My Plan for the Downloads

Let me try posting this again.

I've been struggling with how to deal with the Topics (Books) area. Putting several thousand files under a single category makes it difficult to sift through the data. To a new user, it all runs together.

I've been thinking of coding a tagging system based on David Cox's website. Right now, you can select categories (like commentaries, dictionaries, topics, etc). You would still have those options with a tagging system. But with tags, you could browse by tag like those shown below (see bottom of this post).

Some resources would have more than one tag. A Methodist oriented sermon book on Bible Characters would probably have 3 tags: Methodist, sermons, bible characters. There could be an unlimited number of tags, in theory, although we would strive to reduce duplicate tags (dispensationalism vs dispensationalist, etc)

Over time, we could edit uploads to reflect the right tags. This would be a work in progress and not be completed overnight. But it would make the resources on this website a whole lot easier to find.

As I think this through, I welcome any thoughts you folks might have.


byTopic (417)
Apologetics (6)
Archaeology (3)
Author Biographies (4)
Beattitudes (1)
Bible Characters (29)
Bible Harmonies (1)
Bible Illustrations (1)
Biblical Biographies (2)
Biblical Counseling (8)
Biblical Geography (1)
Catholicism (3)
Christian Life (93)
Chronology (1)
Counseling (3)
Creation-Evolution (4)
Devotional (18)
Dispensationalism (5)
Education (7)
Ethics (4)
Family (27)
Fiction (1)
Heaven (6)
Hell (14)
History (36)
Islam (2)
Life of Paul (1)
Ministry (16)
Miscellaneous (3)
Missions (18)
Music-Hymns (1)
Mythology (1)
NT Introductions (3)
NT Studies (19)
NT Surveys (5)
OT Studies (22)
OT Surveys (8)
Parables (22)
Pentecostalism (8)
Poems (1)
Politics (1)
Prayer (28)
Preaching (3)
Prophets (2)
Sabbath (1)
Sermon Construction (2)
Sermon on Mount (2)
Sermons (12)
Ten Commandments (3)
Textual Criticism (1)
Tithing (3)
Tongues (2)
Tracts (1)
Types (3)
Systematic Theology (388)

Hi Josh,

I was wondering, have you thought that perhaps you could just leave the books in the author/title format - just add a word cloud for the tags. This would do the same thing. This would eliminate duplicate copies of the file, your just grouping the tags in like categories.

As for having just one big long list, this could be shortened with sub-directories - everything by Pink in one sub-directory, etc. Also, removing duplicates might be handy.

Hi Josh,

I was wondering, have you thought that perhaps you could just leave the books in the author/title format - just add a word cloud for the tags. This would do the same thing. This would eliminate duplicate copies of the file, your just grouping the tags in like categories.

As for having just one big long list, this could be shortened with sub-directories - everything by Pink in one sub-directory, etc. Also, removing duplicates might be handy.

I wouldn't change the author/title format. That stays the same no matter what.

The tagging system is in addition to the title/author. It's lets someone find resources by the tag when a raw search of the site might produce too many results. For people who aren't sure what they're looking for or what interests them, glancing through a list of tags might help them refine their interest.

Take greek for example. A search of that term produces too many results to be helpful. As someone tried to refine their search, tags would be helpful the tags show the organizational structure. If you saw a tag for Greek Grammar, you wouldn't have to guess at what keywords may have been used and which ones weren't. It's a way to standardize the categorization of resources if it's done properly. Just thinking out loud. I know I like David Cox's tagging system for browsing by theme or idea when I don't know the author or title (or even necessarily what I'm looking for).

Here's another of David's websites. I've found this site useful for some resources also. Like a good toolbox: Everything has a place and there is a place for everything.

http://www.davidcox....ary/library.htm

I wouldn't change the author/title format. That stays the same no matter what.

The tagging system is in addition to the title/author. It's lets someone find resources by the tag when a raw search of the site might produce too many results. For people who aren't sure what they're looking for or what interests them, glancing through a list of tags might help them refine their interest.

Can you maintain a single table(a database of records about the resources) that allows you to present an optional check-list of resources when searching?
Someone may want to see ALL the resources in one big list and use the Find Utility in the browser and someone else may want to narrow their search via check-list selection.

You can create a single table that allows you to (define / add / redefine) multiple sets of categories (see examples below).
One that allows you to update the categories without having to redesign the presentation.

An option to select categories (via check-list) is a compliment to the sort option.
Instead of a static list of categories, add an optional User check-list filter of categories from the table that can be selected and deselected (a table you can update:add/change/delete without changing the presentation).
You can update the categories and add other categories and subcategories like:
Category: Bible <with selectable/deselect-able sub categories>(if you select Bible you get all sub-categories), Dictionary <with selectable/deselect-able sub categories>(if you select Dictionary you get all sub-categories), etc.
Topic: All, History, Present Day Issues, Prophecy, Creation-Evolution, etc.
Languages: All, Chinese, English, French, German, Thai, etc(Many people are bi/multi-lingual, allow them to include selected languages they read/write/speak or are learning).
Date(specific/range/since/new-since the use last logged on) Created/Posted, etc.
Any Criterion that can be categorized.

Offer the option to make multiple categories selectable from the table allowing the User the option to select what they want to see. Then if they need to guess again then they can check and un-check the presented categories.
For instance:
All resources for selected language.
All Bibles for selected language.
All resources for a selected translation.
All Graphics
All Commentaries
All Resources with Strong's Reference Numbers.

Plus, this will allow anyone to see more than one category at a time.
Allowing a sort by category option if desired - but not required.

Using a table to add/change filter options gives you flexibility in presentation while giving the User full/desired access to resources.
HTH, Tracey
Computer Vendors use this option feature because of the vast array of optional hardware and operating systems available.

Can you maintain a single table(a database of records about the resources) that allows you to present an optional check-list of resources when searching?
Someone may want to see ALL the resources in one big list and use the Find Utility in the browser and someone else may want to narrow their search via check-list selection.

We have something close to this functionality already. If you click on a Download category, like Commentaries, at the bottom you will see "Show Filter Options". That lets you see all items in the category. Then you can use your browser's Ctrl-F find feature to find anything. There isn't a way to see all the downloads at once but it wouldn't be hard to do.

You can create a single table that allows you to (define / add / redefine) multiple sets of categories (see examples below).
One that allows you to update the categories without having to redesign the presentation.

An option to select categories (via check-list) is a compliment to the sort option.
Instead of a static list of categories, add an optional User check-list filter of categories from the table that can be selected and deselected (a table you can update:add/change/delete without changing the presentation).
You can update the categories and add other categories and subcategories like:
Category: Bible <with selectable/deselect-able sub categories>(if you select Bible you get all sub-categories), Dictionary <with selectable/deselect-able sub categories>(if you select Dictionary you get all sub-categories), etc.
Topic: All, History, Present Day Issues, Prophecy, Creation-Evolution, etc.
Languages: All, Chinese, English, French, German, Thai, etc(Many people are bi/multi-lingual, allow them to include selected languages they read/write/speak or are learning).
Date(specific/range/since/new-since the use last logged on) Created/Posted, etc.
Any Criterion that can be categorized.

Offer the option to make multiple categories selectable from the table allowing the User the option to select what they want to see. Then if they need to guess again then they can check and un-check the presented categories.
For instance:
All resources for selected language.
All Bibles for selected language.
All resources for a selected translation.
All Graphics
All Commentaries
All Resources with Strong's Reference Numbers.

Plus, this will allow anyone to see more than one category at a time.
Allowing a sort by category option if desired - but not required.

Using a table to add/change filter options gives you flexibility in presentation while giving the User full/desired access to resources.
HTH, Tracey
Computer Vendors use this option feature because of the vast array of optional hardware and operating systems available.

I'm not sure I understand your proposal in its entirety. But you can limit your search to certain categories. Click the "Search Wheel" icon to the right of the search box, top right corner. That shows additional search options, such as searching by date and by category and subcategory. You can also control whether your searching blogs, the forums, downloads, etc, so you would want to select "downloads". Searching the downloads by Contributor is not currently working because of an IPBoard bug related to Sphinx.

In the next week, I'm going to install IPBoard 3.2. I've been waiting because they have 14 pages of bugs in their devtracker. Once 3.2 is stable, I will upgrade. 3.2 is bringing a lot of improvements, like a better WYSIWYG text editor for the forums, forum tagging with a tag cloud, a control panel for moderators, and (supposedly) a number of new download features.

I'm not sure I understand your proposal in its entirety.

amazon.com has their products available from a web page with a check boxes that allow the Users to filter the product categories to refine what was displayed (new, used, etc).
Checking or un-checking a box should update the filter.

The AVG Virus Scanner can use a <collapsible>hierarchical check-box-list of the drive-partitions, files, folders, and sub-folders so I can check the chosen/selected files and/or folders (known as resources) to be scanned for Viruses without scanning all files every time. Sometimes I want all files to be scanned. Sometimes I just want one or more selected files an/or folders to be scanned regardless where they are.

So, instead of selecting drive-partitions, files, folders, and sub-folders, you can present the User with an optional check-box-list of available categories and sub-categories to refine/select/limit what resources are displayed on a web page(that you can easily maintain in 1 table).

Think of it as a <collapsible>hierarchical check-box-list for every CATEGORY and SUB-CATEGORY to be used in refining/searching for resources.
Checking a category selects all sub categories.
Checking one or more sub-categories limits the filter to those categories.
Individual resource check boxes will follow later (see last comment)

Just as an example, with your current format, can I select/filter: ALL or selected resources for a specific language (like just Chinese and/or German resources)?
I mean all resources that are just Chinese or all resources that are just German.
How about just bibles that are Korean AND all bibles that are Japanese in the same filter/search.
This is just 1 example of select mix-n-match filter option functionality.
This greatly expands your current selection boundaries with JUST a change in format presentation (same resources, just a different way to present search options).

This also eliminates the (need for /use of) unseen sub-page selections.
For example: if I select bibles then the next page is all bibles.
Then, and only after I select bibles, I now have an option of choosing Ancient or Old English(and not before). These choices(of Ancient or Old English) could have been presented as a sub category of bibles from the first/primary page of the filter/search option in a <collapsible>hierarchical check-box-list.
I should NOT have to wait for bibles to be presented before I find out about the sub-category of Ancient and Old English bibles.
This will quickly enlighten all Users of ALL the categories that are available from biblesupport.com

Language would be 1 category.
Bibles would be another category with translations as sub-categories.
Dictionaries would be another category...
Commentaries would be another category...
Topics would be another category...
Date range another category...
Etc...
Users need to be able to optionally select multiple categories (like language AND/OR translation + whatever category or multiple categories desired).
I should NOT be required to select a language, but it should be a selectable option.
A <collapsible>hierarchical check-box-list of filter options(taken/read from a table) allows the User to combine(mix-n-match) filter options while making the search-option database 1 maintainable file(table) of resource properties for ALL resources available.

Every time you add a resource to the available downloads, identify the categories in the table and the next search will include that resource and its categories whether the categories are new or existing and no other updates are required for new categories.

Having a <collapsible>hierarchical check-box-list allows novice and veteran Users to readily see(and use) ALL categorical options from the first and every select thereafter.

HTH Tracey
Further more, if you put a check box beside each resource displayed on the search page and 1 download button, the User will be able to download multiple resources at one time rather than having to click on each resource to display the download page then have to click on the download link.

thanx for the good work