Question regarding file naming conventions..

[stercesderised]

Just curious if this site has thought of formallizing the naming conventions for these uploads. While I do not have a huge collection, I'm starting to find that it's a pita to manage my flac files because everyone names them differently. The real trouble begins when the band name is either abbrieviated or worse, the band name isn't even in the flac folder name.

I went through the FLAC files I downloaded last night to try an organize them by renaming the folders, but then everything got screwed up. I couldn't import into Winamp anymore (and it kept regestering over 80 files moved over), and I screwed up other people's ability to upload off of my PC as well. I do admit I'm new to the whole FLAC file, so I'm open to ideas on how to rename this myself so that these two problems don't occur.

Anyway, I think it would make everyone lives easier and help organize the community (and the files being traded) if there was a formalized way of naming these folders.

My suggestion would be: BandName_MMDDYY_city

***MMDDYY = date of show (in case it wasn't already obvious...)

Has this already been attempted? I really think this simple step will make everyone's lives easier and prolong the longevitiy of making this music available.

[saltman]

moved to technobabble.

[stercesderised]

Originally Posted by saltman

moved to technobabble.

Thanks, and after reviewing the FAQs, I noticed that there is supposed to be a standardized format with regard to naming conventions. Is there anyway to remind everyone of this policy and/or try to find a way to enforce it?

[U2Lynne]

As you found, we have mentioned this in the FAQ. We like the etree method of naming files. However, we have found that we have many more rules than most torrent sites and so we have chosen which battles to fight. Right now, in ABT, we are pushing for st5s or ffps to be included with all shows. I do know that many of the seeders check this forum, so maybe they will see this thread and think a bit more about their naming convention.

[katnapz]

Originally Posted by stercesderised

.....the band name isn't even in the flac folder name......and I screwed up other people's ability to upload off of my PC as well..
My suggestion would be: BandName_MMDDYY_city..

Just a couple 2 cent comments from me....
-Don't try to rename shows that you're thinking you're going to continue seeding...
--If you do really feel like you have to, then place said show into a sub-folder of a folder named with whatever naming convention suits you. That way, you can have a consistent naming setup that you like.

-Many people who torrent keep separate folders on their drives - one for torrents they are or could continue to seed, another for storage of torrents they're done doing so with and are waiting to either burn or transfer to an archive media. Again, if you're so set to keep the original folder name that came from the torrent, then place the entire show as is into a subfolder that you name yourself while you seed.

-Do not use the a naming convention (for your own keeping) that uses a date format of MMDDYY....try doing this as an experiment and you'll see what a hassle this becomes. For example: "A Band" performs on Jan 3 1999, June 20 2003, and Feb 9 2004. Using your naming scheme your listing will show:

A Band_010399
A Band_020904
A Band_062003

Is this in the correct chronological order? No, because you're forcing any kind of database (including something like Windows files structure) to go by what it sees as simply an increasing number. So your listing for each band will then be firstly dependent on the month, then day, and lastly the year.
Use a date structure of YYMMDD (but really for completions sake a more logical YYYYMMDD would be better...the days of limited characters is over thankfully).

Using this scheme your listing will now be correctly shown in chronological order of:

A Band_19990103
A Band_20030620
A Band_20040209

You might not think this is very important if your collection is small, however, when you get to a point where you have hundreds of recordings by an individual band/artist, then multiply that by having hundreds of recordings by "lots" of bands/artists and things get tricky.
Things get even more interesting then, if you come across a potential trade/torrent where the information you're given is that a recording was made "in early 1998"....so now...you're shifting through who knows how many dates because you can't simply go by year...you're looking at months (01 for Jan - through say 04 for April) to see if you already have that recording. Potentially 120 nights right there, "but"...you're looking at other years before you realize they aren't in 1998 by having to look at the full date of each listing. Or, some shows have been mis-dated...with the same problem of cross referencing, because maybe it wasn't in the 23rd, but on the 22nd or 24th. You have to realize that many times you'll look at a show's info and setlist and think, "I know this show...I don't think this information is right.....now where is that one in my collection that I'm thinking of???" With repeated "dammits" as you scan through your collection unable to find it.

I speak from personal experience of having a naming format that I started out incorrectly many years back which has just compounded over time as I've tried to migrate over to something similar to the above. Hopefully I help someone from making the same mistakes I did (and here ends our weekly AA meeting as it's starting to sound like )

You might also want to do a search back through old technobabble posts for the same subject, along with searches for databases that people use to keep their collections straight. With the right system you can find a recording and the info on within seconds if your naming scheme is set properly. Everyone has their favorites and it's probably a good idea to read as to why each likes a different one.
Hope this helps. Good luck.

(PS, I finally had a decent enough connection to stay on for awhile...figured I'd take advantage of it by writing a book)

[Five]

I still prefer the etree way! but yeah, year first really helps with sorting any way you slice it.

[stercesderised]

Originally Posted by katnapz

(PS, I finally had a decent enough connection to stay on for awhile...figured I'd take advantage of it by writing a book)

This all makes sense, and it was a quick/informative read as well. I work in IT, so I totally understand where you are going with this and what you mean. My collections are generally organized by band name/album for purchased music, and for tapes my collection is so small I haven't had to worry about it. And I personally never use any type of database software to organize my files on my computer outside of the virtual one I pull together between folders and my brain. It sounds like a great idea though...I probably won't play around with it given the volume of files I'm working with, but it is a good idea.

Anyway, the real problem that is HIGHLY annoying about these seeds is when the band name isn't even in the name of the file. I really don't care how the dates are setup. I don't want to have to go back and have to re-listen to some of the tracks just to figure out which band is playing. I just made the decision, given the hassle, to delete the show off of my computer and stop seeding it when this happens.

yeah, maybe I'm missing out on a good show, but I don't want to go about having to re-organize and edit these files. I just want to catch some good shows while being able to share it in the process; not have to spend time cleaning up what should have been a clean input the first place. If this community really wants these shows to endure and spread, adding the band name isn't a tough ask. I think I've run into this situation 3 times now. Maybe I should start a thread about which seeds don't have the band name included? I can't remember the 3 shows right now...

PS - Please don't flame me about being "unnapreciative" of the service tapers are providing here. I know it's free, and I do very much appreciate it. Just don't expect these seeds to be around for very long as I am sure I am not the only one who would either a) delete the show outright because some of us have OCD and like to keep their files organized in some methodical manner or b) delete the show because they don't know what the hell it is and need room asap.