PlayingCardForum.com - A Discourse For Playing Cards

Off Topic Chat => Feedback + Support => Topic started by: EndersGame on August 08, 2017, 07:31:56 PM

Title: Can you embed a youtube video?
Post by: EndersGame on August 08, 2017, 07:31:56 PM
Is there any code that can be used on PlayingCardForum posts to embed a youtube video?

Many other forums have this feature, even the Magic Cafe.  To see what I mean, see for example this post here:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?forum=218&topic=643989#2
Title: Re: Can you embed a youtube video?
Post by: Don Boyer on August 09, 2017, 03:02:59 AM
For the time being, while it is technically possible to have them, we've held off on video embeds.  I think it might be a bandwidth issue; I'm not certain.  I'll revisit the issue with Lee Asher when I see him at the convention in October.
Title: Re: Can you embed a youtube video?
Post by: EndersGame on August 09, 2017, 03:32:59 AM
For the time being, while it is technically possible to have them, we've held off on video embeds.  I think it might be a bandwidth issue; I'm not certain.  I'll revisit the issue with Lee Asher when I see him at the convention in October.
Thanks Don.

It can't be for bandwidth reasons.  When you embed a YouTube video, it streams directly from YouTube's servers - so PlayingCardForum's server isn't used for the data at all.

https://webmasters.stackexchange.com/questions/55984/does-youtube-videos-embedded-on-my-website-consume-my-bandwidth
Title: Re: Can you embed a youtube video?
Post by: Don Boyer on August 09, 2017, 06:05:15 AM
For the time being, while it is technically possible to have them, we've held off on video embeds.  I think it might be a bandwidth issue; I'm not certain.  I'll revisit the issue with Lee Asher when I see him at the convention in October.
Thanks Don.

It can't be for bandwidth reasons.  When you embed a YouTube video, it streams directly from YouTube's servers - so PlayingCardForum's server isn't used for the data at all.

https://webmasters.stackexchange.com/questions/55984/does-youtube-videos-embedded-on-my-website-consume-my-bandwidth

I recall there was some kind of reason, but that reason might no longer apply - which is why I'll bring it up to Lee.
Title: Re: Can you embed a youtube video?
Post by: EndersGame on December 03, 2017, 09:54:14 PM
I recall there was some kind of reason, but that reason might no longer apply - which is why I'll bring it up to Lee.

Don, it's been four months since you posted this - do you have an update?

As I posted previously, it can't be for reasons of bandwidth.  Furthermore, other sites about playing cards (e.g. unitedcardists, themagiccafe.com) all allow embedding of youtube videos within a forum post, so PCF seems a step behind in that respect.

It would be nice to have that possibility here too, especially since that way one could more easily incorporate official video trailers about newly released decks of playing cards (or demonstrating cardistry/card magic with particular decks).
Title: Re: Can you embed a youtube video?
Post by: Don Boyer on December 04, 2017, 02:49:18 AM
I recall there was some kind of reason, but that reason might no longer apply - which is why I'll bring it up to Lee.

Don, it's been four months since you posted this - do you have an update?

As I posted previously, it can't be for reasons of bandwidth.  Furthermore, other sites about playing cards (e.g. unitedcardists, themagiccafe.com) all allow embedding of youtube videos within a forum post, so PCF seems a step behind in that respect.

It would be nice to have that possibility here too, especially since that way one could more easily incorporate official video trailers about newly released decks of playing cards (or demonstrating cardistry/card magic with particular decks).

We're actually looking into a revamp of the entire site.  Right now, it's a bit tough to get a hold of Lee - he's in China on a gig for a television production.  But we do have someone poking around under the hood for us to see what can be done to bring the site up to date.  My apologies for taking so long to get to this.
Title: Re: Can you embed a youtube video?
Post by: EndersGame on December 04, 2017, 04:35:43 AM
We're actually looking into a revamp of the entire site.  Right now, it's a bit tough to get a hold of Lee - he's in China on a gig for a television production.  But we do have someone poking around under the hood for us to see what can be done to bring the site up to date.  My apologies for taking so long to get to this.

Thanks for the update, Don, and good to hear!
Title: Re: Can you embed a youtube video?
Post by: EndersGame on December 04, 2017, 10:05:40 PM
We're actually looking into a revamp of the entire site. 

Just one further thought on that.  I welcome the idea of an upgrade if it improves things.  But if there is any site revamp, I do hope that the content of existing posts and the links to existing threads won't be nuked in the process.

For example, I have a list that has links to all my PCF magic reviews (link (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/233787)) and another with links to all my PCF playing card reviews (link (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/223094)).  It would be a shame if all those links suddenly went dead.  Or if the content in those articles themselves suddenly went haywire, and the reviews themselves suddenly became useless or messed up.  There's a lot of useful content from previous years that has been posted on PlayingCardForum that you'd want to retain.  Much of it appears in Google searches, and you'd want that repository of helpful information to continue to come up in search results in the future when people are searching for this.

I like the way the forum here works for the most part, although I'm not a technie so I don't know its disadvantages and weaknesses, and perhaps the real changes need to happen `under the hood'.  Basically all I'm hoping for right now is a way to embed youtube videos.
Title: Re: Can you embed a youtube video?
Post by: Don Boyer on December 05, 2017, 06:23:21 AM
We're actually looking into a revamp of the entire site. 

Just one further thought on that.  I welcome the idea of an upgrade if it improves things.  But if there is any site revamp, I do hope that the content of existing posts and the links to existing threads won't be nuked in the process.

For example, I have a list that has links to all my PCF magic reviews (link (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/233787)) and another with links to all my PCF playing card reviews (link (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/223094)).  It would be a shame if all those links suddenly went dead.  Or if the content in those articles themselves suddenly went haywire, and the reviews themselves suddenly became useless or messed up.  There's a lot of useful content from previous years that has been posted on PlayingCardForum that you'd want to retain.  Much of it appears in Google searches, and you'd want that repository of helpful information to continue to come up in search results in the future when people are searching for this.

I like the way the forum here works for the most part, although I'm not a technie so I don't know its disadvantages and weaknesses, and perhaps the real changes need to happen `under the hood'.  Basically all I'm hoping for right now is a way to embed youtube videos.

While I have no idea what the exact end result will be, you can rest assured of two things.

1) It will be an improvement.
2) The content we have will be preserved.

The content, the posts that are here, are the value of the forum.  It's why when this forum sold to 52+J, it went for a tidy sum, while another, similar forum that had been gutted by the previous owner was sold soon there after for a fraction of that price - literally, a tiny fraction, just a few percentage points.  They have more content today and are being run by a more conscientious owner, thankfully - but yes, we recognize what brings value to this forum.