Be on the Lookout Thread suggestion

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I love the Be on the Lookout sticky. But I am finding that it is getting cluttered with a lot of "Sightings in Response" so it's hard to easily spot a request. Perhaps we might consider leaving it for "requests only," and if someone spots something it could be posted in Sightings, with a PM alerting the OP to the Sighting? Of course, anyone is free to just PM the OP without posting the sighting, too, but that's a matter of personal preference/circumstances/etc. Also (hopefully) anyone posting a request there should know to check the Sightings regularly...

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I love the Be on the Lookout sticky. But I am finding that it is getting cluttered with a lot of "Sightings in Response" so it's hard to easily spot a request. Perhaps we might consider leaving it for "requests only," and if someone spots something it could be posted in Sightings, with a PM alerting the OP to the Sighting? Of course, anyone is free to just PM the OP without posting the sighting, too, but that's a matter of personal preference/circumstances/etc. Also (hopefully) anyone posting a request there should know to check the Sightings regularly...

I like that idea Avery!

I was going to go clean that up this week anyway as I know the Mexico one was filled.

I'll go edit the stickies after I play in RCI search.

DONE!

[Guest Close Quarterbore]

I am not a regular to the sightings boards but I have been looking in there more and more lately and trust me that the problem you are describing will be going away soon!

I really need people to give me a hand with getting the resort reviews database suggestions all together so that I can code the new reviews database (See the following thread

http://www.timeshareforums.com/showthread.php?t=10997

As soon as the reviews database is set up I will be building an "Exchange Opportunities" database that will change the way we do sightings... The way it will work is that the person posting the sighting will be able to enter the resort code and possibly a couple other tick boxes and then the resort will into the "Exchange Ops" database.

The database will be able to draw on the data in the resorts database for the resort name, season info, and all the other stuff.... from there the latest sightings will be available in a forum like list BUT the sightings will also be search-able.

In addition, I will also be creating a premium addition that will allow members to use some of their TS4MS points or they will be able to purchase credits in order to have a list of resorts that they want to be notified if they get added. The details are open but perhaps it could be by country, area, subarea as defined by the resorts database as well as week or perhaps more.... The list of "wants" will get listed and if another member finds a resort listed in the "wants" list they will be able to "report a sighting" to the member with the want and the member that reported the Exchange Opportunity will receive a "Bounty" is TS4MS points for their effort. This will benefit just about everyone.

In addition, there will be cells in the Exchange Opportunities to allow members to indicate that an opportunity is no longer available. This will allow the system to clean out some data and I can then later work to possibly build an "archive" system for older exchange opportunities.

I really do have my hands full with getting the resorts database done and my next highest priority is the reviews but after that I am going to prove to Lawren and Carol that I can create a better system to do Exchange Opportunities!

So, can I get some feedback on the resorts database:

http://www.timeshareforums.com/showthread.php?t=12482

And the reviews Database I am about to start:

http://www.timeshareforums.com/showthread.php?t=10997

So that I can get those finished up to allow me to get to work on this problem sooner then later?

This has the potential to be more challenging then all of the other work that has been put into building this website so far, but now that the resorts database is in place I could be wrong. I feel this new addition will be the greatest thing we have on the site and I am really proud of the way the classifieds and the resorts database have turned out so this is no small claim! I even have a special domain that I purchased for this project such that this exchange opportunities can be accessed independently of the main website to allow it greater exposure.

That is the system that will make this site the best timeshare site on the internet... I am putting way too much time and energy into getting there for this not to be something really grand and the folks that have worked on the resorts database are the ones that are going to make this possible in the first place!

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

Ken,
I don't mean this to be critical, because you have done and are doing a great job on this site and it has become a great place to hang out and get and exchange info. That being said it sounds to me like your new idea for the Exchange Opportunities will make it a bit more work to put in sightings if we have to go to a form and check some boxes and put in part of the data such as the available dates etc. Right now most of us that put in a lot of sightings have it pretty well down to a cut and paste routine that only takes a few seconds per sighting.
Just some food for thought.

[Guest Close Quarterbore]

But when you look at the sightings... the biggest thing that is always their is the RCI or II code and a block of text posted...

The Exchange Ops database can work the same way but with just a couple other clicks it can make that data really useful.

Some people thought the classifieds were not needed as well... isn't that a better system?

http://www.timeshareforums.com/sr_classifieds.php

I have heard the wories in old threads and I am building the back end that will make this as easy as possible and yes it may take a few more seconds but the results will be so much more useful that the extra clicks will be worth it.

[Sydney Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close Sydney]

Some people thought the classifieds were not needed as well... isn't that a better system?

http://www.timeshareforums.com/sr_classifieds.php

Hmm. Yes, definately a much better system.