Closed Some way to have a auto updating list of threads characters have been in.

[Soban]

I wish I could have a list of my characters and what threads they have been in easily. I feel like this could be done with some sort of struct. Perhaps a non-google searched thread page type thing where we can multi enter our characters, when the RP was, and a link to it. The vast majority of pages would have almost no content, although a summary would be nice. As the content would be the ability for us to put our characters into the struct and have the thread be added to a list of threads our character has been in. I created a example of what I'm thinking here.

I think it could have a lot of utility, and once a page is created anyone who was in that RP could add themselves to that thread page. If we put a lot of effort into it, it might even become a useful reference for us to have. Thoughts?

 

[Charmaylarg Dufrain]

Maybe theres some way to use thread tags?

I dont know how it would work mid-thread when new people come and go, or open RP, or JPs, but im optimistic about such a thing being in the realm of possibility.

 

[Soban]

So the way I'm imagining at the moment is if your character was in the thread for even 1 post, you can go to the wiki page for the thread and add your character to the struct and then have the struct list with your character's RPs appear on their character page.

 

[Wes]

I can make a struct to track your threads, but I don't currently have a way for the forum to talk to the wiki or for it to be automated.

One suggestion that you may find useful is the forum's bookmarks feature:

 

[Soban]

If you could just create a threads namespace where google can't see it and derank us for having stubs and the struct I mentioned, I think that would be a good starting point.

 

[Wes]

I don't think creating a wiki for every RP thread is at all feasible or wanted. It would just clog up the wiki with pages that don't add a lot of value. Therefore I don't want to make a threads namespace. But I certainly could create some sort of struct that could contain a list of threads with links and who was in them, though. It would work kind of like how the current wiki link list works.

For automation, there could, in theory, be some sort of API tool that says "find all threads on the forum tagged with a prefix that starts with RP and add them to this struct on Dokuwiki." I don't have the ability to make this right now so I'm just theorizing, not offering to do it.

I guess the question is: We have a wiki and we have a forum, shouldn't we use the forum to track forum stuff and the wiki to track wiki stuff? Is there some easier way to get this functionality like a link built with variables based on the current page struct that is a search for all threads containing the name of the character it's used on?

https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/search?q=Pidole&t=post&c[users]=Wes&o=date

With variables: 
https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/search?q={characters:character_name}&t=post&c[users]={characters:owner}&o=date

 

[Soban]

So if you look at the Wiki for Sacre or Hoshi or Katsuko, there is a lot of linking to threads and listing them. This is something I think doing that is a kinda best practice type thing. This will make creating those lists easier and someone (such as the GM) can add people in without having to visit everyone's wikipage.

I thought of this when I was looking at Sacre and going "I wish updating the thread list was easier"

 

[Wes]

The way I've been doing it is to put everything they're involved in into their history section, and then use (([[links in footnotes]])) to annotate each event with a link to the related thread. You can see examples of this on the history for Poppy Pink and Pidole Henitot. The list of RP threads is automatically created at the bottom of the page in the footnotes that way.

I don't see setting up the thread tracker struct as an issue, but I don't know how to automate it. So when I do create the struct, there's a question of who's going to fill it out and keep it updated? I'm somewhat concerned it will fall to GMs as an extra chore. While I'm not trying to be negative here I'm looking at "will this struct save me and other members time/effort?" And without automation, this seems a struct that will require GMs to constantly update it, forever, to deliver information that is easily attainable by simply looking at the plot's forum threads. Personally, I'm not sure I want to fill it out for my plots, just cause it's one more thing to do when I'm already bogged down with tasks that need done.

I'd like to hear more from other SARPers before I decide move forward or not.

 

[Andrew]

It is a nice dream that someday history sections will update themselves. Sadly it is just a dream, the technology really isn't there yet.

I think updating your character's history section is part of being the person behind a PC or NPC. Beyond this, I think the GMs have a full enough basket and this would kind of just add the things to do. Updating histories should remain the player's responsibility. It promotes ownership and taking pride in the bio.

 

[Whisper]

If there was an easy way to know what characters were in a thread, we could probably make something that can pull them together on a wiki page.

I'm not sure what that would look like right now. Character full names aren't used consistently, tags for character names is probably clunky.. If we can solve that, I'm sure there's a way to get the data from the forum and put it onto the wiki.

If each plot keeps a list of its threads, you should be able to do a list of plots that your character is in. That's probably the simplest "solve", even if it's not exactly what you're asking for?

 

[Ametheliana]

So if you look at the Wiki for Sacre or Hoshi or Katsuko, there is a lot of linking to threads and listing them.

For Hoshi, do you mean the quote boxes from RP found throughout or the links that get put in the footnotes like Wes mentioned?

 

[Wes]

I've closed this suggestion due to low upvotes, and because I don't really have a straightforward way of doing it.