26 June 2003
When writing about things — films, albums, and books — I want to point to them. Especially when I’m talking about music, I’ll often mention an artist or an album as a throwaway comment that might well not mean anything to the reader. So I’ll want to link to something, preferably from a centralised place rather than a fan site, to give more information. This is what linking is about.
There are competing databases for each. I’ve ruled Amazon out because it’s both country-specific and commercial, so for film I’ve gone for the Amazon-owned IMDb . I spend more time on there than is healthy, reading comments and message board postings (usually boiling up inside but keeping a lid on it), rating films, sorting the My Movies section, looking for recommendations.
I don’t do the same at the AMG , but I know people who do. I find the array of styles and genres and themes quite, quite bewildering, so I usually settle for looking things up. Linking (and general use of the site) isn’t helped by using JavaScript for internal links and ampersands in URLs.
But what about books? Amazon would be the obvious place, but as I’ve said before, it’s commercial. Enter the IBL : a community-driven effort to provide something similar to the IMDb and the AMG. It’s young, new, and in PHP. Users can submit reviews and rate books, like the IMDb and unlike the AMG.
I took three books from my bookshelf (actually a lie, as one was on the shelf above my desk, another was in the bookcase by the door, and the third was gathering dust on top of an old scanner) and searched for them on the IBL. None of them exist, according to the site. The books were:
(Also, a strange coincidence: I just noticed that Cathy’s started on Inversions, which is the very next book on my pile. Mine’s the hardback, though, so I can claim the moral victory.)
Granted, it’s supposed to be contributor-driven. Still, there’s something that feels wrong when books aren’t there. The whole site still has the feel or a hobby more than something serious. Arthur C. Clarke being author ID 2 just about sums it up. (Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read a lot of his books, but surely the first few IDs should be genuine heavyweights of literature.)
All this and it doesn’t validate. I mean, hello? This is 2003, a time when it seems that every ‘personal project’ validates. It’s just ingrained now, and if it doesn’t, there’s an automatic assumption that the person behind it doesn’t ‘get it.’ This is wrong of me and it’s my fault, but the feeling’s still there.
So I feel comfortable about linking to the IMDb, OK about linking to the AMG, and uncertain about linking to the IBL. This is not just because of database size, but also the sensation of permanence: the IMDb seems like it will be around forever, the AMG likewise but the links might change (that’s why they use the JavaScript). The IBL is only a few months old, but where will it be in a year? Will it be approaching a comprehensive datbase by that time? Will publishers be chipping in to help? What am I going to do about it?
Well, I’ve just cleaned the glass on my rather poor scanner, warmed up Photoshop, and applied to become an administrator. I’m curious to see how much I can help, considering the amount of rubbish and rare books I have. You should help, too.
Large postscript: I’m not sure there is such a global database for sports, because it would have to be f — — ing massive. For football, the entirely fictitious Championship Manager database will have to suffice (well, there’s also Soccerbase). That’s not to say the I particularly want to point to matches, teams, or players, but I might want to look them up.
Here’s an example (links and fancy punctuation added, name changed to protect the innocent from the belligerent, typos untouched):
- Sean
- Soton have signed a player!
- Gerald
- Have they? Whos that?
- Sean
- Some French guy.
- Gerald
- Butatista?
- Oh
- Where have you seen this?
- Sean
- Planet Football.
- Gerald
- I like the fact it says ‘French Ace’ as its all I know about him
- Sean
- What’s his name [again]?
- Gerald
- Leandre Griffit
- Sean
- I’ll loook him up in Champ Man.
- Well done, you’ve signed someone not in the database.
- How’s anyone supposed to know who he is, then?
- No woner Planet Football didn’t say any more.