Posts: 161
Joined: Jun 2008
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I Have read this thread, and as a end user, I agree that there is quiet a huge number of scripts/plugins that don't works. That situation is not good for the clean end user experience XBMC tends to offer.
There is something that has been requested a long time ago that hasn't been implemented yet (I Think it hasn't, I Haven't Checked ...) and could help you sorting out "bad" plugins.
Users should be able to remove scripts/plugins within XBMC.
So when they remove a script/plugin, we could ask them their feeling about it.
Also in every plugins/scripts there should be an action to report the status of the script.
If after ten runs, the user hasen't rated the script/plugin yet, then show him a dialog : "Please, would you like to help us evaluate the script/plugins you are currently running ?" Yes, wil bring the rating form, no simply close the dialog box. Eventually, if after ten runs, the user decide not to rate the plugin, then, we could assume it is working.
Reguarding plugins updates, every new realease of a plugin should be considered as a new plugin. So if a user upgrade one script/plugin, then he should reevaluate it.
That's just my quick toughts about this, I Hope it helps ...
Keep up the good work !
Thanks to all XBMC contributors, devs, skinners, scripters, ... It's really an amazing piece of software.
Posts: 225
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I don't really understand the problems with false reporting. We don't even need to compare reports to numbers of downloads. All that needs to be done is monitoring the number of reports over time. When there is a sudden increase in the number of reports then we know something is wrong. If the plugin becomes completely dysfunctional then the report numbers will be masssivly different from the background level of silly users who have not ubdated xbmc.
For this to work we'd need to IP filter reports, one per person in a given time as well as ignore reports when the latest version is not installed.
Posts: 956
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what to me is totally clear is that if this system is to give any meaning the reporting has to happen from xbmc itself in some way, just using a "manual" web page isnt going to work, trust me. The whole point is to get enough reports to trend on.
What about to automaticly send an error report without any user interference if a script crashes or doesent start ?
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blittan
Retired Team-Kodi Member
Posts: 1,747
Can't understand why you would want a website to list addons, must be simpler and more effective to handle it all within xbmc. Otherwise you'll need to go to a website, download the addon, install it in xbmc and then use it..
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yeah offcourse selecting and installing/removing addons should also happen from xbmc.
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2009-06-18, 00:42
(This post was last modified: 2009-06-18, 00:48 by Voinage.)
All well and good people, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Here is mine.
The vast majority of non working plugins are MINE. Life has a habit of getting in the way and I am but one man.
So repairing all of them will take a while.
We would all like a clean experience but life isn`t quite so pleasant.
Most plugins have been coded by people who create for themselves then release as an after-thought.
Websites change or die, real life gets in the way and plugins are not updated instantly.
I for one am rather annoyed by people who do not create any plugins or at least attempt to fix them then release the updated version, before commenting on the lack of working plugins.
In february of 2008 plugins were scarce, I released a lot to fill the gap and maintained them for a long while. Point being, depending on when you have started to use xbmc the amount of working plugins varies.
Feb - June 2008 : At least 25+ working plugins.
In an ideal world, I could breathe underwater and fly - It isn`t, I cannot.
A working system would be wonderful,see above sentence , just don`t forget the amount of work required to create the plugin in the first place regardless of whether you happen to be missing your favourite show as it isn`t functional - boo hoo.
Rant over.
I do hope that a balance can be found, team of plugin repairmen/reviewers etc
Vin
Posts: 69
Joined: May 2009
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I have to say, the plugin problem is overrated, imo. That is because say there are 30 plugins, you, and anyone, could install them all and see which work. The problem arises because the plugins use websites and parse html to get their results. This is obviously going to brake any plugin at the smallest changes in a website. The second problem is about copyright, and free streaming services. Most of the content of some plug-ins is in the "gray area" regarding copyright, which is the "is illegal but everyone is doing it" sort of thing. That means most content has a fairly short life, and the websites don't last very long. The other problem is with US based content , that is available to US IP adresses only. Those plugins should have a warning or text included in the title, at least. The plugins will never be reliable, as long as they use websites as a source. For example, one minor change to the megavideo website code would break half of the video plugins.