Flashlights Rating Database is LIVE!!

Well guys.. thank you for your support thus far and a super big thanks to The_virus who itemized a huge list of lights for me, saving me having to hunt and peck all over the web to find names of lights to put into the database.

I'm proud to announce... the Flashlights Review Database is live, open for registration by anybody - tell your fellow flashaholics, tell your friends who buy lights, that we and the world are waiting to hear your opinion!

The FLDB can be found at http://kevin.htgk.org/fldb

As always, do let me know if you encounter any problems. Cheers! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy23.gif










I am mulling this idea over.. for a flashlights rating database. I am aware that CPF is a gold mine of information if one has the time and bandwidth to sit down and really read about it, and it is all high quality info too (unlike some of the trash I come across).

However, it would be nice to have some of this info distilled out into a neat, concise bunch of pages with USER reviews. Why should the big guys have all the fun /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif (just kidding)

A user registers, and for a light they wish to evaluate, fills out a form - give it a rating from 1 to 10, summarize the good and bad points about it, and they'll have a space for any of their other thoughts.

Now if there is one thing in the world that I truly detest - that is software development. I REALLY HATE that stuff, but some of you have seen a bit of code that I've written, and I'm prepared to do it for the greater good of the lights community - if you guys are interested in writing user reviews /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


If there are any lights that I have forgotten to add, please let me know (post here) and I will follow up. I am slowly building the database.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

So a new user will be able to browse flashlights by categories and such, select the lights they want to look at and read all the user reviews in a 'thread' like format as well as get an aggregate rating. This eliminates the need for them to hunt all over the web, and it gives the small guys a voice. (average CPF user not running review website, though no offence is intended to those who have put in so much hard work to bring us these quality reviews - your work IS appreciated and I would be lost without it)

Re: Any interest in a flashlights rating database?

Would that database somehow tap into the CPF reviews section?

Re: Any interest in a flashlights rating database?

Check sites like amazon.com or bestbuy.com where users write reviews on products they've bought for ideas on how the setup might look. I like the voting part of sites like amazon where irrelevant reviews are voted as such, and the best user reviews (voted as such as well) are shown at the top.

Standardization might be hard to figure out for this. Filling out a form makes it difficult for the "human" side of the review to come out, if you know what I mean. I'm seriously considering writing my own reviews for all my lights, but a form might be constrictive for what I want to say.

I do like the idea of organized user reviews though. Seeing many opinions about the same product is always helpful to prospective buyers.

Re: Any interest in a flashlights rating database?

No interface to CPF's existing system. Tapping into CPF would be a nightmare for both me and the CPF admins. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/aaa.gif

Yeah, the user reviews section would be like amazon/bestbuy. I might implement voting if I have the time, ability and if the project does take off.

The "Comments" section is intended to be freeform, it will be a text box just like a CPF post where one can write anything they want, with the only exception that I cannot allow HTML codes (too many vulnerabilities if I did).


9 votes so far.... come on guys, this is for YOU, I'm interested in whether you would write reviews for it (and the rest of the world).. this ain't about me, I just do the grunt work /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: Any interest in a flashlights rating database?

Great idea my opinion says

Re: Any interest in a flashlights rating database?

More convincing than some text, I've added a mockup image (see first post) and you can test drive the system right here. The only thing is at this point you can't post - so that's what prevents it from becoming a fully operational system. I'm working on the posting part, gimme a while.

Re: Any interest in a flashlights rating database?

I like it!!! very good Idea and begining of data base. I can't wait to add some of the lights I have (as few as they are)

Doug

Re: Any interest in a flashlights rating database?

One of the members of CPF runs his own site called flashlightreviews.com. It might be worthwhile to work in conjunction with his site so that users can look at a detailed review including runtime charts done by him and then compare his results with the rest of us. I guess what I'm saying is why reinvent the wheel, instead add upon an already great idea.

Flashlights rating database: Call for Beta Testers

diggdug13: h4w, my first beta tester.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif PM SENT!

Dadof6: Thanks for the suggestion, that would be Quickbeam. However, integrating two different software systems together would be a nightmare, so I've decided to keep it standalone for now. We may have options to collaborate in future though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif



Call for Beta Testers

I have a few slots for beta testers to shake down the system and help me work out the bugs before we go 'live'. Must own a few lights, must be willing to write reviews for them. Proper reviews please, we will keep these as the first few reviews to go up on the database.

Post here to indicate interest. I will contact you by PM if you've been picked. I apologize if you don't hear back from me, I'll try to post an update of who I've picked and when it's closed in the thread soon.

Even if you are not picked to become a participant in the shakedown, you can still be a part of it by checking out the site here : http://kevin.htgk.org/fldb/ and letting me know if you encounter any problems. Thanks!!

Re: Flashlights rating database: Call for Beta Testers

that would be spiff!

-David

Beta test

Well, I've been planning on writing reviews of my lights anyways, so why not? I'll beta test if you'll have me, you'll just have to give me an outline defining what you consider a 'proper review'. I don't have any fancy equipment, in fact I don't even think I have a voltage meter/circuit tester. I was planning on writing a layman's terms review and giving some pros & cons, room for improvement and then a rating using the 5 star system or something similar (rating out of 10?). The hardest part of course...is choosing which light to review first. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: Beta test

A good idea kevin. I think you are going to have to make a lot of entries for so many different lights. What about all the ones from china that don't even have names? And custom made lights and mods? It's going to be pretty extensive. I imagine that people who already have reviews of flashlights might just cut and paste theirs to your site. Get ready Craig!!

Also, you could have different ratings for each flashlight: beam, color, make, feel, etc... this would give the reader more information.

Will this DB be sortable by number/type of batteries/LEDs? Say I want to compare all 1AA flashlights on a single page? Or all multi led flashlights?

Re: Beta test

Well, if you have a voltometer (battery voltage tester) and attach it to a solar panel, then you could test the throw/lux of each light.

-David

Re: Beta test

To avoid intimidating the n00b (as this will be open to the world, rather than just to CPF), I thought long and hard about what numbers I wanted to put in. Then I realized it was either going to be so subjective, or so overwhelming (a new user might not understand all of our terms) that I just decided on one simple number - 1 to 10 for an overall rating of what the light represents to that particular user.

If someone feels like the Solitaire is the best thing on earth (ask me circa 1999), they are quite welcome to put 10.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif this is, after all, going to be an opinions database. Thanks for the suggestion, I've seen some other sites for other products do it that way.

Good call on the hits counter, that's a feature I wanted from the get go. It's on the listing and detailed review pages.

We don't track specifics such as cells, output and so on because otherwise I would spend the rest of the month keying in those details and be at a loss when unable to retrieve those stats. The user will still have to do a little more background research on those by themselves. You're right, I am still scratching my head on custom mods. We may only do the extremely well known ones that were released for public consumption. MrBulk's stuff comes to mind because it is easy to characterize and it is in a way, standardized (a LC is a LC is a LC, color/external material aside).

Additional features.. if this project takes off and I find it's worth the time. Thing about software.. (no offence to anybody here) is that a feature always looks simple, but actually requires a huge amount of work in the back end. For all the years I've worked with computers, software development is still as ***-backwards as it always has been, it's amazing I still can't tell the computer "do as I say and not as I do" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif

I appreciate the support and interest, it makes it worthwhile /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The_Virus: Actually, it needn't be too taxing. I was thinking about "proper" such that some folks don't go and put one liners "it sux" "it rox" and so on. Eventually it may well happen when we open it up but it would be nice to get it started on the right footing. A simple little one paragraph commentary or opinion will be great. See the http://kevin.htgk.org/fldb/detail.php?id=3 SF 6P's page for an idea of what I was thinking about. I'll PM you your password and so on in a while.

Re: Beta test

Kevin,

This is a GREAT idea!!

Bill

Re: Beta test

Wow Kevin, that's a great idea. Looking good... :thumb:

THen again, we already have guys like quickbeam adn LedMuseum that gives us the technical details, a first-person feedback would be a great tool for the newbies(like me self)

Re: Beta test

Thanks.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It was actually meant to complement the work of other fine reviewers. They provide the comprehensive, detailed reviews, whereas FLDB (this project) is meant to provide "the sum of user opinions" to a potential buyer. Thus, a buyer would likely read one of theirs first to evaluate the light itself, such as battery characteristics and so on, once they have a good idea, they'd then proceed to read what other people think of it.

Give it a try.. and if you guys want to participate in the testing and start writing opinions (short ones are fine) let me know!

Re: Beta test

Kevin, this is a great idea.
Some of us spends day and night surfing CPF + some, but nor newbie it's quite intimidating.

A database composing of review, build and raw data would bring newcomers up to speed much quicker.

Re: Beta test

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The_virus has contributed the first review of the Streamlight JR Lux, well done!

If anybody else wants to write, just PM me to receive a password. No obligations.

Flashlights Review Database is LIVE!!

Looks like we've made it - from interest, to concept, to preproduction and now we are live - see the first post for details and we are now open for registration. Happy writing guys!!