User talk:Smbreau

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Revision as of 15:05, 26 December 2023 by JLaTondre (talk | contribs) (→‎Der brennende Wald: new section)
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Welcome!

Hello, Smbreau, and welcome to the ISFDB Wiki! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are some pages that you might find helpful:

Note: Image uploading isn't entirely automated. You're uploading the files to the wiki which will then have to be linked to the database by editing the publication record.

Please be careful in editing publications that have been primary verified by other editors. See Help:How to verify data#Making changes to verified pubs. But if you have a copy of an unverified publication, verifying it can be quite helpful. See Help:How to verify data for detailed information.

I hope you enjoy editing here! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will insert your name and the date. If you need help, check out the community portal, or ask me on my talk page. Again, welcome! Mhhutchins 02:58, 22 November 2013 (UTC)

Linking uploaded cover images to the publication records

Thanks for uploading cover images to the ISFDB wiki. The next step is to link those images to the records of the books for which these are the covers. As the instructions (step 6) explain:

Once the file has been uploaded, the image's wiki page will appear. In order to get the URL (address) for the image you just uploaded, left click anywhere on the image and copy the URL from your browser's address window. (Or right click on the image and choose "Copy Image Location".) If you're adding a cover image to a pub record, this is the URL which you would enter into the pub record's "Image URL" field.

So once you have the image's URL, go back to the pub record (it's linked on the image's wiki page) and then click the "Edit This Pub" link under the Editing Tools menu. This opens up an edit page. Under the Publication Metadata section, there's a field labeled "Image URL:" Enter the URL of the image you uploaded into this field, and then click on the "Submit Data" button at the bottom of the page. Once the submission has been moderated the cover image will be linked to the publication record. Thanks for contributing. Mhhutchins 03:00, 22 November 2013 (UTC)

To respond to this message (or any ISFDB wiki message), click on the "[edit]" link to the right. Enter your response in the dialogue box which opens. Start your message with a colon (:) which separates and indents it from the previous message making it easier to follow the discussion. In successive messages, add another colon to the number in the previous message. End your entry with four tildes (~~~~), which will automatically "sign" and date your message. Then click the "Save page" button. When someone has left a message on your talk page, you will be notified by a highlighted "My Messages" link when you log into the ISFDB. I have placed a "Watch" on this page so that I will be notified when you respond. Keep all discussions on the same talk page on which it begins. Do not respond on the other person's talk page. Thanks again. Mhhutchins 03:03, 22 November 2013 (UTC)

The Power Ball

Do you have a copy of this publication? If so, please consider doing a Primary Verification of the record. (There are links to the help pages in the Welcome section above.) Also, if you have it, could you add the price (if one is stated.) Thanks for contributing. Mhhutchins 00:33, 23 November 2013 (UTC)

The Apes

Thanks for adding a publication record for this title. I've made some changes based on ISFDB standards, the help pages to which are linked in the Welcome section above:

  • Price field was changed from "6s" to "6/-", the standard for entering six shillings in pre-decimalization British currency.
  • Changed the publisher to "Faber and Faber" to conform with the current standard name for this publisher.
  • Added a colon after "OCLC" in the Note field.

One last problem is one that you probably would have no idea about until you actually made the mistake. You uploaded this image file before the publication was created. It is an ISFDB requirement that cover images be uploaded solely from the link on the publication record page. Since there was no record at the time you made it, the only other way was a direct upload which bypassed the semi-automated procedure which creates 1) the required license tag (which protects us against charges of copyright violation), 2) a direct link back to the database record, 3) a link to the artist's Wiki page, 4) a unique filename which matches the tag of the publication record. (You would not have had to create a name for the file.) Compare the Wiki page for this mistakenly uploaded file with an image file that you uploaded earlier today, and you can see why you should only upload cover image files from the link on the publication record page.

This requires a relatively easy fix: If you still have the image file on your hard drive, go back to the publication record and click the "Upload New Cover Scan" link, and follow the same steps that you'd used earlier for other uploads. Then you'll edit the publication record to give the URL of the newly uploaded file. I will have to delete the original uploaded file. If you don't have the file on your hard drive, you can copy it from the first one you uploaded, but make sure that you accept the system's automatic naming of the file to match the tag of the publication record.

Or if you prefer, I can do it. Let me now by responding here. Thanks. Mhhutchins 02:46, 24 November 2013 (UTC)


To respond to this message, click on the "[edit]" link to the right. Enter your response in the dialogue box which opens. Start your message with a colon (:) which separates and indents it from the previous message making it easier to follow the discussion. In successive messages, add another colon to the number in the previous message. End your entry with four tildes (~~~~), which will automatically "sign" and date your message. Then click the "Save page" button. When someone has left a message on your talk page, you will be notified by a highlighted "My Messages" link when you log into the ISFDB. I have placed a "Watch" on this page so that I will be notified when you respond. Keep all discussions on the same talk page on which it begins. Do not respond on the other person's talk page. Mhhutchins 02:50, 24 November 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for the update, I did notice that the process for uploading the cover image before the edition had been approved looked sketchy, but couldn't think of a way around it. I don't still have the cover image for The Apes. In the future I will stick to adding cover images and misc information *after* the edition has been approved. Thanks again! Smbreau 15:21, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
I will download the image, and then reload it from the publication record. Thanks. Mhhutchins 17:53, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

Breaking lines in the publication record Note field

If you want to start a new line in the Note field of a publication record, a simple keyboard "return" won't work. It will be displayed on the same line with the previous one. You have to use a hard break using HTML. At the end of the previous line (or beginning of the new one) enter these four characters: <br> which will not be displayed, but will start a new line in the Note field. Thanks. Mhhutchins 17:57, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

Replacing ISFDB images with new improved ones

If you're replacing a cover image file, it would be easier to use the tag of the current image. Just click on the "Upload new cover scan" link of the publication with the poor ISFDB image (make sure it is captioned "Cover art hosted by ISFDB"). After you click the "Upload File" button, you'll get a warning that a file with that name already exists. Just click the "Save File" button, and the old image will be replaced with the new (better) image. This way you will not have to do an update of the publication record to give a new URL, because the URL remains the same when you replace the file instead of creating a new file, as you have been doing by adding "b" to the file name. After you bypass the warning, it will seem that the new image didn't upload. That's because the old image will remain in your browser's cache until you refresh it (hitting your keyboard's "F5" key in most browsers). Then you will see your newly uploaded and better image. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks. Mhhutchins 20:20, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for the protocol. I have uploaded a file (images/5/56/FLLDRSSDND1935.jpg) which I do not wish to use because it is the printed hardcover, not the dustjacket. Can you tell me how to delete it? Smbreau 23:27, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
Editors can't delete wiki files, but they can overwrite them. (Only moderators are able to delete files from the wiki.) I'll do this for you if you wish, but in this case, if you don't have an image of the dustjacket, this image will do fine until someone comes up with one. Just go ahead and link it to the record. Once the actual dustjacket image is found, use the link on the publication record page to upload the new file which will overwrite the old file. Thanks. Mhhutchins 23:56, 26 November 2013 (UTC)
BTW, look at the raw edit of this message (click the "[edit]" link) and you can see how I created a link of the image file wiki page to this talk page. That way a user of this page doesn't have to search for it.
  • Enter a opening square bracket "[".
  • Paste the URL of the wiki page or database record you want to link to.
  • After a single space, enter a description of the link.
  • End the link with a closing bracket "]".
This is how it's done on all wikis, including the most famous one: Wikipedia. If you need further assistance on how to link in the wiki, just ask. Mhhutchins 00:06, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Changing a Primary Verified record

If you're adding data (other than notes or cover image links), or removing or changing data to a publication record which has been primary verified (such as this one), you should first discuss it with the editor who verified it. This is standard etiquette for ISFDB editors.

Here are the steps:

  1. Click on the verifier’s name under the Status column which leads to the editor’s user page.
  2. Click on the "Discussion" tab which leads to the editor’s talk page.
  3. Click the "+" sign which opens a new message box. Explain the differences between your copy and the ISFDB record, and ask the editor to re-check their copy. (Giving a link to the publication record helps greatly.) If the editor is active, he/she should respond within a couple of days. If not, leave a message on the Moderator’s Noticeboard.
  4. If after the discussion, it’s been determined that an edit to the record is necessary, either you or the verifying editor can submit an edit.

I will do this for you in this case to see what the verifier has to say. Sometimes a cover designer isn't the same as the cover artist, but this appears to be the work of the designer. I'll see if he agrees, and if so, I'll accept the edit. Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:24, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

I've left a message on the verifying editor's talk page. Use this as a guide for future messages concerning changes to primary verified records. Thanks. Mhhutchins 22:37, 26 November 2013 (UTC)

Science Fiction in the Cinema cover image

You uploaded this file as the cover of 1970 Barnes paperback edition, but linked it to the record for the 1974 second printing? Which edition is this the cover of? Mhhutchins|talk 00:12, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

My error, it is the cover of the 1970 version —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Smbreau (talk • contribs) .
I'll move it to the correct record. Thanks. (Don't forget to end all posts with four tildes [see the welcome section above] which will sign and date them.) Mhhutchins|talk 00:19, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Noting secondary sources

When adding data from secondary sources, it must be given in the record's Note field. I've done that for you for the cover art credit of this record. The Note to Moderator field should be used for information about the submission, not about the publication. The data in that field disappears forever when a submission is accepted. Thanks. Mhhutchins|talk 00:48, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Got it, thanks!Smbreau 00:51, 24 September 2015 (UTC)
Also, you shouldn't link to listings on book dealer websites. When the book is sold the listing is removed 99% of the time, so it can no longer be of any value to an ISFDB user. Just noting the source should be sufficient. Also give the source of a WorldCat/OCLC record in the format "OCLC: 1234567". You have the option of using HTML to link to an OCLC record (but not to a book dealer listing). Use the permalink provided at the upper right corner of the OCLC record. Here's the help section on linking to an OCLC record. Mhhutchins|talk 00:57, 24 September 2015 (UTC)
Thanks for linking the OCLC records which you've sourced for data. As I mentioned above, when linking to a URL on OCLC, don't use the address in your browser's window, but the Permalink which is provided at the upper right corner of the page of every OCLC record. This is a shorter, and a more direct link to the record, even thought the other one works fine. It just saves a little time. I would also add that you're doing exceptionally well for a new editor. Keep up the good work! Mhhutchins|talk 20:56, 24 September 2015 (UTC)
Thanks for all your patience!Smbreau 20:59, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Standard forms of publishers names

Because the forms of publishers' names are given variously in secondary sources (and in the books themselves), the ISFDB has to determine which form should be considered the standard, otherwise a publisher's publications would be scattered over several different names. The standard has been derived at over the past two decades, usually choosing the most common form of the name. So books from "Hutchinson and Co." and "Hutchinson & Co." and "Hutchinson and Company" are in the db as just Hutchinson. The form of the name becomes more relevant when a publisher actually changes their name, i.e. Houghton Mifflin becoming Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. If you want to know which form of the name is the standard one, use the search box on the upper left side of any ISFDB page, under "Publisher". When there are multiple forms of the name, it could be either an entry error, or a formal change which would be noted under the name. As you continue to edit here, you'll become more familiar with the standard names given the most popular publishers. Thanks. Mhhutchins|talk 22:32, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Thanks, I looked for help on this but I am having trouble navigating the help pages. If you search the wiki for "publisher" you get 73 results, none of which seems to indicate a page on formatting, or a chart with the variations and the accepted name (although this one http://www.isfdb.org/printseries.html seems to be an early attempt). Is this something that needs developing?Smbreau 22:36, 24 September 2015 (UTC)
The page you link to may have been some individual's attempt but it is not a standard and shouldn't be used. As I've mentioned a couple of times before, this help page is a field-by-field guide to creating and updating publication records. There you will find the standard for entering data into the Publisher field and this statement:
Where multiple forms of a name exist, it is not important to always enter exactly the form of the name as it appears on the book. For example, an imprint may say "A Tor Book", "Tor", "Tor Books", "Tor Books Science Fiction", or "Tor: A Tom Doherty Associates Book". Sometimes several of these varying forms will be on a single book. These can be converted to a canonical form; in this case "Tor" would be the sensible choice. The ISFDB does not currently have a page to identify and document canonical forms for publishers but may do so in the future.
Unfortunately, no one has got around to creating such a list of the standard (or "canonical") form of publishers' names, probably because it would be hard to determine which of the thousands of publishers to list, and to determine the time periods in which those forms of the publishers' names existed, and then keeping track of the changes. As I said above, it will take time to learn these names, but if you have any question, first do a search (in the database, not the wiki) and if you can't find it, ask at the ISFDB:Help desk. I would suggest not to change the publisher name of any records which you're updating from secondary sources. Mhhutchins|talk 22:49, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Price field

I've changed the price you added to this publication from 50¢ to $0.50. This standard is explained in the Price field section of the field-by-field guide which I have pointed out several times. BTW, does Currey give the publication binding/format of that publication in his listing? Mhhutchins|talk 23:07, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Thanks, I promise I will stick to cover images unless I find clear guidance in the help file from this point forward.
Currey does mention the binding, but the answer is ambiguous: "Issued by Neely in cloth and paper bindings, this being one of the latter" -- so I left it as unknown. Smbreau 23:11, 24 September 2015 (UTC)

Improperly uploaded cover image

Concerning this talk page: This isn't the place to post this kind of message. Ordinarily, it wouldn't even be seen, but since I was monitoring your contributions, I noticed it. Since only a moderator can delete an uploaded file, a message on the ISFDB:Moderator noticeboard would have been a better place. In any case, you shouldn't upload a cover image for a publication which isn't in the database. You should only use the link labeled "Upload cover scan" on a publication record, and since that record doesn't exist, it only makes sense that you have to wait for the record to be created before uploading its image. I will delete this image and then you can upload it again to the correct publication record. Thanks. Mhhutchins|talk 01:01, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

P. M. Freestone / Peta Freestone

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Peta Freestone is now an alternate name for P. M. Freestone. There is no need to submit an edit without any changes, only a note to moderator. Post on the Moderator Noticeboard or the Community Portal. You will get a faster response. We put all author information on the canonical author's bibliography page. Submit an edit to add petafreestone.com to P. M. Freestone and I'll approve it. John Scifibones 12:46, 9 July 2023 (EDT)

Der brennende Wald

When adding a new translation, instead of using the "Add Publication to This Title" on the original language edition, please use "Add New Novel". This will allow you to specify the correct title, language, etc. Once that edit is accepted, variant the new title record to the original language title record to establish it as a translation. I accepted your addition of Der brennende Wald, but had to go through a number of steps to make it into a translation that would not have been needed if "Add New Novel" was used. Hope that makes sense. Please let us know if you have any questions (ISFDB:Help desk is a good resource for asking). -- JLaTondre (talk) 14:05, 26 December 2023 (EST)

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