Torrent Description Rules

[kureshii]

For a long time, we didn't have any rules with regards to the presentation torrent descriptions (we only dictated the minimum information that needs to be included). But now, we're going to have to lay down some rules with regards to them, starting with these 2. We trust you will find these rules reasonable and sensible.


1) No more than 2 mouse-clicks/mouse-overs to view information

Torrent descriptions in general do not contain that much info: Just some information about the series, the files, and a summary. Logically, no more than 2 clicks should be necessary to view that information. Putting sparse information into many many tabs or mouse-over elements makes things troublesome for page visitors and doesn't make sense.

Think about it. Does Google hide information about your search results behind multiple tabs? Does Wikipedia make you click tabs to read each chapter of an article? We're an anime tracker, and while we do allow uploaders to make their descriptions as pretty as they like, the content is what is most important. Users should be able to view it with minimal fuss.

Of course, exceptions to this rule apply if you're making an OST offer with lots of albums, or in other special circumstances.


2) No background images >150KB

It's really easy to insert background images, and they really make your description look pretty, don't they? But also keep in mind that there are people with bandwidth caps, people with slower access plans, and your image host most likely has a bandwidth limit imposed on you.

Besides, your pretty image is going to be hidden behind the information, and it is there to complement the rest of the description - doesn't make sense to use an 800KB PNG file for the background image, right? So save it as a JPG, and you'll easily bring the filesize down to 1/3rd or 1/4th the PNG filesize with sensible settings. Don't abuse file formats just because you can.

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That's all to it; 2 simple guidelines that we believe will make BakaBT a better place for you and us.

These 2 rules have been updated in the description requirements (also accessible from wiki main page).

[ailailou]

Thank you Kureshii for implementing these 2 new rules. I'm curious though how many users will actually get to follow them.
Let us say a user doesn't follow the 2 new rules above, and he makes an offer with a description that requires many clicks to get the information, will it possible for his offer to be rejected?
P.S: Sticky? Yes? No?

[kureshii]

No need to sticky, it is already in the description requirements.

If uploaders do not comply, we'll simply leave the description in pending status until they do.

[Addendum] Uploads that have been approved prior to this announcement will not be asked to change their description in order to comply. However, these 2 rules will apply from this point on to all offers and adoptions in progress.

[Path]

Sounds good; while I've been guilty of the latter (I don't personally notice a difference in loading a 100 and a 500 kb background, really), I can sympathize with the sentiment, and I've never been a fan of hiding information behind a series of tabs or mouse-overs. While those allow for more original and streamlined templates, they also make it annoying to actually get a quick overview of the relevant information. Function before form, and all that.

[Duki3003]

Well there is a difference between them, people with a tad slower connections still are experiencing it...
But honestly there's really no need for a jpg image no wider then 940px to be larger then 150kb.
Some tolerance will exist, but please do try to keep within this 2, might I add reasonable, limits.

[CrystalKaeru]

1) No more than 2 mouse-clicks/mouse-overs to view information

Does this mean that these boxes there you select an album from a dropdown box and then the tracklist and other information about the album is shown, isn't allowed anymore?

And if this is the case,

Of course, exceptions to this rule apply if you're making an OST offer with lots of albums, or in other special circumstances.

How many albums is "lots of albums"?

[Duki3003]

This rule will mainly apply on anime/manga descriptions.
OSTs are not covered by it for the most part...

[CrystalKaeru]

Yokatta.
For one second there I thought that I needed to completely rewrite the description for a torrent I'm going to offer.

[kureshii]

Of course, exceptions to this rule apply if you're making an OST offer with lots of albums, or in other special circumstances.

How many albums is "lots of albums"?

When I wrote this, I was thinking that the usual OST+OP+ED offers should be compact enough to not require tracklist-hiding. Anything longer than that can probably justify the use of dropdown-lists, show/hide buttons or album-selector menus. I am also of the opinion that OP/ED tracklists are really too short to need any hiding, and I will advocate it only for OSTs or albums with more than 4 tracks.

This is just from my point of view, so other staff members who look at offers might have their own ideas on certain offers.

Of course, the final aim is always to make things easy for the reader, so don't go putting tracklist-hiders if you already have an album selector menu in place, lol.

[nightswallow]

Like the rules. Was a bit scared though, as I planned on redoing my two Aria music collections in the same format as my Aria Drama Collection so that more Album information can be presented when viewing each album, but not have to feel like you are scrolling 30 pages down to see all of it, or to get to the stats/comments section.

As for all the other offers I have (and future offers of small size) where it's just OP/ED/OST or a few more albums, simple is good