Fast post before going back...

The subject of the poll is "What would it take to "bring you back" to the database?" so it's kind of evident that a "I contribute to and use the database" option isn't present since it's about those who did stop using it...

Blair I don't use the database and don't contribute to it (I'm one of the three) for many reasons that I won't list again since it's not what you want to know.

What you want to know is what could me bring me back. Two things :

1. The end of the censorship in the database,
2. this one is more important for me, a way to confirm you really own a dvd before doing any contributions on it (wich can be done simply by having the disc in your computer drive when contributing to let the software check and confirm). 

Hope that answer your question clearly Blair, if not send me PM at DVD Collectors Online since I don't really came here anymore.

There is more problem then that to having to have the disc in the drive to contribute. What if you disc ID is different then what is in the database? I have been adding a lot of alternate disc id lately. So with such a check... if the disc ID I have is different then what is in the database I wouldn't be able to contribute? Then there is also contributions for pre-releases... can't have the disc in the drive for those.

Quoting Staid S Barr:

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... and then at the same time allow contributors to enter whatever they like, because you want to end the so-called censorship...

This is not about that at all... If you know my posting history you know that it isn't what I mean by censorship since I have no problem to respect the rules in all my contributions in the past.

Guess I see another exemple of why I don't post anymore... Blair asked a question and I answered it, not surprisingly people find a way to discuss my reply. Blair ask what we need to come back contributing and this is what I need to return. No discussion needed here, anyway it won't happen so you don't have to worry... You will be able to continue to contribute without having the disc and entering false data.

What I personally want is data that match with the reality of the movie that I own : overviews which are overviews, not advertising or spoilers, or something about another movie, actors and crew which were involved in this movie, titles that match with the movie, not the cover, cover scans that match with the one I own, not one edited several years ago. All this without spelling mistakes nor ugly formatting, as are bold, italics and dividers.

I do not find anymore that in the online, except for old profiles submitted before 2007, using old excellent guidelines, and not rules based on a stupid idea (=exactly as on DVD even if that doesn't match with the movie, and reproducing all spelling mistakes).

I have no interest to download data I do not use (takes less time to rebuilt profiles from scratch). I should be happy to contribute my work, but do not want to make twice the job, nor contribute bad data.

To come back to the database, I would like to see simple rules, that are about most important data without any formatting and without any errors, based on a documented argumentation when necessary, not just "exactly as written with all its errors".

Even though I'm in a bit of a slum right now, I've never really 'left' contributing to the database. However, there are some things that would definitely help me contribute more and more often:

- clear and concise rules regarding romanization of Asian names
- possibility to only contribute part of a cast/crew list or audio/subtitle list and not the whole things, as I do some things locally that don't match with the online rules

- more free time (but that one, Invelos can't do for me  )

For those who DO download from the DB and contribute, there is an option for you - it's called "Skip this poll and view results"

Quoting Astrakan:

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Quoting mdnitoil:

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I'm at a bit of a loss here because I still contribute and download, however both have been severely minimized over the years.  For example, I only contribute "safe" fixes.  Anything involving cast/crew with common names I don't even bother with.  Anything with birth years, I don't bother.  Anything with uncredited, I don't bother.  So basically, I'm reduced to contributing overview formatting, or a CoO thing. 

All that being said, I suppose what might bring me back, so to speak, is some sort of global answer to the silliness that has become common name.  However, even fixing that doesn't address the gratuitous use of dividers and the now rather over-the-top crediting of various companies and locations in crew credits.

Who are you, and what are you doing reading my mind?

The above echoes my thoughts 100%.

Only bothering with "safe" fixes? You bet. Being completely turned off by the whole common name ridiculousness? Definitely. It's not worth it to attempt any of the more complicated submissions. Most of the time I do it locally, lock it and forget about it.

... And I thought I was the only one ... 

Quoting mdnitoil:

Quote:
I'm at a bit of a loss here because I still contribute and download, however both have been severely minimized over the years.  For example, I only contribute "safe" fixes.  Anything involving cast/crew with common names I don't even bother with.  Anything with birth years, I don't bother.  Anything with uncredited, I don't bother.  So basically, I'm reduced to contributing overview formatting, or a CoO thing.  Conversely, when I download, I find I have to nuke so much of the cast and crew that it's not that much different from starting over.  I'm essentially getting images and not having to type in the overview.  The rest is either unreliable or trivial to check since I have to fix so much other stuff.

All that being said, I suppose what might bring me back, so to speak, is some sort of global answer to the silliness that has become common name.  However, even fixing that doesn't address the gratuitous use of dividers and the now rather over-the-top crediting of various companies and locations in crew credits.

This pretty much sums up where I am, too (especially the bolded part).