Technically speaking, AniDB is better than animenfo. You have a larger database, the rating system is easier to use (which gives us more accurate ratings) and you have a lots of features which animenfo don't have. So why does animenfo have more users ?
Well, one of the reason is of course that they've been around longer than AniDB. However, imho, their site layout is also better. When I visit AniDB or animenfo I most often want to do one of two things, or both; search for an anime or login to access special features. Now, it looks like animenfo has understood this as the first thing you notice when visiting www.animenfo.com is a login and search function. On AniDB these functions are more "hidden" so to say. For example, when I first came to AniDB it was because I wanted to look up an anime I couldn't find on animenfo, since i couldn't see any search box on first sight I began to browse through the anime list (yes I'm stupid) which btw. works very fine. It took me additional three or four more visits before I noticed the search box that was hidden in the upper right corner.
For some reason the first you (I) notice when visiting AniDB are the features you use least like "main", "report mistake", "lates files" (<-- this may be usefull for some though) and so on. What about making a new layout which makes the features you use most (for me that is search and login) more visible and the features you use least less visible ?
Any thoughs on this ?
Animenfo vs. AniDB
Moderator: AniDB
When AniDB was first set up, it was only visible/known by AR-members. Later on, they were only accessible by AR members. Other people were only allowed to view the anime. So there was no use for a login-button unless you were part of the staff and had to maintain it.
Back then the database wasn`t that big either, perhaps 200 titles or so were in it, so there wasn`t really a need for a searchbox either (although it was there).
I do agree that the layout isn`t the best out there (nor are the colorscheme`s, but somehow I think that grey somehow fits AniDB
) but if you keep in mind that it`s only 'expanding' instead of redesigning, then it`s pretty realistic why some features/links are in places you never expected them to be. After all, EXP is not a designer, he`s a coder. And you know how coders like to implement new features instead of trying to fiddle with the design to make it look better - just to realize that the next newly added feature will screw up the layout again.
Back then the database wasn`t that big either, perhaps 200 titles or so were in it, so there wasn`t really a need for a searchbox either (although it was there).
I do agree that the layout isn`t the best out there (nor are the colorscheme`s, but somehow I think that grey somehow fits AniDB
) but if you keep in mind that it`s only 'expanding' instead of redesigning, then it`s pretty realistic why some features/links are in places you never expected them to be. After all, EXP is not a designer, he`s a coder. And you know how coders like to implement new features instead of trying to fiddle with the design to make it look better - just to realize that the next newly added feature will screw up the layout again.-
DonGato
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I don't think the current places for those features are bad but that the users are not willing to explore the site the first time. I didn't have any problems finding those two features but now I'm having problems with some features, but that's not aniDB design problem but that it has too many features by now and not much documentation so you sometimes miss them.
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Yidaki
)well,
i don't think the current layout is that bad.
and one gets kinda used to it
)
but i am pretty open to new design suggestions, however, as anidb is one big ugly hack changing the layout would be very time consuming. (unless you only want to change the header/menu/footer)
about the features not being documented, well, anyone should feel free to write some docs!
hm, maybe we should set up a wiki for the anidb documentation, what do you think?
BYe!
EXP
i don't think the current layout is that bad.
and one gets kinda used to it
)but i am pretty open to new design suggestions, however, as anidb is one big ugly hack changing the layout would be very time consuming. (unless you only want to change the header/menu/footer)
about the features not being documented, well, anyone should feel free to write some docs!
hm, maybe we should set up a wiki for the anidb documentation, what do you think?
BYe!
EXP
I guess writing a documentation here in the forum would work just as well. There is a lot of stuff already linked.
It would suffice if you simply put up a new forum called "Documentation" or "Readme" and put all the docs in there. That way you can restrict the search to that part of the forum when you are trying to find something.
A Wiki would simply be another place to look for documentation. Back last year I was referred here to get more info that I did not find on anidb, having a wiki would then be the third place to look.
And a wiki does not have a feedback function and the option to ask questions.
It would suffice if you simply put up a new forum called "Documentation" or "Readme" and put all the docs in there. That way you can restrict the search to that part of the forum when you are trying to find something.
A Wiki would simply be another place to look for documentation. Back last year I was referred here to get more info that I did not find on anidb, having a wiki would then be the third place to look.
And a wiki does not have a feedback function and the option to ask questions.
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DonGato
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The database was a mess, the program has lots of bugs, you need another user/password, and much more... so we ended adding the feature to our forum (Invision). Now we use all forum features (like bbCode) and have the same forum style.wahaha wrote:Wiki owns!
...however, it's probably useful to restrict the access to initially only few people, with more users added on request. After all, we have Narutards just around the corner
DonGato: In what way?
I would use the forum as well. In fact, at my work we're using it as a knowledge base.
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DonGato
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Ohh... noooo! That is an insinuation? 
Well, then we should talck about which organization for the documentation we should use like:
- Loging into aniDB
- Customizing your profile
- Adding anime files to your mylist
- Adding new anime, episodes or files
- aniDB notifications
- aniDB change requests
and more...
Well, then we should talck about which organization for the documentation we should use like:
- Loging into aniDB
- Customizing your profile
- Adding anime files to your mylist
- Adding new anime, episodes or files
- aniDB notifications
- aniDB change requests
and more...
there's an extra forum for that (AniDB docs group only).DonGato wrote:Ohh... noooo! That is an insinuation?
Well, then we should talck about which organization for the documentation we should use like:
- Loging into aniDB
- Customizing your profile
- Adding anime files to your mylist
- Adding new anime, episodes or files
- aniDB notifications
- aniDB change requests
and more...
and after thinking about it i will add another public one.
BYe!
EXP
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hardjowikr
Anidb vs. Animenfo
Anidb is much much better than animenfo, cause anidb got alot of more fuctions than animenfo. (My best regards to the maker of anidb). I usually don't go for the userfriendly layout, I prefer much more advance layout. Wich animenfo don't have.