An idea to de-clutter the forum

I've been deleting a lot of duplicates recently. So here are a couple of ideas to stop this trend:

1) When someone adds a module, look-up the name / manufacturer added and if there's already a module with that name (yes, I know variations can exist) then suggest that the module MIGHT be a duplicate

2) If a duplicate of a module exists and is being used then add a warning (similar to the incomplete power info warning already available) saying that user is using a duplicate module and that they should revert to original version

3) Do a purge. Seriously, let's clean up this place of all the damn duplicates. They will get removed from peoples racks, so be it! I can't believe I have to hide modules which are the reverse panel of the original, which is already available as an alternative to the original module by scrolling the Panel Selector options.

Thoughts?

Thanks @ParanormalPatroler for all your engagement and doing! These are good points as always. When I understand that right there should be some kind of automatic duplicate detection on upload. That is a good idea.
You already suggested a merge mechanism for modules, I still have that in mind. And also a way to flip panel images without uploading new images, like we have in the pedal section.

I can not act as fast as I like to do and there are several issues behind the scene which are mostly invisible but have to be addressed with priority like the recent spam attacks. I am most interested in a clean database and a way to purge the module data will come.

Hey @modulargrid, all these ideas are just things that come to me while I clean-up each day. It's by no means a requirement or a request; merely suggestions. As always, I'd be up to discuss these or any similar matter to a larger extent. A clean DB is what we're both aiming at! :) And by the way, I know full well that implementation is a totally different issue, so again, no pressure whatsoever.

I think that being able to Force Delete a module entirely could be an abrupt yet functional method, at least for mods? Maybe add an option list when deleting to send a message to the original poster (OP) so that they get informed of what they did wrong. Or maybe not.

Still, if we can't have a merge I, for one, vote to delete duplicates of modules that are now set up as hidden.

Just got policed by PP, not being aware of the new panel switch feature.
Great initiative, both the function and PP efforts.

Can i suggest to define some official guidelines on this and send it by PM to all users?
There may be more users like me that do not read often the forum, but are heavy tetris players.
Cheers,
BJ

Didn't mean to offend when I mentioned the reverse panel post. I fully understand that not everyone is aware of the Panel Selector option, as I'm aware that not everyone will bother scrolling through all the panels.

As is the panel number increases with each edit, whether it was panel related or not. Then we have all the people posting duplicates because they can't be arsed to use the search function! Not even alternative versions, just mere duplicates. And then, my favorite, people uploading a duplicate just to promote a sale. Love it even more when it's not even a module!

Anyway, I think merge would do wonders here. But for starters a warning when someone presses the Submit button "Are you sure this module isn't already available? Did you check the Panel Selector for alternative versions?" :)

Love and piece

EDITED Jan 12th 2018, 18:18

Here's a question/request which ought to be easily feasible:

can we make sure that the alignment between using a module on a rack and what appears in the info section of the module in regards to usage is 1:1 ? I mean, I'd like to be able to see exactly on how many racks a module is being used on, no exceptions.

Right now I have a module hidden, which I uploaded and had to remove, which is in no racks (supposedly) but when I try to delete it, it doesn't allow me as "it's being used in some racks". There's probably someone who still has it on a rack but I can't know who or how many there are, since the information is non-existent.

Same goes for when I upload a module the first time, I put it on my rack and there's no info about it being used anywhere. It's a bit weird. Is it possible that it's a bug?

EDITED Jan 16th 2018, 12:04

I'll give the plans to pare things down a double thumbs-up! I've been working on a...well, something secret...that involves putting all modules of a single maker in a rack, and I'm always running into situations where I see the same module posted with slight changes yet it's still the same thing. Sometimes there's a valid difference in appearance (different panel color...I know some builders get picky about their system's aesthetic, and I've no quarrel with that as looking snazzy is a thing, especially when performing), but there's also plenty of times where the same, exact module gets reposted, and that's definitely going to waste database space plus muddle up some of the stats on module usage, etc.

But as for wholesale purging...it strikes me as a little troublesome, as the potential for breaking racks would be significant. Merging of some sort would be better, but in the process would it be possible for the duplicates (which people may have used in builds) to be hidden and kept as 'placeholders' in the event they've been used, while still programming these database objects to point back at the actual, retained database entry? Yeah, that's a lot more programming and seems rather involved, but to my reckoning it could be done in such a way as to seem seamless for the vast majority of users. As far as simple appearance differences are concerned, though, I would very much advocate for some sort of statistical merge, since there shouldn't be any difference in the 'guts' behind a panel, ergo users with different color panels on the same module should have their use counted as being just that module for the purpose of usage stats. F'rinstance, there's several appearance-different versions of MakeNoise's MATHS, including one panel by Greyscale...I think that, irrespective of which panel is used by builders, it should all still count as usage of a single instance of MATHS for the purpose of the stats.

Again, more coding headaches, sure...but it's sorta what comes with having become 'authoritative', so it's definitely not a negative. Just what happens when you turn into the 'definitive reference'.

Here's a question/request which ought to be easily feasible:

can we make sure that the alignment between using a module on a rack and what appears in the info section of the module in regards to usage is 1:1 ? I mean, I'd like to be able to see exactly on how many racks a module is being used on, no exceptions.

I guess you mean the section "Related Rack" ?

Right now I have a module hidden, which I uploaded and had to remove, which is in no racks (supposedly) but when I try to delete it, it doesn't allow me as "it's being used in some racks". There's probably someone who still has it on a rack but I can't know who or how many there are, since the information is non-existent.

Same goes for when I upload a module the first time, I put it on my rack and there's no info about it being used anywhere. It's a bit weird. Is it possible that it's a bug?

ModularGrid uses a system where a html page is constructed from several "partials". Single partials can be cached for performance reason. That is the case with the Related Rack partial. It is cached on the server for 2 hours, because I did not thought that it is timing critical info and if in doubt I always prefer speed over precision.
I now have updated the code that Unicorn users get real time data for Related Racks. Maybe that solves your issue?

[...] Again, more coding headaches, sure...but it's sorta what comes with having become 'authoritative', so it's definitely not a negative. Just what happens when you turn into the 'definitive reference'.
-- Lugia

Thanks @Lugia. You know that you can "browse" through different faceplates in the browser view, when you activate the Panel Selector button? It is a bit "halfbaked" but let's you choose different panel gfx which was uploaded for that specific module.

I guess you mean the section "Related Rack" ?

-- modulargrid

Yes! But check https://www.modulargrid.net/e/other-unknown-duplicate-please-delete----
This module is not used on any racks according to its info page and yet I cannot delete it. I've seen this a few times when I first upload a new module and place it on my rack. Checking the info page it doesn't have any Related Racks at all where it should say "Included in 1 racks".

Still can't delete that one so something is up!
Thanks for the quick response, as always.

PP.

I have checked it: that module was assigned to a single private rack.

Still can't delete that one so something is up!

There was an issue, when modules were assigned just to private racks the Related Rack partial was not displayed at all.
I have fixed that.
I have deleted the module assignment so you should be able to delete the module.
I am working on a feature that will allow mods to delete modules no matters if assigned or not ...

Perfect! So there was an issue, it wasn't just my idea. Great!
Yes, being able to delete just duplicates of modules which already exist is a good idea. Obviously it will take caution but if we limit ourselves to duplicates and then message the uploader that a duplicate exists and people ought to be using that instead, I think we're towards a better/cleaner MG.

:)