[mb-users] Feedback/testing: track merging

[Bogdan Butnaru]

On Mon, Mar 17, 2008 at 6:41 AM, Aaron Cooper <cooperaa at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 16-Mar-08, at 5:37 PM, Lukáš Lalinský wrote:
>  > over the last two weekends I've done a little mb_server code
>  > refactoring
>  > and put together some old code, which implements "track merging" -
>  > http://wiki.musicbrainz.org/TrackMerging. I'd like to ask you for
>  > feedback, especially about the issues listed on the wiki page, but
>  > also
>  > for testing on http://tests.musicbrainz.org/ (tracks can be merged
>  > from
>  > the new "Tracks" page). The code is very far from finished, and so
>  > expect many things to be broken for now. But still, if you find
>  > something that doesn't work, please send a mail about it here, because
>  > those non-functional parts are usually also the ones that need
>  > discussion.
>
>  Right off the bat I want to say this looks like a lot of fun!
Exactly my thought, kudos!

>  2. Merges don't select a "destination" track by default.  I assume the
>  only reason we pick one is so that we pick the correct spelling of the
>  track title.  I hope in most cases our titles are consistent so it
>  would save a click if we had the first track selected by default.

Or it could ask us to pick one only if there is any inconsistency.
I.e., if they're all the same, just pick the first one automatically.

>  3. I think each track could use some context on the Tracks page.
>  Maybe list the album name in another column so we can look at that to
>  see maybe "Ah, this is their demo, so a different track." or "This is
>  a live recording, I shouldn't merge this with the studio recording."
>  Speaking of live recordings...

Something a bit harder to do but potentially very useful: there could
be a little "details" column or icon on each line. When pressed or
hovered on, display somethings like a tooltip with album details:
album artist, name, release type (album/live/demo), number of tracks
and release dates, and album/track annotations. This would only appear
for Javascript-enabled users, everyone else can open the album in a
new page. This would allow much quicker checking.

On second though, it could be just one of those "detail panels" so
popular in UI: a little right-pointing arrow near each track; when
clicked, it turns into a down-pointing arrow, and the details unfold
below it. Another click and it folds back up. See how GMails "tool
boxes"  (chat/labels/invites) and message lists fold and unfold on
request.

>  4. I assume we will not be merging different recordings together so
>  the TracksMerging is not the same as works lists.  Is TracksMerging a
>  step towards creating TrackMasters?

Me too. Do we keep re-masters/different recordings separate or on the
same "track" object?

-- Bogdan Butnaru — bogdanb at gmail.com
"I think I am a fallen star, I should wish on myself." – O.