Using ROMFI - part 2, posting a main reference item

[Sidewinder]

After logging in with my user ID & Password, as I intend to submit an item in the system, I go to the item that I want to post. (Of course if you just want to look around ROMFI you do not need to log in)

To find the place to post Graphophone BM. I press "List all categories" at the left of the home page, and then select Music Reproduction from the large category table, and then Phonograph-cylinder, and then obviously Columbia Phono co USA, and then all models, and page down - the phonographs here are ordered by year. On page 4 I find the placeholder for the BM.

As one saw on the post yesterday there is a button Click to add detail

When I do that I get this page where I can enter data and upload pictures



--> you will see the first button at the top of the screen below the menu says REVIEW DATA. After I have posted, another person can come and modify the data. In my post I will put a ? at the field for dimensions

so I fill out as much data as I can, and have the possibility to upload up to 3 pictures. To do this I click on the button that says UPLOAD PICTURE



I press BROWSE and select the picture from my computer and then press UPLOAD. I then see this screen when the picture is successfully uploaded.



and then press DONE

Once all inputs are complete your screen may look like this



and one can then press the ADD button to submit your inputs.

you will see this message



(I did once email Romfi to ask why one could not post immediately and then delete posts that were inappropriate. Their answer was that many people think it is funny to post pornographic pictures and it was easier to control the inputs rather than delete obscene material after it was posted. Also not to damage the reputation of the website.)

So maybe tomorrow I can see what my input into ROMFI looks like. I can also explain how to get the placeholders into ROMFI so that the item is there, ready to post into.

btw as a preview, this is the reproducer of the BM

[Valecnik]

Sidewinder,

Thanks for posting. The picture you posted of the reproducer will especially be of interest to many. It's too bad though that they do not allow posting of larger pictures and more pictures. The maximum size is still pretty small if one wants to look at details of motors etcetera. Is there a way to do that? Also, what happens if someone else want's to post pictures of a BM and his are better or more detailed than yours? Do all the pictures go up there? Is there a limit to the amount of pictures per machine type that can be posted? Sees it's two per machine or item. Also, how would you add a machine that's not listed or correct some misinformation? For example, there's a listing for an "Amberola A". If I wanted to post a 1A and a 1B, how would I do that? What if I want to post a model not listed at all?

I only spent a little bit of tie on the site. Possibly with another couple hours of study I'd answer several of these questions myself. However if you already have figured out some of this, your reply would be appreciated.

[Sidewinder]

Hello

If you click on the picture (where you see the 3 side by side) it pops up a bigger picture. I have copied the pictures into my photoediting program if I want to try enlarge on a specific detail. I havent seen any other system that does better?

If one has better pictures one can press the REVIEW OBJECT button and paste ones own, but the max seems to be three. However in the "Yes I have one" section there can be many other pics of similar objects of course at the owners discretion of what they submit into the system.

Getting the basic placeholders into ROMFI, or correcting inaccuracies, like the 1A 1B, is not automated; one needs to send a mail to [email protected], also preferably a scan of some reference material just so that they understand.

If I look under Music Reproduction > Phonograph-Cylinder > Edison > Amberola

there is
Edison Phonograph Amberola (A) I (1909-1911)
Edison Phonograph Amberola (B) I (1911-1912)

However what I do not see is a division between Lyre & more common grille. However I would put the small construction differences at the "variations in construction" field, e.g.like that the A was available in Mahogany, Oak & Circassian walnut

[Valecnik]

Thanks for the information Sidewinder. It certainly could develop into quite a data base of information if collectors used it religiously. The ability to record serial numbers, register yourself as an owner, record purchase and sale price is certainly nice.

Picture quality and restrictions on posting more than three is probably the downside in my opinion. The ability to post very large file size, 8-10 pics of each machine (as we can do in "featured phono" here) http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewto ... f=2&t=4386 and then allow other owners to add pics of the same model when they have it would really take the tool to the next level imho.

Your tutorials have been very helpful. I've visited the site numerous times but now I've actually resistered a username there.