To toned coins
    http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/ViewPersonalCollection.aspx?UserCollectionID=18
     
    Tops pops
    http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/ViewPersonalCollection.aspx?UserCollectionID=22
     
    And even such unique approaches as a coin from every place you've visited! Quite a travel schedule, Archer collection. Some company is happy to have you as a frequent flyer.
     
    http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/ViewPersonalCollection.aspx?UserCollectionID=6
     
    I'm really looking forward to seeing more sets come up, as you never really know what to expect out of the next set that will appear. It's a bit like opening a present when you check the list of recent Signature Sets:
     
    http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/SignatureSetList.aspx?list=Recent
     
    Here's to our collectors' Signature creativity.
     
    Cheers,
    Arch
  7. Architecht
    We've added several new features to the registry and the Collectors' Journals that are pretty fun.
    On the set detail page, we've now added a gallery view:
     
    http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/PeopleSetDetail.aspx?PeopleSetID=5673&Tab=list
     
    We have also put in some code to block people from spamming views on their sets. Back when we put this feature in, we did put in a simple block to prevent logged in owners views of their own sets from counting in the views, but we didn't anticipate that some sets would... uhm... rise through the most viewed page in a questionable but meteoric way? That problem has now been at least mitigated.
     
    http://www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/viewCount.asp
     
    Other recent additions include the Public Name Search that shows in the upper left of the web pages. We hope you enjoy our continual efforts to enrich the Collectors' Society.
     
    P.S. Oh yeah. We added pictures and automatic linking of URLs to collectors journals.
    smokiessun
  9. Architecht
    Ronday raises a good point and one I've thought quite a bit about myself.
    The Collectors' Journals were originally conceived with a pretty straight forward purpose; to allow collectors a place to post their thoughts about and experiences with collecting in close proximity to their registry sets. The vision was that you might visit the home page of a user and be able to get a very personal sense of what they're collecting and why in a more general philosophical way than just commetns on coins and sets specifically. I hoped to find many journal entries on topics like:
    1. Finding your holy grail coin
    2. Discoveries at a garage sale that filled your set
    3. Realizing something new about the series you collect
    4. Ruminating about your changing understanding of grading as you gained collecting experience
    5. Deciding how and why to focus your collecting
    6. Describing what grades and looks of coins you collect and why
    7. Old war stories about how you first got into collecting
    8. What it feels like to complete a set
    9. Thoughts you've had about passing your collection on to your family
    10. Whatever else gives a personal diary kind of sense of your collecting
     
    Our best example of the fulfillment of that vision right now is DM Merrill's home page:
    http://www.collectors-society.com/Home.aspx?PeopleID=7914&page=ViewJournal
    They've done an excellent job of demonstrating what CJs are all about, sharing a qualitative look into collecting. That's why DM Merrill won the CJ award for 2005.
    Of course, there are many other types of communications out there that collectors will be interested in - trading slabs, buying and selling, asking questions about CCG services, polling other collectors for their opinions on topics, etc.. However, we feel that we've provided tools for those other kinds of communications - like the chat boards, and contact forms on the site - that serve those purposes better.
    SO, the dilema in these situations often comes down to the same issue. Communication follows the path of least resistance. People post things to these journals that go outside the original vision for it for two reasons:
    1. It's easy to post them here
    2. It's easy for other registry users to see them - perhaps users who don't read the chat boards
    But many times I see entries in the CJs that I think might have gotten a more satisfying response either on the chat boards or in a direct conversation with CCG. Sometimes we see things like the promotion of web sites or dealers that on an inidividual basis aren't bad, but taken as a trend might convert the purpose of CJs from a true collectors' journal to just another "chat board" like the chat board we already have up. Do we want to see the CJ entries as a stream of promotion of various things from selling coins to great new ideas like trading slabs? Who knows, the answer might be a resounding YES...?
    So as custodians of the site, we have to ask ourselves what serves the community best. Should we leave the use of these tools very free form and let evolution takes its course? The strength of that approach is that people may find unique and interesting ways to use the CJs that we might never have thought of or seen if we didn't treat things with a free and easy hand. Or should we make some attempt to organize things so that the CJs fulfill their original vision while we try to guide members into using tools like the chat boards for other their other purposes, perhaps in the process providing them a much better experience?
    The answer to both of these questions is inevitably yes... to both. We try to walk the line of providing tools and organizing communication in a way that's beneficial but not restrictive. I'd welcome feedback on this topic to help us make the best choices.
    Please feel free to use the "Contact Member" link on this page to send me a private message, or visit this thread on the chat boards for open discussion:
    http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1077749&page=0&vc=#Post1077749
    NOTE: If you have never registered on the boards, you will need to register there to respond. Use the "new user" link at the top.
     
     
  10. Architecht

    Journal usage

    By Architecht,

    As noted in the guidelines on the same screen where journal entries are made, there are places other than here for non-journal type content.
    If your topic fits into non-journal categories, we suggest these other tools:
    Buy/Sell/Trade - Visit our Chat Boards in the MarketPlace forum.
    Grading service issues or questions - use the contact us form and customer service will get back to you.
    Discussion topics - asking others for opinions or information is best done on the boards.
     
    The purpose of the journal area is to share basic personal experiences about collecting. We do have some changes to the CS coming that I think will help everyone to enjoy the journals in ways more inline with both the intended purpose AND their own personal preferences. Some of these features will allow you to control where, when, and whose journals appear on your screen.
    However, regardless of those features, please use the journals appropriately, and put other kinds of messaging on the chat boards where they belong.
    Thanks,
    Kevin
    Web site architect
     
  11. Architecht
    It's just being on-topic for the area you're posting in, guys. It's not exactly an opppressive policy. It's not that there aren't areas to discuss these things. There ARE.
    If you'd like to continue discussion of this topic, do it here.
    http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1252492&an=&page=0&vc=1
    If you need an account, you will need a paid email address. If you have internet access, then the service providing you that internet access is also providing you an email address. Use that one. Yes, there is a reason we do not accept free email accounts on the boards.
    We're trying to shape the journal area to provide a very specific and concentrated value for the members by keeping it focused. The other types of posting aren't "closed" or "banned" or "censored", they just plain belong in other areas of this community.
    At some point, we're going to need to start trimming out journal posts that don't fit the purpose of the area, and members who repeatedly use it for other purposes will probably be the first to lose posts.
    This is going to apply to buy/sell postings and "promoting" various things. It's just not on-topic here.
    And neither is this discussion. Take it to the boards please.
    http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1252492&an=&page=0&vc=1
    Thanks,
    Kevin
    Web site architect
  12. Architecht
    And the winners of the "listed as a friend by the most number of people" award in the system so far are... (drum roll)
    Before we open the envelope let me just take a moment to explain the friend system to anyone who doesn't understand it.
    When you view another user's home page, you have the option to make them a friend or ignore them. Here's what it does:
    Friends -
    They show up on your friends tab on your PUBLIC home page so people can see who you've friended. Friends also show up on your control panel under "Friends Journals". This is an easy way to focus on (and make sure you don't miss) journal entries by your favorite people. On each user's public home page it will show you how many people have flagged them as friends.
    Ignores -
    When someone is on your ignore list, there are two effects. First, you won't see their journal entries anywhere, and second they won't be able to use the Contact Member function to message you.
    Either of these statuses can be removed from members by you from your control panel.
     
    OK! (drum roll starts up again) For no other reason than pure amusement, I looked in the database and have determined that our top "Friended" members at this exact moment are:
    Jackson
    Michael W. Cooper
    GSA_Gem_Quest
    Clay
    I guess writing a friendly, personal journal entry now and then draws attention!
    So... uh... in celebration, here's a coin with a trophy on one side?