[Project Finder] Suggestions for improvements

This thread is for collecting ideas how to improve the project finder tool and make the access to projects easier, especially for beginners.

My suggestions for the project finder are:

  • short info text with links to the forum/threads for subtitling
  • infos about segmenting/ Ninja Academy
  • tips how to write a message
  • when it is for subbing - write it in your native language
  • for moderating in English
  • give some additional info about yourself
  • like past experience yes/no
  • QC yes/no
  • VIKI pass yes/no
  • amount of time you can spend
  • mention that even when a user already got a project meanwhile s/he should reply to a moderator’s message, saying that s/he already got a project now
  • mention that it is possible to join more than one project when someone has enough time for it
  • mention to login again; at least 3 days after sending the project finder message to check replies

=> project finder tool should not have auto-written messages
=> project finder tool should be updated to a drama’s status (should not say 0% of subtitles in language X done when there are already 15 episodes subbed and then add a auto-written message text like 'hi i want to subtitle for episode 5 of drama XY)

  • give moderators and CM’s additional options for a drama’s channel page
  • de/activate looking for subbers/moderators for a certain language
  • de/activate looking for editors/segmenters
  • add some kind of popup-window when a drama needs more volunteers (this popup-window should be altered by moderators/CM; e.g. language moderator A seeks more subbers, language moderator B has a full team)
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I have a whole section on Project finder on my Suggestions document here.
I am copy pasting it here.

Project Finder

This page can be done on the basis of the existing one. It now has three tabs, for segmenters, subbers and for CMs.
Add one more tab for moderators.
Inside each tab/page, just add another subdivision: new projects and unfinished (old) projects. Of course the "unfinished projects" page will have more filters. Not just country and language, but also percentage of completion, number of episodes, type (film, drama, documentary, reality).

Project Finder page – All projects tab

  • It was good that there is no more a link to Subtitle Editor and that the “Apply” button takes you immediately to your language moderator. However there should also be a link to the drama’s main page, with a reminder to check whether there is already a team and the drama is all but finished.

  • The message shouldn’t say “I want to sub episode x” but the name of the drama instead.

  • Before sending the application message, there should be a helpful note for the person writing
    “You are encouraged to customize the message as you like, saying something about yourself, writing in your own language unless you’re not applying as an English subber, and in English if you’re applying for moderator. Don’t forget to include whether you have a Vikipass or are QC”

  • Sometimes the “unsubbed” videos are only videos just uploaded of on-air dramas, where team subbers are working on. What’s the point in pointing the newbies to those?

It would be cool to have a button where the Moderators can declare that they don’t want that drama to be included in the Project Finder because the team is complete.

  • Remove teasers, clips and previews from the project finder. CMs and moderators receive many messages from the project finder from people who want to work on trailers, teasers, previews etc from completed projects. We don’t usually sub teasers and trailers which are uploaded AFTER the series is uploaded on viki and I can’t recall seeing any complaint from a viewer that the teasers or trailers were not subbed.

  • The Project Finder should not include projects for "English" subs which already have hard-subbed English subs.

Project Finder – Unfinished channels

A page with a list of unfinished channels in need of volunteers (either mods or subbers) can be listed, with details of the language needing help.

CMs and mods could post vacant positions, or positions someone wants to leave. It would be very useful to all volunteers and especially to newbies.

Make those needy channels accessible to the teams, though. It makes no sense that a drama from 2008 that very few people want to watch or sub is restricted for the few who do want to. Nowadays it’s very hard for a newbie to find a project to start on.

Project Finder - Recently Assigned Channels

Add another tab “Recently Assigned Channels” so that volunteers, either Moderators or segmenters and subbers can find Recently Assigned Channels all in one place. Where "recently" can mean "the last two weeks" or “the last week” or something.

If you create a Recently Assigned Channels tab, it would be easy to include a “Write to the Channel Manager” link for wannabe moderators, just as there is one for subbers in the All Projects page.

Project Finder - Channel Manager Application tab

It needs lots of improvement

  1. More information about each show so that we don’t need to spend lots of time researching online:

a. year of release of each show so that we can know which ones are old and which ones are not.

b. add “existing” (already uploaded on viki) “coming soon” (will surely be uploaded in the future), “fan channel” (not licensed yet).

c. number of episodes. Very important! A short web drama is not the same as a 50-episode family drama.

  1. If you make a moderator tab, with a link to apply as moderator, on the bottom of each thumbnail, when the Channel Manager is chosen, send him/her the names of those who applied for Moderator position.

  2. Implement a “Notify me” button, so that you can ask to get a notification the moment a Channel Manager is chosen for a particular show. THIS IS VERY USEFUL for wannabe moderators. As of now, our only option is to apply for CM even if we don’t want the position, only to be notified of the nomination and be able to write to her to secure a moderator position.

  3. On the Channel Manager Application form, show us when the channel was uploaded and how much time is left from the two-week CM application window.

  4. CTRL+ click on a channel’s thumbnail on Project Finder does not allow me to open the channel in a new tab, as it should, but takes me there and if I want to go to Project Finder again I have to use the back button. It’s not anything major, but still annoying, so please fix it, it should be easy-peasy.

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Thank you, that is a really detailed description I hope VIKI staff reads it too!

Your doc’s link should be pinned so more users can see it when it happens that one has a new idea and see if it is already part of your document or not.

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They should get rid of episode numbers. Now new people think only a certain ep needs to be subbed because the finder says “drama ep 16” or something.

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