Random isn't unfair. The Open Directory has a "cool sites" feature that allows good sites to be flagged as such. There's no reason why a Manialink version couldn't do the same. Also, there would be no sorting option, since the list would be randomized. Trying to game the system or cheat doesn't work in Open Directory, because they have strict rules for link titles (which affects their sorting) and you can't flag a site as cool if you're affiliated with it. Doing so gets your editor access revoked.Hylis wrote:again:
-randomize is unfair for good sites, and makes people register more in indirect way
-list is unfair depending on the sorting option (alphabetical, dates) etc.
Akbalder says that it is easy to rule and discard 'cheaters' of this, I think he has no idea. We tried it only with community websites of the games, back in 2003, and it was impossible. But anyway, if it is SO easy, just do it, and collect Planets fund to all enthoutisatic people here, to create the Directory site and thrust advertising space. Honnestly, I would be glad to see it, since if it is done by community, you have a greater range of freedom. If we are unfair, we are more easily accused, since we are also the people who are selling the game.
The Open Directory has been operating on this general concept for years, and they've managed to make it work well. It sounds as though you saw one bad implementation and decided all Manialink directories were bad, which I find troubling, since ManiaPub has its own deficiencies. ManiaPub currently can't differentiate between good sites and not so good sites, since both can equally fund campaigns. I'm noticing that some of the current advertisers with avatars for sale are possibly violating copyright and trademark laws (at least US laws) by offering avatars from popular television and video game franchises, yet they somehow got through the verification process. Plus, only 16 sites can have ads running for the World zone at any given time, so everything else gets muscled out of being noticed. Finally, people hosting skins, avatars, maps, and such dominate ManiaPub, while other sites are just now penetrating their iron grip on the system. I'd personally like to see a greater variety of content, especially more gamemodes and title packs. This is something that a Manialink directory would be better able to do.
ManiaPub has its uses, but it shouldn't be a substitute for a tool to explore the Manialink web. An AdWords-like or Project Wonderful-like ad system with the opportunity for people to use it on their own Manialink sites and title pack menus would be quite useful as a means of paying some Planets to increase your visibility.
I'm not saying that it's easy to create a Manialink directory from scratch. However, the difficulty lies in the actual creation of the directory and its underlying code base, not its design. The design problems you mentioned are not impossible to overcome. However, a more robust directory can be created by making it (mostly) freely-editable, like a wiki.
I could set up a MediaWiki wiki and add some categories, and I'd have the basic framework of an open Manialink directory. It wouldn't be perfect since I couldn't randomize the categories' contents, but it would work. There's no reason why the directory itself has to be a Manialink, since it's possible to link to Manialinks from web pages. Anyway, that's the quick and lazy way of doing it.
EDIT: Actually, PmWiki might be a better solution for a Manialink directory. PhpWiki is a bit too limited in what it can do to be suitable, and MediaWiki would introduce too much overhead. I'd have to look into it further.