Multiple Categories!

[Cairenn]

Authors rejoice! Dolby has made it possible for your addons to be listed in multiple categories!

It’s been a long time coming, much longer than we ever wanted, but it’s finally here. Dolby put a bunch of other things on hold so that we could finally give you guys the ability to have your addon show up in more than one download category.

For example, you have written an addon that is designed with ‘healing in raids’ in mind. Now, instead of just having it in the Raid download category, you can have it in:

• Raid (as the main category); PLUS
• classes: Druid, Paladin & Priest; and
• role: Healers

When uploading new projects, you will have to pick your main category as usual. However, once you have done that and gone in to the upload page, you will now see another box on the page where you can choose additional categories in which you want it listed. You can have up to ten (10) categories total, so you can choose nine additional there. You just ctrl-click on each of the categories you want.

When updating existing addons, you go into the ‘manage addon’ page as usual. Once in there, you will see the new box, same as above. Ctrl-click the categories you want and carry on as you normally do in the update process.

[Bl4ckSh33p]

A very nice addition.
I'm loving it!

[Unkn]

Okay now that is all kinds of awesome!

[Gazmik]

Great... now to figure out how many other categories my addons belong in!

Originally Posted by Cairenn For example, you have written an addon that is designed with ‘healing in raids’ in mind. Now, instead of just having it in the Raid download category, you can have it in: Raid (as the main category); PLUS classes: Druid, Paladin & Priest; and role: Healers

Poor shamans.

[Cairenn]

Originally Posted by Gazmik Great... now to figure out how many other categories my addons belong in! Poor shamans.

Ooopsie! I knew I was forgetting one .... sowwy!

[meggsy]

Gosh having to look at same uis in multi cater is poo.... how can people like that?
Used to come here every day checking them out now i'll come once a week maybe.
Anyway each to they're own good luck with it.

[Cairenn]

I'm sorry you don't like the change. I know it can be frustrating seeing the same addon in multiple download categories. However the download categories still show 'new' or 'updated' files at the top of each category's list (as the default setting), so it shouldn't actually make that much of a difference for trying to find new ones to check out. Hopefully you'll find that that holds true.

[scarabman]

This isn't just a good change for authors but a good change for all users of the site. This will make it much easier for people to browse for types of addons they are looking for without having to look through all potential categories.

Great addition!

[Cairenn]

That's what we thought as well. We've actually been wanting to add it for ages now, but there was always something else that had to get done first, ya know? Glad you like it too.

[Nibelheim]

Originally Posted by meggsy Gosh having to look at same uis in multi cater is poo....

As long as the UIs are in categories which actually match the UI, it should be fine. On that front, though, it may make enforcing proper category placement a little harder.

[MidgetMage55]

Originally Posted by Nibelheim As long as the UIs are in categories which actually match the UI, it should be fine. On that front, though, it may make enforcing proper category placement a little harder.

This is the trick of it all. While most add-ons will fit within one or even several categories without much doubt, there are a few categories that are very much open to interpretation.

Simple example: Graphical compilations.

To me it would mean UI's that use artistic flourishes that are more or less there for beauty sake. While you can very easily make a case of very minimal UI's being a graphical style. Which of course they are. The case could be made for what really is minimal too. While it is less broad it is by no means closed to discussion. I do recall there being a rather exhaustive and somewhat hotly debated thread on the very subject.

I don't really foresee this being a huge issue, I can certainly understand how it could get frustrating. I found a few tonight that I thought were vague enough in definition (in my opinion) for some of the categories they were in. I'm sure others (author included =P) would disagree.

It's not a perfect system. I think its is still more positive and out weighs the negatives by a large margin.

[zork]

Generic, Graphical and Minimal UI compilations are mixed up ever since. That is because who defines what interface matches which category? If we can post them in every category we could just have one category only. (At least for compilations)

[Cairenn]

Give it a chance guys. It's only been a week since we made this change. Why not wait and see how it goes before decrying it? I've only seen a couple people that have gone and listed their file in every category they think it's even remotely related to. Most authors are still being responsible.

[Phanx]

Well, an obvious compromise that would make everyone happy would be to add a filter to the category browse page to only show addons for which this is their primary category. This way, someone looking for an addon to help their priest can still see all priest-friendly addons in the Priest class category, but someone looking through different categories just checking out what's new don't have to see the same addon 15 times.

[MidgetMage55]

Originally Posted by Cairenn Give it a chance guys. It's only been a week since we made this change. Why not wait and see how it goes before decrying it? I've only seen a couple people that have gone and listed their file in every category they think it's even remotely related to. Most authors are still being responsible.

Don't get me wrong. I was not trying to imply it is a bad thing. As with everything there is a downside. In this case I do not believe the downside to be all that much of an issue. Not to mention moderation of the files has always been well handled so I can't imagine it getting out of hand.

More just building on Nibelheim's point. I honestly don't think enforcing a category would work or even be feasible. As there is too much open to interpretation.

Also, as you stated there is always the new and updated feed. For those that do not know, if you click the show me more link it will include compilations that have been uploaded. So it shouldn't adversely effect those that wish to see what is new and funky.

I just can't help but analyze everything. I still love you girls and guys to death.

Besides I'm a grinch. I probably need to be cynical every so often to remain so.

[Cairenn]

Originally Posted by Phanx Well, an obvious compromise that would make everyone happy would be to add a filter to the category browse page to only show addons for which this is their primary category. This way, someone looking for an addon to help their priest can still see all priest-friendly addons in the Priest class category, but someone looking through different categories just checking out what's new don't have to see the same addon 15 times.

That's actually a pretty good idea Phanx. We're discussing how we could impliment it.

Originally Posted by MidgetMage55 Don't get me wrong. I was not trying to imply it is a bad thing. As with everything there is a downside. In this case I do not believe the downside to be all that much of an issue. Not to mention moderation of the files has always been well handled so I can't imagine it getting out of hand. More just building on Nibelheim's point. I honestly don't think enforcing a category would work or even be feasible. As there is too much open to interpretation. Also, as you stated there is always the new and updated feed. For those that do not know, if you click the show me more link it will include compilations that have been uploaded. So it shouldn't adversely effect those that wish to see what is new and funky. I just can't help but analyze everything. I still love you girls and guys to death. Besides I'm a grinch. I probably need to be cynical every so often to remain so.

We love you too, MM, otherwise we'd've kicked you ages ago.

Just kidding. Mostly.

[Dolby]

Yep it should be easy and good idea, will even make it cookie based so people not logged in can use it. I'll work on it for next next week. We have a company "meeting" in las vegas this up coming week .

[Phanx]

Originally Posted by Dolby We have a company "meeting" in las vegas this up coming week .

I bet a lot of serious "business" will be discussed and much "work" will be done. ^_^

[zohar101]

Well, an obvious compromise that would make everyone happy would be to add a filter to the category browse page to only show addons for which this is their primary category. This way, someone looking for an addon to help their priest can still see all priest-friendly addons in the Priest class category, but someone looking through different categories just checking out what's new don't have to see the same addon 15 times.

I think this is a very nice idea. If I want to browse only by primary category that's my choice and I don't have to wade through the sea of repetitions to find one elusive addon or compilation. If I want to see absolutely everything and anything that might even remotely be related to the category, it would be nice to have a choice to do that too.