Plugins list as a sticky message (1 Viewer)

[JDWestoby]

Whilst reading through the plugins forum, I noticed time and again that people asked for the complete lists of what was around.

I also noticed a lot of 'how do I do', 'where do I find' type of messages. As I was looking to see what plugins were around this 'muddied the waters' and made actually finding out what was around much harder.

I realise that keeping a list of plugins is - a) almost impossible and b) a thankless task, but surely it would be possible to have a sticky thread at the top of the forum where anyone who has written a plugin can post a message and update it for new versions etc.

It would be a single port of call (and I DO realise that there is a repository but I wasn't sure when my plugin was uploaded - or even if it was!) and easy for anyone to browse

I also considered that what I could have done with was a working plugin that I could strip and mangle to my own ends. I'd be quite prepared to gut the one I did (VB & C# for comparison).

Just a thought and I do understand that anything I suggest means work for someone... (sorry).

 

[Nato]

I agree

 

[mlburgoon]

what would be nice is to have the sticky, and have a STANDARD format for all the plugins.

Plugin Name: (the name of the plugin)
Plugin Description: (a brief description of what the plugin does)
Plugin Forum: (a LINK to the forum message specifically about this plugin)
Plugin Download: (a DIRECT LINK to the download area to download the plugin)

so it would be a sticky containing NOTHING but that info.
The benefit this provides is you don't have to search a TON to find the forum for a plugin to read about it. Or hunt and search for the download. All nice and neat and organized in one location.

I would be willing to help put this info in a sticky

 

[joz]

I can see the benefits of a sticky but I do not see anyone volunteering to maintain it. That's the most important bit of all I think.

Plugins come and go. Sometimes with new MP releases they do not work anymore, sometimes some skins are not supported, sometimes MP thread changes etc. etc.
It will be not really a handful to maintain but it should be updated on, say, a weekly basis.

 

[mlburgoon]

what would be nice is to have the sticky, and have a STANDARD format for all the plugins.

Plugin Name: (the name of the plugin)
Plugin Description: (a brief description of what the plugin does)
Plugin Forum: (a LINK to the forum message specifically about this plugin)
Plugin Download: (a DIRECT LINK to the download area to download the plugin)

so it would be a sticky containing NOTHING but that info.
The benefit this provides is you don't have to search a TON to find the forum for a plugin to read about it. Or hunt and search for the download. All nice and neat and organized in one location.

I would be willing to help put this info in a sticky

I would also add the next 3 fields as well.
MP Minimum Version:
Plugin Version:
Plugin Last Updated:

Let the maintenance be done by the plugin developer. Only 1 entry per plugin would be required. they could just edit that data whenever a new version is released.

If anyone posts anything OTHER THAN the specific info for a plugin, that post would be DELETED. not moved, not transfered, but DELETED. the first post in the sticky would explain the rules of the Sticky. Anything outside of those rules and the post will be DELETED

I think the plugin devs would keep it up to date. it would be VERY easy to do. It would be harder to create the first entry than to edit it for future reference.

Maybe I will just create a Forum Entry that does this as a first post and see where it goes. If the forum gods bless it and sticky it, then great. If not, then it will be just another post that gets worked toward the bottom of the pile.

I would leave skin support out of this. This would be for JUST plugin info. the user would have a link to go see if a skin supports the plugin or not. Also, the dev may not know if a skin file for a skin has been created or not.

Well, I started a topic and posted a generic message in a few of the plugin forums. Hopefully it will take hold and some of them will post the info. If not, it is just a few bytes stored on the forum..

Only way to see how it works is to try it out.