How does the Daily spotlight work? I've been looking at it for some days now and it is starting to make me paranoid. Is it automated or handled by admins?
why the hell that thing isnt automated yet is beyond me. i ignore it since it doesnt seem to even update "daily". i think it wasnt updated for like 2 weeks at one point.
I think it was for back in the old days when there were so many games that not all of them had any time on the front page. These days, you lazy klikers don't really submit much so there's nothing for that spotlight to focus on. There's only around 1 new game every day, and the spotlight tends to go there and stick longer if it has a nice screenshot
And if there aren't games that are very spotlight compatible, it could skip over those for a few weeks
I think Mitch handles it.
Edited by Muz
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it doesnt even need to be updated everyday. and it doesnt even need to be "new" stuff. i wouldnt mind seeing some old stuff that is worth looking at. (granted, projects should be fairly new and still being updated)
I think it should be automated, it is just not fair this way. I don't even care my games are never featured in the spotlight as people seem to find them anyway, but what I see in the spotlight now is not what I think is best, nor does it give people equal chances. What about "most downloaded", "highest rating" and "most recent"? That way the people decide and everybody gets a little coverage.
Originally Posted by Hayo I think it should be automated, it is just not fair this way. I don't even care my games are never featured in the spotlight as people seem to find them anyway, but what I see in the spotlight now is not what I think is best, nor does it give people equal chances. What about "most downloaded", "highest rating" and "most recent"? That way the people decide and everybody gets a little coverage.
A lot of things here should be automated but they're not, like the front-page Spotlight and Recommended Downloads. You just have to deal with it.
I think it picks the latest 'nice' games. If you haven't noticed.. it tends to pick new games that aren't front paged. A lot of games that don't use a 4:3 screenshot aspect seem to look bad on them so they're probably skipped over; think that's why Hayo's game isn't on it.
Heh, I wouldn't really like it if it was random or automated. That would make it pointless. If it was going by high downloads or highly rated games.. it would be pointless too, because it's not showing the good, unrecognized games. If it was going by low downloads, then it would almost certainly pick bad games.
Hmm.. I think it would be cool if it records the games you like and picks them.
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Heh, I wouldn't really like it if it was random or automated. That would make it pointless. If it was going by high downloads or highly rated games.. it would be pointless too, because it's not showing the good, unrecognized games. If it was going by low downloads, then it would almost certainly pick bad games.
Something like the iTunes DJ (or whatever it used to be called) might work in that it automatically picks a bunch of high rated tracks, but at any point you can select another song and it'll be added to the top of the list. So the system could run when admins aren't about but there would still be control over it.
We're forgetting that the daily spotlight could show old games too. I'd much much rather have it pick high-rated games from days past than get stuck on whatever's been picked weeks ago. Oftimes I've noticed the ones picked aren't that great either. I'm not picking on anyone, I'm just saying letting it pick games randomly wouldn't be worse. Like I said, I don't even look at it anymore.
Hmm.. developing a spotlight algorithm sounds like an interesting idea. I think I will have to invade some privacy.
..as soon as I'm done developing algorithms for other junk.
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It doesn't have much to do with "dealing with it". The only thing that bothers me about it is that there's no equal chances for everybody, it is too random. Muz is right tho, letting it view the most downloaded and best rated games would not make it any better.
Again, I am not talking about my own games, every fart I let out gets coverage anyway. Because my farts are pretty.
Poobical Has some jaffa cakes in his coat pocket 3
Registered 27/11/2008
Points 54
5th May, 2009 at 14:35:21 -
I don't really notice the "daily" spotlight banner myself to be honest, I tend to look to the right of the page to the New downloads or Latest Project updates.
You know, it doesn't have to be a good game to be put up there. Just have it pick a random one that's been submitted. It is more for occasional visitors than anything, right? Regular members usually check most of the downloads anyway so the spotlight is useless for them. If there's a good game that should be checked out, it should be front-paged.
Actually, I'd rather it not pick all games randomly. Because like, a third of games don't appear right on it. And the other games do not deserve to be recommended. You know the type. Almost all decent games are front paged anyway.
Also, one problem I see with picking higher rated games is that most of the good old games were here before the new rating systems.
And then again, like Hayo said, some games don't need to be spotlighted. Because when I see things from Hayo, Bibin, Pixelthief, or Phizzy, I tend do download them anyway
Edited by Muz
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There could be an option for the approving admin to thumbs up or down the spotlightibility of the game. If it has funky screenshots or is one of those "you know the type" games, they just don't let it be on the list of games that can be spotlighted!
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I was going to suggest a cycle of the recommended/highly recommended but OMC is a better more developed idea of that. OMC, you definately should apply for admin.
Could the spotlight be updated to have arrows on the left and right sides and we could scroll through more than 3 spotlighted games? It's similar to the iTunes scrolling highlights in design, but without the arrows. Just seems like the space could be used better.
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Originally Posted by nim Could the spotlight be updated to have arrows on the left and right sides and we could scroll through more than 3 spotlighted games? It's similar to the iTunes scrolling highlights in design, but without the arrows. Just seems like the space could be used better.
Hey, that would be nifty! As an admin I've realized that it really should be randomized in some way to show old downloads too... You can go in every day and set it to the latest project updates and downloads, but when there's nothing new you'd have to sort through all those old downloads for a good one...
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Edited by Muz
If it has funky screenshots or is one of those "you know the type" games, they just don't let it be on the list of games that can be spotlighted! 
