http://www.light-novels.info

[Krikit]

Yes, but if you notice:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_light_novels

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:L ... ght_novels


And that's how they are categorized...that's it...

On top of that, they are missing alot of really good novels.

9S
Accel World
Dragon Crisis!
Tama☆Nama
Bird Heart Beat
Kakure Hime
Kaguya
Rapunzel's Wings
Bakarano
Skyward
Sweet Home Sweet

and the list goes on. The english wiki has alot of novels that I could care less about, but there are some good ones. But I'm not going to click on every single link to find that one gold nugget. I don't have the time or the patience.

That's why having a site with the novels (even all the ones from wikipedia) would be extremely beneficial. If people want to look for novels they might enjoy reading, or want to see what Japan has to offer in regards to a genre the searcher likes, or wants a more full, complete list than that found on wikipedia...ne?

Also the English wikipedia has most of its material taken from novels that are released officially in English, have a fan translation ongoing somewhere, or are/were/will be adapted into an Anime. (this isn't an all-inclusive statement, but it's fairly accurate) And there are more light novels than that.

Among other reasons. ^_^

[dragonst]

Thus the non-japanese speaking people who like light novels get a comprehensive and professional database, while we get more popular. I say aye

[Krikit]

So, I was just popping in to see if there is any new information from the Big Boss, or whether anybody besides a few others and I like the idea...?

[onizuka-gto]

Regarding this expansion idea, I have presented this to the Big Boss, mind you I have very limited knowledge as to how all this technosorcery is conducted so, I will first post below the words I asked the Big Boss.

I hope this will also help me understand his cryptic reply which has so far puzzled me, but in a positive way....

one of our active Translators have a proposition for an expansion of Baka-Tsuki dominances of the light novel genre (taking over the world, one book at a time!)

He has at leased 12-15 light novels who he would like to add somewhere, putting up descriptions, information and perhaps a mini review.

In other words a light novel database.

Novel Wikipedia if you will.

I was wondering how would you feel about this?

Something that'll attach to the baka-Tsuki domain,

Code: Select all

i.e. baka-tsuki.org/database

maybe a separate wiki database? Is this feasible? Or would this place too much strain on the server?

Mystic Reply from the Big Boss:

I don’t mind the extension, but I don’t have time nor the skill to code a complete website. I can host the site, however th- **state Secret** [Oni: We are breaking even with our network state-provided-funds to cover current hosting services]

I also have a couple of book reviews typed up from a while ago for one of my private blog.

...So...YAY. it can be done, but not sure if the Big Boss means we have to use the current wiki? Or we have to make a completely new wiki which he will host for us...or what?

I think I need a few translators for me here.

[Krikit]

Long story short, I think the EXTENSION is fine. that is, http://www.baka-tsuki.org/xxxxxx

(as a NEW Website. Just like how http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums and http://www.baka-tsuki.org/ are two separate sites, but piggybacking off the same hosting server.)

If you want the long version...read below

Spoiler! :

lol...I may be biased to wanting to see it my way...but here's my rendition:

1) You mentioned 'Light Novel Database' ; 'Wikipedia' ; and 'separate wiki database' ; which pretty much covers it.

2) In the Big Boss's reply, he said he will be fine with the extension, ie http://www.baka-tsuki.org/database , and I quote:

I don’t mind the extension, but I don’t have time nor the skill to code a complete website.

3) However, TBB also made mention of Hosting the Site separate from B-T, as evidenced here:

I can host the site, however th- **state Secret** [Oni: We are breaking even with our network state-provided-funds to cover current hosting services]

However, due to **state secret** which covers expenses, and B-T already being at the limit, another site looks out of the Question. Which is fine, it being on B-T.org. ^_^.

FIRST I need to ask, B-T is at the limit financially, so another site = no. but what about a subdomain? That is, something like: db.baka-tsuki.org? Usually when you get a site, you get xx number of free subdomains. If the subdomain doesn't work, then what Oni suggested earlier would be fine. That is:

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/xxxxxx

where xxxxxx = novelbase/database/db/lninfo/etc

So, if, as the Big Boss has said here:

I don’t mind the extension, but I don’t have time nor the skill to code a complete website.

We just need to get someone to make another wiki at the EXTENSION, http://www.baka-tsuki.org/xxxxxxx

and probably have a poll to ask what the extension should be, or something...(usually the poll will also increase interest. Alot of people probably skim over this forum because it says: "http://www.light-novel.info")

Does this help maybe clarify? I think I wrote too much.

[onizuka-gto]

Thanks kirikit for the insightful comments, I'll come back to points of the feasibility of the options to us in a moment,

I just need to clarify regarding server maintenance, with the current hosting service we are fine.

Therefore any solution we take, should take into account that we do not want to cause any further load that will degrade the performance nor do we wish to incur any further charges to the operation cost.

Now to get the point, I'm not really sure if an additional subdomain would actually be charged? It will have to be clarified with the Big Boss, but if possible, we have problem of creating a website/database from scratch ourselves then getting the Big Boss to import it on the server when he find free time.
Which could be some time...seriously.
However if an extension to the wiki, i.e. a portal like onwikipedia.
I think it will be faster for the Big Boss to plugin and for us to format and do it up with the availble wiki.

Plus we won't have to worry about additional charges and what not.

What do you think?

[Darklor]

Why not as part of the wiki itself? as a category Database/Overview or something like that?

[Krikit]

having it all on the same wiki is okay but...it gets a little cluttered I think....maybe...

Though what about this? Which keeps it on the same wiki by using a portal like Oni suggested?

Example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

For the English Wikipedia. Then when you want to go to the section for a certain topic, you use the portal, for example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Algebra

That would Host the main page, which would link to pages that are on the wiki normally, just like how Darklor suggested.

This way, we get the Portal for organization, while the actual novel pages are just a part of the normal wiki-extension, so it would be something like this:

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... l:Database

then for example an info page for the novel series "Accel World" it would be like:

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... ccel_World

Or however it would be worded to fit in with the current server. http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title= maybe that format would have to be used?

[Darklor]

And so it wouldnt be necessary to create for the already in the wiki represented novels an all new entry a link or a added category would be enough - right? And if you also create (some) teasers for your database entrys, you could easily add the teaser category to the article and the wiki would get much more teasers in the teaser section of the wiki...

[Krikit]

I guess then yeah, that's right...

We'd just use the wiki as-is, and create a "main-page" for the database, which would just be some normal page, with the extension name like "database" or whatever, instead of the usual : title=Toradora!.

then it would branch out to be like http://~~~/database/title=Accel_World

etc.

So...just use the normal wiki I guess. (I still think it would be cooler to have it like : http://www.baka-tsuki.org/database, but if it's too hard to download, then upload to the server, the mediawiki package, and configure it, or that is too much of a strain on the server, then we can forget it and just use regular extensions.

[onizuka-gto]

okay...then...a regular extension it is.



so...erm...what will be the name of the extension?

some suggestion?

[joay_b]

A database for light-novels, eh?

We'd just use the wiki as-is, and create a "main-page" for the database, which would just be some normal page, with the extension name like "database" or whatever, instead of the usual : title=Toradora!.

then it would branch out to be like [url]http://~~~/database/title=Accel_World[/url]

I believe this requires some form of URL rewriting; I don't know if the web server for the wiki is up to the task ...

so...erm...what will be the name of the extension?

some suggestion?

So far I can think of one: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension ... lInterwiki, though I believe this is intended for external wikis.

So what's wrong in just setting up a category page (e.g. "Database") and add pages from there?

[Krikit]

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... e=DataBase

And then we go from there I guess...

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... ting=label

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... ting=genre

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... ing=author

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... ting=title

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... popularity

etc etc

then from there, we go to

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... ccel_World

http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index ... on_Crisis!

and the list goes on...

How does this seem for starters? That adds...like 5-6 pages for sorting, and then xx # of pages depending on the number of books that get their information put up here.

The we can make a Category Tag for the books in the database, called "database," and if there is a teaser, add the "teaser" tag as well.

How's this sound?

(Next is design of the main database page)

[onizuka-gto]

...ok. lots of pages.


Now I'm curious, what is the difference between making a category page and a wiki extension/Portal?

Is the extension simply an url cosmetics? and does exactly the same as a category page?

[Darklor]

Hmm... I think some would work through categories (as I understand categories get an automatic alphabetical sort?): but we would need seperate pages for authors, labels, novels/titels and every page would also get a genre categorie (but I dont know how you could get popularty into it)

I think lists would also work, but I think that could be a little more or much more work - at least if you want a sortable list with additional infos (I think I have even an exemple for that - http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit ... notice=1#I - I wonder if you will see what I think the problem is, too ) but with lists would it not essential necessary to create separate pages for some entrys I think...

Or start with simple lists and end with categories?

And at the portal page (Light Novel Database ?) would be all the links to the categories or lists...

But I am not really an expert this are only thoughts I have gotten through the little work I have done in wikis...

And since I dont know what is really doable and I think most of the work will end on Krikit...

I think the decision how to do it would be in the technical limits wikiwise and serverwise up to him in the end?