PinPics - New Format / Big Site Changes!
Hopemax - I would love to see your suggestions. When we bought this in 2021, we were pretty overwhelmed and may have overlooked your suggestions. If you are open to sharing them with me please do at molly@pinpics.com. When we first acquired the site it had been hacked and we were working to get past that and all the issues. We were getting in to look at everything - which between how many programmers had been in the database was a little like swiss cheese. More minds are much better than one.....we want everyone's feedback.I had typed out a long post, and then my internet crapped out and lost it, and I do not have the energy to repeat it.
These weren't questions.
Right now, I'm feeling like the posts I made about my concerns about PinPics when Molly Anne and family bought PinPics which included a suggestion to refer to the older posts here, concerning the period following when LANSAM bought PinPics in 2012 including my own posts, were futile, and I know you were a participant in at least one of the threads where I made them, because I just reread it. I feel talked down to, when I know what I've already posted in regards to the complexity of the challenges any new owners would be facing, and specific ways to improve things. And the crazy thing about it is Chris from Pin & Pop contacted me about the things I said at the time, and we talked a little and I've seen some of those things be included in updates. I've also seen some of the suggestions I've made over the years implemented at My Pin Central too (even though I have no plans to use that site, other than some research, for reasons). Did someone read them, or did someone else independently have the same idea, I don't know. But seeing some sites implement the things people have been asking for, demonstrates we weren't off our rockers for suggesting them.
For example, this is one of the things I said in 2021, "This is one of the reasons I've been a long time advocate of any new database using Keyword Tagging approach, instead of relying on Users for properly spelling something, or including all the characters on a pin, or listing all the movie associations. One of the benefits of a database system is the data integrity that comes from storing information as numbers in fields instead of just "text." It has to be correct once, and then everyone else selects from a dropdown or autofill. Keyword tagging also helps with things like searching for Si or Am or Nana or bringing up on the Chip (chipmunk) pins vs Chip (the teacup) or pulling up all "Walt Disney World" pins that SAY "Walt Disney World" on them instead of every pin that was ever released at Walt Disney World. Similar thing, but a field for Series. People want a quick way to find all the pins in a series, and while trying to normalize the name helps, typos or missing one entry where someone did it wrong leads to duplicate listings." Highlighting the points where I demonstrate knowledge of the problems with the old site, and pointing out that normalization of nomenclature won't be enough, and I'm sure PinPics Mods will learn in time with the volume of times they have to fix stuff. And no, I'm not expecting people to remember everything everyone said. But when you run into people who demonstrate knowledge, responding as if they don't, isn't helpful. Mansplaining exists as a term for a reason.
I feel that your eagerness to defend PinPics and "explain," completely blows right past the more general points I was trying to make, and so as a response, it is unsatisfactory and your answer to 4c completely misinterprets what I mean by set listings vs individuals. It's not pins that were sold together, like the Harvey's set you mentioned. It's pins that were *never* released *together* (only at the same time) combined into a single entry. It would be like if Harvey's released 3 separate pins on the same day, but then on PinPics they were photographed and listed together as one item. That is what has happened with the TDS game pins.
I don't really need explanations about why things aren't right. I have a pretty good idea, that is confirmed with each new data point. But the PinPics owners seem to be confused about why people are so hard on them, why people aren't helping more, and I'd also guess why their work so far hasn't been as well received as they had hoped (ultimately the point in buying PinPics in the first place, right). My attempts to address that, appear to be for naught. And so the message is received loud and clear about the futility. But for one final go... you listed your reasons why Pin & Pop does not work for you... I listed areas in which PinPics does not work for me, and probably others. And the reply feels like a combo of "your expectations are too high," and "it works fine / that's the way it is." If Pin & Pop replied to you that way, I'd guess you would be pretty disappointed in that sort of response too, and make you even less eager to use that site.
And ugh, this is far too long again.