What's in a name?

PoorOldSpike · 07-23-2008, 01:30 AM,

Just an idea, but maybe all pbemmers should use the same file-naming system to help things smoothly along?
For example here's a shot of my current cmbb pbem folder containing files for the 30 or so games under way (a pair of incoming and outgoing files for each).
As you can see, there are some weird and wonderful ways people are using to name their files, I'm not complaining because I've gotten used to it over the years, but I can't help thinking maybe all players should adopt a universal naming system?
Any suggestions?

[Image: pbem.png]

Der Kuenstler · 07-23-2008, 01:41 AM,

My solution would be PBEM helper:

http://www.nic.fi/~fuerte/pbem.htm

I've been using it for years....

PoorOldSpike · 07-23-2008, 02:01 AM,

Yah i've heard of PBEM Helper but have never used it because I heard a few things about it I didn't like, and anyway I have no trouble at all handling files manually like I've always done, I just prefer it that way because the 'hands-on approach' means you know where you are without having to trust an automated system..

Ratzki · 07-23-2008, 03:15 AM,

I don't mind the name issue so much as the number system, when I can(more like remember) I try to get both sides to not number the turns. This way the new file just overwrites the old one and there is no mess on the screen when looking for the different games. If I am looking to save some turns for later I jus rename them as I am sending them and store them where I want. With no numbers you only have one file per game so unless you are playing a huge amount of games at once, all the games fit on the screen at the same time, and no searching through hundreds of files.

Mikey_FGM · 07-23-2008, 03:46 PM,

I'm sure none of your opponents would have an issue with you renaming the Green Light Tourney files so you can achieve some typographic contiguity.

Just do it.

Extraordinarius · 07-23-2008, 04:52 PM,

Ratzki Wrote:I don't mind the name issue so much as the number system, when I can(more like remember) I try to get both sides to not number the turns. This way the new file just overwrites the old one and there is no mess on the screen when looking for the different games. If I am looking to save some turns for later I jus rename them as I am sending them and store them where I want. With no numbers you only have one file per game so unless you are playing a huge amount of games at once, all the games fit on the screen at the same time, and no searching through hundreds of files.

I strongly prefer the exact opposite; I want to save all turns until the game is over. Sometimes it is useful to refer to previous turns during a game, and sometimes I want to look over the whole game afterwards to analyze or simply re-enjoy the good moments (= gloat). Perhaps someday I will get around to an AAR.

Kelen · 07-23-2008, 07:55 PM,

I've never had any problem with either how I name files, or how my opponents do. As such I've never seen this as an issue, and therefore I see no point in trying to force everyone to adopt a common naming convention.

Anyway, If a common naming convention is adopted I'm sure certain people will abide by it, but what's going to happen to people who don't, nothing! Therefore you'll soon see people slipping back to naming files how THEY prefer.

As with numbering files though, I'm in total agreement with Extraordinarius. Numbers are a must for me, and the single point that they DON'T automatically overwrite the previous file means that, (as has happens a few times in the past), when either I've received a corrupt file, or someone's PC's gone kaputt, I've still got an earlier file from which we can recover the game, makes common sense to me.

It also means that I can easily tell when If i've actually sent a certain file to someone and exactly when, (useful for when there's been delays and file have gone missing.

PoorOldSpike · 07-24-2008, 12:23 AM,

Ratzki Wrote:..I try to get both sides to not number the turns. This way the new file just overwrites the old one and there is no mess on the screen when looking for the different games..

Yah I finished a game not so long ago against a guy who does that, its a great simple system but always at the back of my mind was the nagging thought that if we lose a file through corruption or whatever (it does happen) we've got no way to go back to an earlier file to pick up again from there, and will have to abandon the game.
So for that reason I only use that system if the other guy insists.

Kelen · (This post was last modified: 07-24-2008, 04:15 AM by Kelen.)

PoorOldSpike Wrote:
Ratzki Wrote:..I try to get both sides to not number the turns. This way the new file just overwrites the old one and there is no mess on the screen when looking for the different games..

Yah I finished a game not so long ago against a guy who does that, its a great simple system but always at the back of my mind was the nagging thought that if we lose a file through corruption or whatever (it does happen) we've got no way to go back to an earlier file to pick up again from there, and will have to abandon the game.
So for that reason I only use that system if the other guy insists.

Surely at the end of the day you use a file naming system that meets YOUR needs.

Yes hopefully you would agree, but if your opponent insists on certain format but you do not wih to adopt it because it deosn't meet your needs, (e.g. turn numbering so that you've always got a back-up should things go wrong), then either you can re-name it when you send it, (the more curteous otion), or leave it as you've named it and let your opponent re-name how they want when they receive it.

Ratzki · 07-24-2008, 03:41 PM,

PoorOldSpike Wrote:Yah I finished a game not so long ago against a guy who does that, its a great simple system but always at the back of my mind was the nagging thought that if we lose a file through corruption or whatever (it does happen) we've got no way to go back to an earlier file to pick up again from there, and will have to abandon the game.
So for that reason I only use that system if the other guy insists.

The few times that I have needed to get a turn from the past due to corrupted files, I just go to my SENT box in my email and download the turn needed, I can sort by player so I know which ones are which. And as for saving the turns for later viewing, I just add a number to the file name of movie files that I want to watch and resave them, that way I only get the files that have a movie turn to watch, and they get punted into a different folder so they do not clutter things up.