Developer's Blog
Find out the latest fixes, updates, and changes on FilmSuggest. Email the developer of FilmSuggest, Kyle Prier at kyle.prier (AT) gmail.com for any questions, suggestions, or comments.
January 13, 2009 @ 7:30 PM by kyle
Today I implemented a user point system that tracks to what extent and frequency each user of FilmSuggest is using the site. You'll notice a top 10 list of registered users on the front page. This point system uses a variety of factors (number of movies rated, login/logout frequency, size of your collection, items on your wish list, etc) to generate a relative score for each user. Perhaps I will give some prizes out!
Also, notice the URLs and Titles of the movie, director, and writer profile pages. I am using a technique known as mod rewrite that has the server redirect URLs to appear more "readable" to the browser...This is a really neat tool to help boost your site's SEO, especially if you have a site with a lot of content... Essentially if you have a .php page that you want to direct to with GET variables being passed in the URL i.e. http://www.yoursite/search.php&string=StringBeingPassed, mod rewrite will enable the webserver to display the URL as whatever you want e.g. http://www.yoursite/search/String-Being-Passed. Mod Rewrite is reversable as well (the server can parse through a URL that it's handed and reinterpret the data as it sees fit). As I've mentioned before, this is ideal for SEO- the URLs Google indexes can now have more readable URL that can be parsed to boost certain keywords. Mod rewrite also makes your site more navigatable from the address bar... Check out a Genre page of FilmSuggest- you can actually change the word action to anything and the server searches for that string as a genre in the database (pretty cool huh?) Mod Rewrite is actually very easy to start using on your own site. It involves editing the .htaccess file that located in each directory on your web server (if it's Apache-based).
Today I implemented a user point system that tracks to what extent and frequency each user of FilmSuggest is using the site. You'll notice a top 10 list of registered users on the front page. This point system uses a variety of factors (number of movies rated, login/logout frequency, size of your collection, items on your wish list, etc) to generate a relative score for each user. Perhaps I will give some prizes out!
Also, notice the URLs and Titles of the movie, director, and writer profile pages. I am using a technique known as mod rewrite that has the server redirect URLs to appear more "readable" to the browser...This is a really neat tool to help boost your site's SEO, especially if you have a site with a lot of content... Essentially if you have a .php page that you want to direct to with GET variables being passed in the URL i.e. http://www.yoursite/search.php&string=StringBeingPassed, mod rewrite will enable the webserver to display the URL as whatever you want e.g. http://www.yoursite/search/String-Being-Passed. Mod Rewrite is reversable as well (the server can parse through a URL that it's handed and reinterpret the data as it sees fit). As I've mentioned before, this is ideal for SEO- the URLs Google indexes can now have more readable URL that can be parsed to boost certain keywords. Mod rewrite also makes your site more navigatable from the address bar... Check out a Genre page of FilmSuggest- you can actually change the word action to anything and the server searches for that string as a genre in the database (pretty cool huh?) Mod Rewrite is actually very easy to start using on your own site. It involves editing the .htaccess file that located in each directory on your web server (if it's Apache-based).
January 10, 2009 @ 12:45 AM by kyle
Anybody notice the comment system built into the site yet? I wrote up the system with PHP/MySQL and am really pleased with how it looks. I implemented my own comment system on the FilmSuggest Movie Profile page, so that people can discuss the titles. I'm still working out the tweaks...(i.e. have logged in users be able to post). As of right now eveyrone (guest or registered users) can use the comment system.
Anybody notice the comment system built into the site yet? I wrote up the system with PHP/MySQL and am really pleased with how it looks. I implemented my own comment system on the FilmSuggest Movie Profile page, so that people can discuss the titles. I'm still working out the tweaks...(i.e. have logged in users be able to post). As of right now eveyrone (guest or registered users) can use the comment system.
January 6, 2009 @ 10:45 PM by kyle
I wrote up the code today that enables the algorithim to alter recommendations based off of your mood i.e. How much do you fell like trying something new? I went ahead and implemented this feature under the "Suggestions" tab of the interface. There are 5 different levels of "mood" that with each increment, the engine will recommend more obscure titles (albeit high rated). I hope you guys like it!
I wrote up the code today that enables the algorithim to alter recommendations based off of your mood i.e. How much do you fell like trying something new? I went ahead and implemented this feature under the "Suggestions" tab of the interface. There are 5 different levels of "mood" that with each increment, the engine will recommend more obscure titles (albeit high rated). I hope you guys like it!
December 15, 2008 @ 6:47 PM by kyle
I added a genre page for each genre with the top 250 movies for each category. You can get to the genre pages by visiting the movie profile pages and clicking on the genres...
I added a genre page for each genre with the top 250 movies for each category. You can get to the genre pages by visiting the movie profile pages and clicking on the genres...
December 14, 2008 @ 10:51 PM by kyle
Added Cheryl and Kyle's holiday movie favorites, 50 Greatest Christmas Movies of All time. We came up with this list over a batch of some incredibly tasty O Henry bars after Watching an episode of Lost :)
Added Cheryl and Kyle's holiday movie favorites, 50 Greatest Christmas Movies of All time. We came up with this list over a batch of some incredibly tasty O Henry bars after Watching an episode of Lost :)
December 14, 2008 @ 10:47 PM by kyle
Hi everyone! I just got the Developer's Blog working at dev.filmsuggest.com. Thanks for all of your messages via facebook or email with suggestions for the site. I have responded to many of you and made changes right away to the site to make it better. From now on, I'll let you know of any changes I make or new features that I'm working on!
Hi everyone! I just got the Developer's Blog working at dev.filmsuggest.com. Thanks for all of your messages via facebook or email with suggestions for the site. I have responded to many of you and made changes right away to the site to make it better. From now on, I'll let you know of any changes I make or new features that I'm working on!