A Different Approach to an FTP?
 

Hello everyone,

Let me start off by saying it's been a pleasure serving GFF for the past ~5 years. I've enjoyed every minute of it, and given the chance I plan on continuing my FTP after I graduate from college this spring. Anyways, let me explain that I have an extreme case of obsessive compulsive disorder when it comes to organizing music. I've got about 145,000mp3s. It's way too much for just me to organize and sort through, providing the correct tags, upgrading music to better qualities, and the like. So what I was thinking was, why not allow GFF members themselves to organize the FTP? It seems like a far-fetched idea but here's the idea. Offer complete access to write/edit the contents on the FTP, allowing users to upload their own content, download, sort, tag, and do just about anything. I do have a few concerns such as:

- mass-deletions
- improper tagging (this basically destroys the entire point)
- lack of support.

I'd love to get this into action as soon as possible if it were an option, but I'm unsure of the user support that would come along with this. Perhaps a group of GFF members would be interested in doing this on a personal basis, rather than allowing any new GFF poster to delete my entire collection? Post your thoughts please, as I'd love to enact this idea if it were to catch popularity.

It Sounds Like A Great Idea in theory... but being somone who has enjoyed your FTP prob near since you started it, I wouldnt like to see just any 'ol members being able to have that much control over so much data... just one can ruin it for everyone... I thought about it.. trying to be positive... "community enforced" FTP idea ... but i think Thats just too optimistic... i wouldnt be suprised if it went down an hour from becoming "open" mass delete? <no thanks>... I dont think the lack of support would be a problem... only the corrupt "lets destroy something" users thatll pop in and delete stuff... maybe if you held interviews where your hometown is... and you can apply to help you out from the forums, so you can be in contact with Person(s) who will "Volunteering" the time for the FTP.... Sounds like a ton of trouble... but if i cared about My FTP that much id do it.... just tossing some ideas around, ya know?... you never know if theres a large amount of members living near you willing to help out and take over your duties, and since theyll be near you, you can keep in constant contact with them (every week id presume)... of course the deletion problem is still a possibility, but less if you can meet the person i think.... woa most ive written here in a while.. lol <.<'

I'd suggest only allowing user's you trust, or have had experience with, to switch things on your FTP. Like the user above me, I'd have concerns with allowing just everyone and anyone to be able to access it. Or, at anyrate, someone you know wont log in and go "WEE!" and delete loads of stuff. Plus, you might have people who think they're funny, going in and moving things randomly from one area to the next. It'd be a good idea if you're strapped and just don't have the time, but like I said, getting someone who you know/trust/whatever to do it, would be alot better and safer.

Appreciate the thoughts. Sadly I don't have enough people with the know how, and that are dedicated enough to the server to want to help. Well, what about this then, since in order to edit tags, they'd still have to download the file anyway.

So, everyone continues with their regular access I've given as usual to download. However, I create a "Alucard 2.0" (catchy eh? :P) account that allows them to re-upload or upload anything new they feel would be a good addition to the server. This includes bitrate upgrades, new albums, fixed taggings of albums, etc. No one's required to do it, but if they download anything from me, feel they can better the tags of the album, rename a couple of misnamed files, and reupload it to a "Pending Approval" folder, and then I just place them into the corresponding places they deserve. Might help lighten my load a little. :) Let me know what you think!

The second idea sounds better, in my opinion. (Not that the first one was bad or anything, but I agree with the other users above me).

It really does sound like a good idea, if the people of GFF are willing to do it, but you still might want to check any re-tagged albums/tracks/etc., because there are those who will accidentally or purposefully misname things here and there (although, it may be difficult to discern if a track is misnamed if it was already misnamed to begin with...). That's not to say that everyone will misname tracks/albums, of course.
In any case, if you feel it will lighten your load, perhaps you should stick with this idea, as the only real concern I can see here is the misnaming of tracks/albums.

Perhaps a testing a portion of your hard drive would be a good idea, just to see who might do what or if anything gets done. I don't know shit about editing stuff on FTP's, so personally, I can't do anything for you.

Although it something like this has potential--with risk. Perhaps pre-approval on who has access? A simple PM on their part, and post skimming on your part might be something.

There needs to be an ftp FAQ on the site. just a quick setup. i remember there used to be one...now i have no frigging idea what im doing.

I've used your FTP over the last 3 years or so, and I think this is the idea that would work out the best. I know that I can probably upload at 200-300 kbps to you, and I'm going back through *all* of my MP3s and retagging them (around 15,000 -- somehow the ID3v2 tags were erased). I'd be more than happy to update and reupload anything back to you.

I'm also OCD about tagging and bitrate. Everything I download must be renamed, retagged, and checked for accuracy. I would be more than willing to help you out with this. To start, I have about 70 albums in FLAC to upload (all verified for completeness).

But before you begin allowing people to upgrade albums, I think it's a good idea to label the folders with the bitrate. This is something I noticed on Kairyu's and Tappy's FTPs and makes it very easy to see which albums can or cannot be upgraded.