New website features

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pennymachines
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New website features

Post by pennymachines »

Following the introduction of the new user-submitted events Calendar, the other promised improvements to pennymachines.co.uk are at last nearing completion:

The Archive: Will contain Links, Locations, Services, Patents, Resources, Restoration & Gallery. The last three are simply links to those areas of the Forum. Links, Locations & Services will be submitted by members (or non-members via moderator approval). They'll be listed alphabetically and by order of submission. If, as so often occurs, they become unavailable, members can mark them as such, keeping the information relevant. Patents can be submitted likewise and will be ordered both by patent date and date of submission.

The Museum: To comprise the most comprehensive pictorial record of the diverse output of the British pre-decimal amusement machine industry. Members can submit examples (in a process similar to posting in the forum) which will be organized by machine category type and listed alphabetically. Machines can also be viewed by order of submission. Non-members can submit content via moderator approval. Manufacturers will be listed with cross linking to examples of games they made. There's an option to credit entries to your username or submit anonymously (providing the anonymity some collectors may prefer).

The Arena: Will not look much different but will include a link for easy online submission of content.

The Market: Will combine classified advertising and auctions on one page and will no longer require separate registration - all forum members will have automatic access. The advertising will also be available to non-members and it will be directly linked to the Forum (via a 'Market' category). This uses entirely new software and is still at an early stage of development.
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bryans fan
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Re: Coming soon...

Post by bryans fan »

Who's been a busy bee then?
!!JUNK!! **xXx** !!THUMBSX2!!
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badpenny
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Re: Coming soon...

Post by badpenny »

How splendid !THUMBS!
pennymachines
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Re: New website features

Post by pennymachines »

The new Archive is now up and running. !!PARTY!!
Please use it to keep us all up to date on vintage slot machine websites, arcades and useful services. I've copied over the old list of patents, but there are many more to be found.
pennymachines
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Re: New website features

Post by pennymachines »

All being well the new Museum should be online tomorrow with a few machines in each category just to show how it works. I'll be copying over content from the accumulated information in the Forum, the advantage being that it will then be in a structured, easily accessible form.

I've added a commenting system (open to logged in users), so entries can be corrected or additional information offered. I'll be active in moderating, editing, recategorizing etc. to keep it concise and accurate. There can several examples of the same machine, but in the interests of providing a good reference source, if I remove images it will be to favour better examples (i.e. reasonable quality images of machines in original or well-restored condition).

Commenting is also now available in the Archive, so if you've used a Service or visited a Location you can let us know what you thought of it.
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john t peterson
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Re: New website features

Post by john t peterson »

Brillant, Mr. PM. I think your talents might be better served here in the US of A. As a matter of fact, we're looking for a FBI Director. Interested? It comes with plenty of publicity and a gun. !!RAYOF!!

J Peterson
Uncle Sam wants You! !!USA!!

PS I think they'll let you bring BadPenny with you as your bodyguard. !TRANSFORM!
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arrgee
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Re: New website features

Post by arrgee »

pennymachines wrote:The new Archive is now up and running.
Clicked on this link last week and it took me to a completely different web page layout, although it was still this website the layout was shown in a number of light blue shades and the Category icons, which are currently to the right side of the page, were shown on the extreme left. The phpbb reference was shown bold at the top left of the page - I thought the website had been redesigned.
This happened a couple of times but not occured since.
!PUZZLED! :!?!:
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badpenny
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Re: New website features

Post by badpenny »

John T. Peterson wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 12:18 pmI think they'll let you bring BadPenny with you as your bodyguard.
I bet they wouldn't John, when Obama started criticising and sacking his senior military while they were busy in theatre of war, the stars aligned with my own personal yet special view on the world.

I wrote him a series of emails ensuring he was in no doubt as to my disappointment and displeasure with him. When he didn't respond I started demanding his explanations to be in my inbox by the following working day and started copying in all sorts of important people around the world. I didn't realise that Henry Kissinger was approaching 90 and I really shouldn't have bothered him.

Anyhoo, I never did hear back, yet suspect they may be a very thin file somewhere in the cabinet marked "Nutters never to be given a visitors' permit".
pennymachines
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Re: New website features

Post by pennymachines »

Arrgee wrote: Mon May 22, 2017 1:31 pmClicked on this link last week and it took me to a completely different web page layout...
You must've been online when I was doing a spot of trouble-shooting by switching the Forum to the default style.

OK... Museum now up and running. !PARTY!

Please take a peek and please use it!

Couple of glitches:
1. If you try to save a draft (instead of submitting directly) it won't save the description.
2. If you try to post more than one video, it won't display any of them.
I'll try to get those fixed this week. You'll probably find others... !!UHOH!!

Something else I should probably say... make sure any pictures you submit aren't copyrighted. ;-)
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treefrog
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Re: New website features

Post by treefrog »

Well time for me to be controversial.

First point is, I see the Museum enhancements look great and fill a gap we have discussed many time mr pm. with a bit of tweaking looks like a great way in creating a slot machine database, by type, manufacturer and model with a little bit of history as a great starting point. But I think Museum is the wrong name as it is a data table or register of slot machine history. The ability to register and categorise your own machines is great, but I would be tempted to make some of these field indexed based on categories that can be searched and structured.

Next point, I have a real issue is any bandit type machine being classified as a "gambler" so are many other non bandit machines like allwins etc...I believe there should be one arm bandits category for one armed machines and fruit machines for button based machines.

This leads me onto my next point.....there are now two sites categorising machines and companies. The new site is not as structured and bandit focused based on the inputs so far (also the two running it are more interested in this type of machine) and this site is non bandit focused (for the same logic) ..do I see a natural split here based on people's interests.... as such perhaps the new site needs a bandit forum as many of the old members on here always use to moan about bandit posts. Have they all died as they rarely post on here anymore anyway.

So what's the plan guys as I see no strategy here !PUZZLED!

Told you I would rattle a few cages for those that care or are interested...
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Re: New website features

Post by widget2k4 »

I have to agree with treefrog, a one arm bandit category is a must I would say. Also can you just upload pictures to the museum? I wouldn't mind uploading pictures but not too good on giving descriptions etc. and what category would you put something like a Hidden Treasure or trade stimulator into?
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badpenny
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Re: New website features

Post by badpenny »

"........... the two running it are more interested in this type of machine I'm also interested in canals, but you miss the point.
Paul and I are trying to expand on the sensation of entering a UK seaside arcade.

We're not trying to create an essential database of machines by alphabetical order.
It was approached by looking for evidence of machines we and others might remember. Then naturally whilst doing that one stumbles across something interesting, so shove it in because others might also be fascinated by it too.
There is an excellent American site which is already streets ahead of anyone else when it comes to such details, mainly American but it does include some British.
The Germans also have similar.
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Re: New website features

Post by 13rebel »

A great start to the museum, clear images of machines, unfussy background, well written descriptions with good videos. Well done and thanks. :D
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Re: New website features

Post by pennymachines »

Cheers rebel!

Hi Tf and thanks for the feedback.

Perhaps the easiest thing is for me to describe my original motive for creating the site and how that informs the decisions I made. The intention was always to provide a niche website specifically about British pre-decimal slot machines, both because they're my passion and, to date, they've been largely unrepresented (apart from two small books with limited pictorial content). The pennymachines.co.uk domain name was chosen to reflect this.

As part of this project I created the Forum which inevitably has a much broader scope, namely the whole pre-decimal amusement machine scene, albeit from a largely British collector community perspective. The purpose of the Museum is to catalogue uniquely British products up to the demise of the decimal penny. This doesn't stem from patriotic or nationalist motives, but in order to showcase what was particular and characteristic of the UK industry (conditioned by our legal, cultural and economic climate). It's necessary therefore to exclude foreign and post decimal machines, which would dilute the focus.

The name 'Museum' fits the 'classical' theme which was part of the site from the start - Arena, Forum, Archive etc. It is a kind of virtual museum, so why not? 'Database', 'Register' etc. sounds a bit cold and clinical.

I did anticipate there might be some disquiet about the absence of a bandit category but, as we discussed recently, there really are very few British bandits, so the broader Gambler category covers all games in which there is no conceivable element of skill. This would include the few bandits (BMR, etc.) and games like Clocks, Stockbrokers (certainly the Hidden Treasure) and betting games (Bullion etc.). I think it's quite easy to distinguish these true gambling games - nobody was ever fooled by the so-called 'skill button'.
treefrog wrote: Tue May 23, 2017 8:20 pmThe ability to register and categorise your own machines is great, but I would be tempted to make some of these field indexed based on categories that can be searched and structured.
I didn't understand that bit. All the fields are searchable and you can drill down to a manufacturer and that company's product via 'Manufacturer' links or all the makers of a particular type of game in similar fashion.

I fully take your last point, again on the bandit issue. But as BP says, there's an extensive online database covering these, plus many excellent books.

To address your questions widge - yes, I designed the Museum so that the only things you have to fill in are the name of the machine and at least one picture - so don't be intimidated. ;-)
It will say, 'This machine deserves a description' which I will happily supply. :cool:

As to trade stims - they're uniquely American - unless you count, say, a Trickler (Skill Game).
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Re: New website features

Post by treefrog »

But Mr PM, 20% of the machines you have listed in the museum are foreign machines converted to British coinage, I suspect as you have led this is about the interest people have as you pointed out the lack of British made bandits, but there billions of bandits operated on old coinage to cover... ;-)

The slot machine database you both refer to on the web is rubbish, has poor info and not updated very often.

Suspect my point has been missed and I guess this is down to what people have an interest In At the end of the day.....

I am am going back into my cell now they are locking up for the night
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Re: New website features

Post by pennymachines »

I don't think I missed your point (except the part about the field indexing) but, as you say, ultimately it does come down to our interests, and of course the site reflects mine to some extent.

The '20% of foreign machines converted to British coinage' is a bit disingenuous! :lol:
The Pin Up Girl's a fairly major British revamp - cabinet, play handle and graphics, in addition to coin conversion. The Sirdar Polyphon wasn't converted. It was British built and patented (although the game incorporates a German musical movement). Everything else, so far, is 100% British.

If coin-conversion was the only significant modification, I would exclude it, but there's certainly a place here for revamped Beromat or Tom Boland bandits, etc. or anything else substantially remodelling in the UK.
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Re: New website features

Post by widget2k4 »

OK mr PM !THUMBS!
I will upload a few and you can filter through them. :)
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Re: New website features

Post by pennymachines »

Excellent work! !!THUMBSX2!! Really nice clear pictures too of some splendid games.

I'm starting to fill in some descriptions but I already lost two by pressing the wrong button. :smash: The Firefox add-on Lazarus Form Recovery is no longer supported. :( l realize now how often it saved me from such frustration. It seems incredible that form input saving isn't a built in browser option.
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Re: New website features

Post by widget2k4 »

Ah no way :( !!JUNK!!
I noticed website went to snail's pace when trying to add some photos, got plenty more photos of Oliver Whales, Wonders etc if you want them? Was going to add shield catcher then it came to me that I'm sure they are not English but German?
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Re: New website features

Post by pennymachines »

Site still going at snail's pace today - thought it was just me. Running an uptime check to see if there's a problem with the server.
widget2k4 wrote:got plenty more photos of Oliver Whales, Wonders etc if you want them?
Certainly, all relevant machines are wanted. !!THUMBSX2!!
widget2k4 wrote:Was going to add shield catcher then it came to me that I'm sure they are not English but German?
That's where it gets tricky. I think some may have come from Handan Ni or other UK makers, but most are German. Some have been quite extensively revamped, with cigarette payout etc.
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