  
| Author: | PurpleKangaroo  | | Posted: | Feb 7, 2024 19:07 | | Subject: | Proposed Alternative to Catalog Consolidation | | Viewed: | 133 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | | Status: | Open | | Vote: | [Yes|No] | |
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| So there's been some heated discussion about the recent decision to consolidate
certain Bricklink part entries. For example, the merger of certain parts with
open studs and parts with blocked studs. Much has been said about the fact that
people rely on Bricklink as a catalog as well as a marketplace, and how the removal
of this information is detrimental to the future success of the LEGO hobby. But
I think what has been missing from this conversation is a reasonable alternative
to the current status quo. Instead of simply deleting the nuanced information
that has been carefully curated over decades by an army of dedicated volunteers,
I have an alternate suggestion:
Go ahead and consolidate part entries. Do it. Even the ones with stickers. Put
'em all in one place. 2x3 Slope? One entry. But wait! What's this? A
drop-down menu! This one lets users look at the many different colors that the
part comes in. And Hark! I spy another drop-down menu beside the first! This
one seems to list the different mold variants! Avast me hearties! A third drop-down
menu! With the different stickered and printed variants! That's right--I'm
proposing treating mold variants, printed variants, and stickered variants in
the same way that colors are currently handled.
Each drop-down menu would be filtered according to the selection made in the
other two drop-down menus. For example, suppose a part came in both a glossy
and a matte finish. However, the sand-blue version of the part only ever came
in the matte finish. So when a user selects "Sand Blue" from the part's
Color drop-down menu, the Mold drop-down menu would automatically filter to only
include the Matte option. Perhaps the same part also came in the color green,
with both Gloss and Matte mold variants. Then when selecting "Green"
from the Color drop-down munu, the user would still have the choice of selecting
either Gloss or Matte from the Mold drop-down menu.
Of course, each menu would have an "undetermined" option, which would
be the default option in order to allow sellers and buyers ease of use.
My point is that the solution to this catalog complexity is not the removal of
crucial information. There is a better way, and I believe the incredible Bricklink
team has the opportunity to simultaneously simplify the user experience while
retaining the nuance that has made Bricklink the defacto LEGO parts catalog for
so many wonderful years.
Am I crazy, or is there room for compromise?
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Message Has 6 Replies: 10 Messages in this Thread:  Msg 1 « - PurpleKangaroo (139)  3 months ago Feb 7, 2024 to Suggestions
 Msg 2 - Saitobricks.ca (37) 3 months ago Feb 7, 2024 to Suggestions
Msg 3 - StormChaser (569) 3 months ago Feb 7, 2024 to Suggestions
  Msg 4 - Saitobricks.ca (37) 3 months ago Feb 7, 2024 to Suggestions
Msg 5 - yorbrick (1185) 3 months ago Feb 8, 2024 to Suggestions
Msg 6 - BrickCompulsion (3019) 3 months ago Feb 8, 2024 to Suggestions
Msg 7 - infinibrix (5002) 3 months ago Feb 8, 2024 to Suggestions
Msg 8 - wildchicken13 (876) 3 months ago Feb 8, 2024 to Suggestions
Msg 9 - SylvainLS (46) 3 months ago Feb 8, 2024 to Suggestions
Msg 10 - wildchicken13 (876) 3 months ago Feb 8, 2024 to Suggestions
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| This message was moved from General to Suggestions on Feb 7, 2024 by PurpleKangaroo (139) |
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USA, Oregon
