Wanted to discuss an idea of mine regarding implementing the actual magazine reviews into the game info pages. I often add game review scores of old magazines. By doing so I also enjoy actually reading some of them.
UVL already has an option to put in a link to external sites with the review. In some cases it can be done cleverly to lead directly on the correct review page (e.g. in Archive.org reading mode).
I thought of using this but there is one big factor that prevents me from doing. External links tend to become broken after some years, and you can't do anything about it. You would have to correct it or remove the links. I hate that and thats also the reason why I stopped putting up links to Youtube walkthroughs some time ago. So this is not an option.
What would be the optimum?
- Firstly the format. I would like to have a review as a single file (image), which opens up on click. Not several files, no hassling around. In cases where a reviews spans more than one page it would mean some editing together of course. Everything not belonging to a review on a page should be removed. This means work, but at least its work that I like to do and its not mandatory for having a good info page (not as mandatory as screenshots for example).
- Secondly Storage: Optimum would be to store it inside UVL storage itself. Like screenshots. First of all I know that hosting such edited out parts/pages of magazines is a legal grey area. Considering that we do only offer snippets out of it and the material is 30+ years old (for which I intend to upload) and it can be gotten all over the internet without any legal trouble of the hosters that I know of, and it can always be taken down by request, I personally would fully take that risk. If it would result in UVL needing more storage and a better hosting plan, I would be willing to take the extra costs (depending). There won't be thousands reviews per day coming, so I don't even think its even a big factor.
Alternatively I could try to find an external storage host myself, upload it there and link to it. By doing that I would need some sort of guarantee that if I must switch the storage host for some reason, the links can be mass edited to a possible new storage host location. Aforemost I want to make sure that I don't have to edit hundreds or thousands external links manually, when something bad happens to external files (as I stated at the very beginning).
As an example I uploaded an "edited together" review from "Your Sinclair" for the following game on my Google Drive:
https://www.uvlist.net/game-201924
Lastly I want to say that this is not something where to expect thousands of new files suddenly. Considering how long it takes to only enter the scores (and cleaning up the game info pages along the way), it can be considered a very slow bonus process. But I like the idea to click on the different review to actually read why one magazine gave a game a suberb score while the other thought it to be crap. I also think that by reading the actual review "on click" it lessens the importance of having a general game description in the game info page (which is often missing).
Edit:
As a little test I prepared all reviews of the first issue of ACE magazine (for testing purposes uploaded to my Google Drive). It has 27 reviews. The combined file size of all of them together is 9 MB. At the time this would reach two-digit GB numbers it will take years and by then storage will be even cheaper.
https://www.uvlist.net/reviews/list/source/17/1
Edit2:
I uploaded all files to a new storage share. I still think that internal hosting at UVL is the best method but until further notice I will keep it as it is.
Implementing reviews of magazines
Very good idea! I always enjoy reading reviews after playing a game.
This compliments the existing scores very well.
This compliments the existing scores very well.
And what about copyright? I'm pretty sure UVL does not fit the definition of a Archive or Library with fair use rights to make copyrighted materials publicly available. However, archive.org does have such exemption. It is also fairly reliable in terms of dead links. I'd suggest linking to the magazine reviews uploaded to archive.org. That would insulate UVL from legal and storage burdens.
I think we should just have a bot to check for for dead links and a list them to editors. The list could be categorized by site, youtube, archive.org, etc...
Note, archive.org does not only preserve game magazines. They have game manuals, game author videos, game author books, game author articles, and the games themselves (though this last category is subject more to legal challenges resulting in dead links than the rest). It is a be-all end-all archive that is not very game oriented but the information is there.
I think we should just have a bot to check for for dead links and a list them to editors. The list could be categorized by site, youtube, archive.org, etc...
Note, archive.org does not only preserve game magazines. They have game manuals, game author videos, game author books, game author articles, and the games themselves (though this last category is subject more to legal challenges resulting in dead links than the rest). It is a be-all end-all archive that is not very game oriented but the information is there.
I have it and keep it hosted myself now. Its good as it is. Its a reliable domestic hoster that I pay for, hopefully minimizing the likelyhood that the files will be gone or links wont work suddenly. Also I have much space and I have control over everything (and backup for myself). No problem for UVL. Only problem and personal risk for me. And for me its not a problem. I simply don't care. I take tiny fractions of very old, defunct magazines whereas 1000s of other sites have the whole magazines online without any problem. No one cares. I take it from public online resources anyway. Worst case scenario: A copyright holder contacts UVL or me and I will take it down.
I will not upload current magazine stuff. Everything at the moment is from the 80s and very early 90s, so at least 30 years old. Will try to go to 1991-04 with every possible magazine (thats were I stopped entering "my" bunch UVL reviews so far) and from then on go monthly forward. But it will take many many more months or years to even reach the 1991-04 point because there is still LOTS to add, because I will add non-english magazine reviews as well. And once you dive into French, Dutch, German, Spanish etc. retro magazine sites you will see what huge amount of reviewed stuff is still hidden and does not even have UVL magazine entry yet. But I totally love it.
The idea of a bot checking bad links is good. Links to YT videos and game info pages tend to get deleted. The "Links/Affiliates" page needs some serious updating. Many broken links. But thats something to discuss with Andrea. I would like to do more fixing stuff, but I can't. @Andrea -> We need you here, also for some other fresh questions that came up in the forum.
Archive.org is (although useful of course) one of the biggest copyright infringers of the world. Its not like with non-digital public libraries, which were public for all, but had simply limited possibilities for access of books/information because they were on paper and "offline". Archive.org puts everything up for millions at the same time. But hey its fine. No need to visit half-dubious ROMs sites any more. Thanks Archive.org.
BTW: Nearly 6000 reviews hosted and linked so far. Very fun thing to do and gives me fresh incentive to work on updates here and optimizing old entries.
I will not upload current magazine stuff. Everything at the moment is from the 80s and very early 90s, so at least 30 years old. Will try to go to 1991-04 with every possible magazine (thats were I stopped entering "my" bunch UVL reviews so far) and from then on go monthly forward. But it will take many many more months or years to even reach the 1991-04 point because there is still LOTS to add, because I will add non-english magazine reviews as well. And once you dive into French, Dutch, German, Spanish etc. retro magazine sites you will see what huge amount of reviewed stuff is still hidden and does not even have UVL magazine entry yet. But I totally love it.
The idea of a bot checking bad links is good. Links to YT videos and game info pages tend to get deleted. The "Links/Affiliates" page needs some serious updating. Many broken links. But thats something to discuss with Andrea. I would like to do more fixing stuff, but I can't. @Andrea -> We need you here, also for some other fresh questions that came up in the forum.
Archive.org is (although useful of course) one of the biggest copyright infringers of the world. Its not like with non-digital public libraries, which were public for all, but had simply limited possibilities for access of books/information because they were on paper and "offline". Archive.org puts everything up for millions at the same time. But hey its fine. No need to visit half-dubious ROMs sites any more. Thanks Archive.org.
BTW: Nearly 6000 reviews hosted and linked so far. Very fun thing to do and gives me fresh incentive to work on updates here and optimizing old entries.
USA is in the stone age of copyright and running the clock backwards. 'Old', as in expired copyright, is a _minimum_ of 95 years after the death of the author. It resets when transfered from author to corporation. Works from the Public Domain can be reclaimed up to 35 years later.
The same messed up laws allow archive.org to host next weeks episode of House of Paper. The lawyers will try to stop it, and archive.org will probably choose not to defend their right, but they are legally withing their rights to host anything
The same messed up laws allow archive.org to host next weeks episode of House of Paper. The lawyers will try to stop it, and archive.org will probably choose not to defend their right, but they are legally withing their rights to host anything
Hello dear editors, I'm sorry for my last absence but every now and then I have to take a break and focus on something else to regain energy and good will.
Copyright is always an issue, but handling just snippets and adding the proper source should be ok.
The review page already states clearly the source, maybe adding a disclaimer (that is already in the footer BTW) stating that the review content is property of the respective authors could seal it.
An embedded handling of the reviews could be done, it just need a new kind of relation, not game-image but review-image.
About the 6000 reviews that Teran already added (wow), congratulations for you solution, if you want, I could then write a bot to import your hosted images on UVL.
There are 37GB free right now, so the storage is not really an issue (the more storage, the slower the backup becomes, but this only weighs on me)
And lastly, about the fixes, I'm just opening a new thread about this.
Copyright is always an issue, but handling just snippets and adding the proper source should be ok.
The review page already states clearly the source, maybe adding a disclaimer (that is already in the footer BTW) stating that the review content is property of the respective authors could seal it.
An embedded handling of the reviews could be done, it just need a new kind of relation, not game-image but review-image.
About the 6000 reviews that Teran already added (wow), congratulations for you solution, if you want, I could then write a bot to import your hosted images on UVL.
There are 37GB free right now, so the storage is not really an issue (the more storage, the slower the backup becomes, but this only weighs on me)
And lastly, about the fixes, I'm just opening a new thread about this.
Hi! Good to read something from you. Even if you don't work on the site its reassuring if you are just there from time to time. Just make a tiny edit and I see you are there ;-) - who knows with all the stuff thats going on... if the only admin is gone its gone.
About the topic: I am very pleased with how the reviews work out so far. I got a 500GB shared file hoster. Currently with the 6000 reviews it takes 1,7 GB of space. So even when I continue this in the rather fast pace as I do right now the storage space lasts enough for the rest of my life :-)
I just don't know what happens when the filehosting company goes down or when the URL of the shared files get changed and don't work anymore. My hope is that the chances are low because its a very reliable business hoster and even if they close, another company would take over the hosted data and will try to do everything possible to not break the system for their customers. Because even if I have a solid backup and can re-upload it fast to a new hosting service it seems very difficult to correct the links, because there is no structure. And try to fix tens of thousands of links manually... This would be my biggest fear not to have a solution in that case. On the other hand having them on my own file hoster I got complete control over them. If they were on UVL space I could make uploads but thats it.
About the topic: I am very pleased with how the reviews work out so far. I got a 500GB shared file hoster. Currently with the 6000 reviews it takes 1,7 GB of space. So even when I continue this in the rather fast pace as I do right now the storage space lasts enough for the rest of my life :-)
I just don't know what happens when the filehosting company goes down or when the URL of the shared files get changed and don't work anymore. My hope is that the chances are low because its a very reliable business hoster and even if they close, another company would take over the hosted data and will try to do everything possible to not break the system for their customers. Because even if I have a solid backup and can re-upload it fast to a new hosting service it seems very difficult to correct the links, because there is no structure. And try to fix tens of thousands of links manually... This would be my biggest fear not to have a solution in that case. On the other hand having them on my own file hoster I got complete control over them. If they were on UVL space I could make uploads but thats it.