Restricting Abuse of the Download Manager

[te72]

Pulling covers off? You're a MONSTER!

[zdarfan]

Hello. I just want to chime in and say that I think the download system put into place is more than fair. I have been downloading old mags from here since 2007 or so, and being able to put them on my iPad makes train rides a lot more bearable! I've donated in the past, and when I'm in a better place financially, I hope to donate again. I admit that I'm not very active in the community; maybe I can change that. I'm a lurker on most of my favorite sites, but who knows?

Anyway, this got away from me. I don't think I'd find the download restrictions oppressive even if I wasn't a patron; I rarely download more than three or four magazines in any given visit. Big thanks to Phillyman and everyone else who works hard to keep this site up and keep these great memories alive.

[DPsx7]

Game Informer is one of the mags we don't currently work on scanning/preserving, because they've asked us not to.

That isn't to say the information itself is not useful! If you're looking to contribute a little to the site on an irregular basis, adding an index of what's in those mags to the database here would be enormously helpful and you wouldn't even have to pay for shipping! Win/win!

*huggles*

Areala

Ah, that I hadn't seen. I just figured it was both too new and because they offer a digital subscription and must be preserved already.

That might be something I could do. Probably have a couple years worth sitting in boxes and like I said I'm not attached to them like I would be to NP or PSM. Gotta admit, this site is the reason I didn't just dump them already. I knew someone somewhere might have use for these.

[DPsx7]

If you have a scanner, we do need the covers for most of this year. You could always just pull the covers off an mail those if you don't have a scanner.

I do have one (although rarely used). At one point a few years ago I might have said 'yeah I'll scan everything I can' until I realized just how much work that would mean. And well, if I'm not working then I'm probably trying to clear my backlog. Scanning is time-intensive. If you only need covers I can consider that. I'd rather not tear them up if I don't have to.

So what is it that you'd need? Front scans and a brief list of contents? You're simply unable to archive the entire thing due to GS's request?

[Sean697]

I do have one (although rarely used). At one point a few years ago I might have said 'yeah I'll scan everything I can' until I realized just how much work that would mean. And well, if I'm not working then I'm probably trying to clear my backlog. Scanning is time-intensive. If you only need covers I can consider that. I'd rather not tear them up if I don't have to.

So what is it that you'd need? Front scans and a brief list of contents? You're simply unable to archive the entire thing due to GS's request?

Any missing covers can go in the cover gallery for the database. Simple scan will do. Enable a descreening option if you have it on your scanner or the covers come out funny looking. You can check the sites scan guide under the help tab. But covers are fairly easy.

[DPsx7]

Uh, hmm. Slight problem. Turns out the newest drivers for my scanner are for XP and Vista. Clearly I don't scan a lot and had this thing for a while.

[E-Day]

They might work in whatever version of Windows you use now, either normally or in compatibility mode. Compatibility mode works better than I ever expect it to.

[DPsx7]

Worth a try. I use 7 which came on the lappy I bought several years ago. Not sure the last time I used the scanner but if that's how old it is then I dunno what kind of picture to expect.

It would give me more reason to keep shopping for a color laser all in one. Inkjets waste more ink than I'd use. I just didn't want to pay that much yet.

Took a quick tour last night and you guys are missing a lot of PSM too. I missed the first year but have the whole rest of the set.

[Phillyman]

I have posted about the costs of running Retromags over here....

http://www.retromags.com/guides/becoming_a_patron.html

[te72]

Took a quick tour last night and you guys are missing a lot of PSM too. I missed the first year but have the whole rest of the set.

Ahh, another PSM fan I see. I think I bought a few issues off you a few years back actually...

If anyone had any specific questions on that one, I have the entire collection, all 130 issues, plus all uh.. 60 or so of PTOM.

[DPsx7]

Ahh, another PSM fan I see. I think I bought a few issues off you a few years back actually...

If anyone had any specific questions on that one, I have the entire collection, all 130 issues, plus all uh.. 60 or so of PTOM.

I don't recall selling any but I'm sure I've talked about it. Odd thing with Game Players is I never had the sub. A friend did and then gave them to me.

*Correction. I subbed to PSM. He gave me GP.

[te72]

Hmm, must have been another member on here. It was a few years ago that I rebuilt my collection. Personally, I regret ever getting rid of my collection that I had. Would have been significantly cheaper to "fill in a few holes" than it was to re-buy literally 10 years of the magazine...

Anyhow, sounds like you have a rather generous friend!

[DPsx7]

To him it was cleaning out. I got a lot of NP's and GP's. Couple years worth of each I guess. I got the sub to NP when the Wii came out and held it until the end. Also started with PSM from issue 11 onwards and PTOM too.

I imagine someday it would be fun to reread them but honestly my collection focuses on games and hardware. The mags are taking a bunch of extra space and if I could thin out a little that would be great.

[te72]

Well, I'd been talking to Philly about PSM. I would be happy to loan my collection, but the way they scan things, they de-bind them, effectively sacrificing that issue to the digital realm. I wasn't entirely comfortable with that.

If you're looking to thin out your collection, I am sure Philly would be happy to take them off your hands for posterity's sake. Perhaps we could work something out on that end.

[Sonic]

Just noticed there was a restrictrion, since I'm new. Fully understandable though considering how much work must have been put down scanning all that content.

[te72]

Appropriate that someone going by the name Sonic would bring to mind a question about speed haha...

For those of you who have put in the work, what would you say an efficient scanning setup produces? Perhaps a couple pages per minute? Given the little office experience I have, both working with some cheaper, and some rather nice equipment, I'm just guessing, but a good scan always took a moment or two to set up. Assuming that a quality scan is best set up as a platter scan, rather than using a tray and a pile?

[Sean697]

Appropriate that someone going by the name Sonic would bring to mind a question about speed haha...

For those of you who have put in the work, what would you say an efficient scanning setup produces? Perhaps a couple pages per minute? Given the little office experience I have, both working with some cheaper, and some rather nice equipment, I'm just guessing, but a good scan always took a moment or two to set up. Assuming that a quality scan is best set up as a platter scan, rather than using a tray and a pile?

I'm still kind of new. I only got maybe 5 scans done. But maybe 10-15 sec a page. Then another 10-15 seconds to align the next page. Then 7 seconds or so to name the file. Then 30 seconds to 1 minute to straighten. Then maybe 5 minutes a page cleaning up. Sometimes less. Sometimes much more. Maybe I spend to much time editing. The results are worth it. Then color correcting, resizing,converting to jpeg take seconds as its all macroed.

[te72]

Wow, I hadn't realized it was quite that time intensive. Didn't consider the post scan editing at all. My hat is off to you guys, even more so than it was before.

[zdarfan]

I have a question...how many downloads directly from the site are permitted simultaneously? I always keep myself to one at a time, since I usually only download two or three issues per visit. I am ignorant of how this affects the site, and am wondering if it would be bad for me to download two magazines at once. I apologize if this has been previously addressed.

[Phillyman]

I have a question...how many downloads directly from the site are permitted simultaneously? I always keep myself to one at a time, since I usually only download two or three issues per visit. I am ignorant of how this affects the site, and am wondering if it would be bad for me to download two magazines at once. I apologize if this has been previously addressed.

Hello Zdarfan,

You are in the Lifetime Patron usergroup, this group is unrestricted on the number of daily downloads and simultaneous downloads. We just ask that users of this group not try to download 100+ files at the same time. But you are welcome to download a handful of magazines at a time. Not sure of your ISP speeds, but on my connection most magazines download in a minute or two.

-Robert

[zdarfan]

Hello Zdarfan,

You are in the Lifetime Patron usergroup, this group is unrestricted on the number of daily downloads and simultaneous downloads. We just ask that users of this group not try to download 100+ files at the same time. But you are welcome to download a handful of magazines at a time. Not sure of your ISP speeds, but on my connection most magazines download in a minute or two.

-Robert

Thanks for letting me know! I wanted to be sure I wasn't taking unfair advantage of the servers if I ran two or three downloads at a time.