I guess this wouldn't be an option that would work for everyone (I do know Andrei isn't writing the program for only me), since everyone is sorting things their own way. I'll admit it up front. All I can tell you is how I view it, since my mind kinda works weird that way. Here's what I'm thinking, weird as it may be: So far, most of the boxes I'm working with are all about the same, they each hold about the same amount, according to the manufacturer of the boxes...give or take about 150-165 albums...yeah, it's gonna be less, if I'm filling a box full of Reader's Digest collections, 78' album sets, or Longines Symphonette Sets (unless I note EACH record in the set as a separate entry). For most individual albums, the boxes hold about 150-165 albums (some are thicker, some are thinner...In one box, you could have a K-Tel album next to some expensive 180 gram vinyl, depending on the genre, artist, a lot of other things. If you were storing albums in DJ crates, Supreme crates, milk crates, whatever, it might be significantly less...I'm basing this on capacity generalizations, of course. Maybe there are boxes that can hold many more albums, and there is that, too. If you were...say...using a number to identify a section of shelving (maybe 4 foot or so, for example...could be longer), each shelf could go to 300, 400, 500 (or more) albums, maybe. I've never seen a box that could hold 1,000 albums yet. The number+number option could maybe work like this...Right now it gives you the option to catalog an album with a number, be it a 2-digit number, a 3-digit number, 4-digit number or whatever (00 to 99, 000 to 999, 0000 to 9999). Remember, I'm only talking about the Number option here, not Artist+Number or Title+Number. What if the Number option had it's own box, or it could stay like it is (Number, Artist+Number, Title+Number, etc.)You could say...have a second number box (Number+Number, Second Number, or whatever you want to call it...I'm just giving my own name to it.) that could also give you the option of a 2-digit, 3-digit, 4-digit number...The first number box would be like a Box Number, or Shelf Number. The second number box would be like a Placement Number (on that particular box, or shelf). I could see that number maybe showing up automatically on screen as a hyphenated number (7-10, 09-456, 065-3700, 1000-5601, for example...whatever combinations of numbers you choose...Maybe the numbers could represent symbolically a genre, if you wanted...the first number 01 could be for all rock albums,, 02 could be for jazz, 03 for soul, you could configure that anyway you wanted, it doesn't even have to be a 1 or 2-digit number...You could sub-categorize things, and if you had a big enough collection, go past 100 (01- acid jazz, 02-traditional jazz, 03-jazz fusion) Maybe the first number symbolically represents an artist (01-All Ellington albums, 02-All Miles Davis, 03-All John Coltrane...This might be more in alphabetical order, of course...or not...it's up to you!) Anyway, the second number could go anywhere from 0 (1 digit) to 9999 (4 digits). After that, maybe you'd have the option for more digits (A large enough collection could go to 10 digits...wow is all I can say there!) So, say I fill my first box up with albums 01-001 to 01-165 (basing this again on the generalization that each box is the same size and holds about this much, give or take). If it's a shelf, I could add more. That second number, remember, could go all the way up to 9999, or more if I wanted. When I start filling the next box (02), I might have to change that number manually (right now, I just go to Location, and add another box number...Maybe the second number would show up as a separate column...or appear as all one hyphenated number), or click on it from a drop down menu...maybe there would somehow be a "change number" checkbox that would automatically change it to the next number in my sequence (02, 03, 04, and so on...). The SECOND NUMBER I might have to type in manually, or if say I left that as a 3-digit or 4-digit number, 001 or 0001 for example, each time I added an album, it would (like automatic numbering is now for the Number option) automatically go up one number-002, 003, 004 or 0002, 0003, 0004 and so on...Originally Posted by frederf
I guess I'm trying to get out of having to manually enter in each number (Yeah, I know...Good luck with that...and yadda, yadda...Being a little sarcastic here...). With a big collection, it's nice to have that automatic numbering feature, though. The computer software figures it all out, so you don't make mistakes (say type in the same number for 2 different albums, etc.)
Also, what would be nice is...Sometimes people are organizing as they're going...You might not fill up a whole box, and have to use a few "spacers". What would be nice is...You could say fill up half of box 1, then fill up half of box 2...Go back to 1...and say you're at Album 091, when you added a new album to that box, it would automatically number it 092...kind of pick up where you left off, if you know what I mean...That info would be saved, and the automatic numbering would continue on, if and when you decided to come back to that box. Also, for each box, once you filled up a box, you could still have the option to renumber, now that everything is in alphabetical order (or whatever order you have things put in).
Remember, with the Number option we have now, you can still have things automatically numbered, and you can still renumber things at any point. It would be nice to have a SECOND NUMBER BOX that would do all those things, too, and the whole number could look like this 01-001, hyphenated, or 01 001, no hyphenation, when viewed or read onscreen, like I said. I don't know what way would be better...
All these little quirks would have to be worked out, hashed out...Maybe some input from other members of this board would be nice. maybe a poll box like some web sites do, where say an idea could be presented (on most other sites, they ask a question of the day or something, and everyone votes on a multiple-choice answer), and everyone votes on it...a different idea each week, say...Ideas that get the most YES votes vs. NO votes would be the ones Andrei could consider for the next version. Andrei could post an idea...You guys like this? We vote, like a suggestion box, and ideas with more yesses than nos are implemented...It's democracy at work, people! It would be only fair, since there are a LOT of ideas that could be considered.
I'm not saying my way is the only way, or even the best way. I'm just putting in my two cents (for what that's worth nowadays...LOL) of what I, personally, might like. I don't vouch for anyone else, but that's what is so great about these boards. Everyone has an opinion, and the more voices that are heard will hopefully lead to a better product down the line. when Andrei creates a new version, we can all test it out, and then, if there are any bugs, point them out. Of course, always back everything up. When you get to a certain point, you don't like to lose data any more than you like to do things manually that you could have done automatically (if you so choose) For me, I have to do this typing in stages, as I can get a cramp if I go on too long, and sometimes, you want to do just that. Like I did here (LOL)!
Anyway, my idea...good idea? bad idea? implementable? not implementable? Things you'd add? Things you'd change? Don't worry...I won't be upset if you guys aren't sold on it. And I don't know if all makes sense to everyone. Heck, there are Rube Goldberg contraptions that might work better than this!!! It's only my "pet peeve", as I said. No one else's. My own "Dewey Decimal System" for music, as it were (Somehow, everyone has accepted the one for library books). And we all do things a different way. I'm just adding another voice to the mix. In the end, it may take longer to do things if I keep doing them like I'm doing them now, but I'm good, no matter what...90 percent happy is better than 0 percent happy!!!
Let me know what you think...I won't get mad! We all want one thing, which is a better product, right?
Reply With Quote