[Proposal] Associate official WCA results with videos

[Roman]

The WCA website have been updating lately. I think the nicest feature we can add so far is associate official results with their videos.

By far, almost every decent solve is captured on cam and available to watch on youtube. Therefore, it makes sense to bind official WCA results with video links, whilst the video will still remain an optional addition rather than an evidence. Here is my view of possible implementation:
Now when competitors has their WCA accounts, they will add videos for themselves. On the WCA results page, the time will be highlited like link if the video is available, and by clicking on it you open a new tab with the video (the display variation has to be discussed, maybe it's better to draw a link sign like on Wikipedia external links section near the result time). Everywhere else when results are displayed (e.g. the profile page, the competitions results page etc), videos are available the same way.

In my opinion, this will enhance user experience tremendously. People would be able to access videos straight from the WCA website without wasting time to search them all over the internet. And of course, a lots of questions are to be solved yet: do we need to add videos for older records? Can there be more than one video to one result? Do we need to check video links for validness and so on.
Please let me know what do you think.

 

[Matt11111]

The WCA website have been updating lately. I think the nicest feature we can add so far is associate official results with their videos.

By far, almost every decent solve is captured on cam and available to watch on youtube. Therefore, it makes sense to bind official WCA results with video links, whilst the video will still remain an optional addition rather than an evidence. Here is my view of possible implementation:
Now when competitors has their WCA accounts, they will add videos for themselves. On the WCA results page, the time will be highlited like link if the video is available, and by clicking on it you open a new tab with the video (the display variation has to be discussed, maybe it's better to draw a link sign like on Wikipedia external links section near the result time). Everywhere else when results are displayed (e.g. the profile page, the competitions results page etc), videos are available the same way.

In my opinion, this will enhance user experience tremendously. People would be able to access videos straight from the WCA website without wasting time to search them all over the internet. And of course, a lots of questions are to be solved yet: do we need to add videos for older records? Can there be more than one video to one result? Do we need to check video links for validness and so on.
Please let me know what do you think.

I think that's a great idea. But I think the videos would have to be reviewed to make sure they're not prank solves or something else entirely.

 

[Isaac Lai]

This would be an especially nice feature for stuff like videos of competition finals.

 

[Deleted member 19792]

There can be a team that reviews the videos, but I like this idea.

 

[Roman]

This would be an especially nice feature for stuff like videos of competition finals.

Yes, I also had an idea of having sort of "related videos" section on the competition page, but for now we should go simple.

I think that's a great idea. But I think the videos would have to be reviewed to make sure they're not prank solves or something else entirely.

It can be the same people who review and approve WCA profile pictures. I don't think reviewing may take that much time, as it's just watching a few moments (begin, mid, end) of suggested video to make sure it indeed contains the solve.

 

[Goosly]

Yes, I also had an idea of having sort of "related videos" section on the competition page, but for now we should go simple.

That exists already. Example (Multimedia at the top right).

It can be the same people who review and approve WCA profile pictures. I don't think reviewing may take that much time, as it's just watching a few moments (begin, mid, end) of suggested video to make sure it indeed contains the solve.

Sure, reviewing one video doesn't take much time, but hundreds of cubers compete every week and will be uploading video's. A small amount of time * 100 = a lot of time.

 

[henrysavich]

I think maybe this would work best if only certain competitors could do it, an approved list kind of. A large list, though, probably ~1000 people. Give delegates the anility to appoint and repeal video priveleges. There is plenty of other ways to filter videos though, so I definitely don't think it's prohibitive.

More important is the parameters for the videos, Example if there is video of 4 people cubing simultaneously in the finals, could one of the people submit that video for their single time?

 

[biscuit]

I think maybe this would work best if only certain competitors could do it, an approved list kind of. A large list, though, probably ~1000 people. Give delegates the anility to appoint and repeal video priveleges. There is plenty of other ways to filter videos though, so I definitely don't think it's prohibitive.

More important is the parameters for the videos, Example if there is video of 4 people cubing simultaneously in the finals, could one of the people submit that video for their single time?

Maybe you can only upload if it's just you? Then for a finals video or what ever, maybe it can only go on the competitions page?

 

[Dene]

By far, almost every decent solve is captured on cam and available to watch on youtube.

By far, almost every decent solve has definitely not been filmed.

Despite that, I think it's a good idea. But why are you telling us? We aren't the WCA; it's nothing to do with speedsolving.com.

 

[Ollie]

I'd like to see this with official scrambles first, rather than videos. It is usually quite easy to search for someone's video using their name, time and event, especially if it's a fast time.

But to find the scrambles for a particular round of anything is usually much harder, and I've always thought that something would have been done by now to make official scrambles accessible, especially since scrambles are freely available in the WCA Export but not on the WCA site.

And it doesn't need to be complicated. Just a teeny thing, like the Link button here in the Results pages, will do.

 

[Cale S]

I'd like to see this with official scrambles first, rather than videos. It is usually quite easy to search for someone's video using their name, time and event, especially if it's a fast time.

But to find the scrambles for a particular round of anything is usually much harder, and I've always thought that something would have been done by now to make official scrambles accessible, especially since scrambles are freely available in the WCA Export but not on the WCA site.

And it doesn't need to be complicated. Just a teeny thing, like the Link button here in the Results pages, will do.

I would also like this, but knowing the right scramble group for a competitor would be difficult

 

[Ollie]

I would also like this, but knowing the right scramble group for a competitor would be difficult

I agree, but I would like the option to see the scrambles nonetheless. Group information is stored in the WCA import as Group ID (as well as whether a scramble is an 'Extra Scramble') so if I knew the group number going in then it would help a bit.

 

[Julian]

I'd like to see this with official scrambles first, rather than videos. It is usually quite easy to search for someone's video using their name, time and event, especially if it's a fast time.

But to find the scrambles for a particular round of anything is usually much harder, and I've always thought that something would have been done by now to make official scrambles accessible, especially since scrambles are freely available in the WCA Export but not on the WCA site.

And it doesn't need to be complicated. Just a teeny thing, like the Link button here in the Results pages, will do.

http://iwca.jp has scrambles, in case you didn't know

 

[Dene]

https://www.worldcubeassociation.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1190

mhm 3 things:
1. This suggestion has nothing to do with the WRC
2. This isn't the regulations subforum, which is where Lucas said the WRC would check
3. The end of the post explicitly says there are no guarantees anything on ss would be responded to, but the WCA forums would always be checked, therefore making that the more suitable place to post.

 

[TimMc]

I've always thought that something would have been done by now to make official scrambles accessible, especially since scrambles are freely available in the WCA Export but not on the WCA site.

The code is open source. A View scrambles issue was raised.

You are welcome to contribute over at GitHub and see who's contributing.

If you'd like a user to be taken to the scramble after clicking a result then:

• Each set of Results would need to be related to a Group
• Organisers would need to keep track of who's in each Group
• Score-taking systems would need to be updated to support Group ID's for each set of Results
• Result processing scripts would need to be updated to support the Group ID's
• Extra attempts may need to be replaced with "EXT" and additional Results entered (Result 6, 7, ...) for that set
• The delegate would need to write "EXT" (e.g. in Result 3)
• The delegate would need to either get the scramble for Result 6 (E1) immediately or rely on the judges and scrambles keeping track (i.e. don't end up with 9.21, 8.43, EXT, 7.54, 9.20 and the competitor walking away with the puzzle... Scramble 6 should be performed and 9.21, 7.43, EXT, 7.54, 9.20, 10.43 entered into the system)
• The way in which extra scrambles are issued and tracked may need to be improved (e.g. 4 attempts awarded for some valid reasons; only have 2 extra scrambles; so another sheet is generated... the delegate then needs to somehow keep track of that and ensure that the Results are linked across two sets of scrambles.... let's hope this doesn't happen half a dozen times in a big comp). Moving away from paper and to some easy-to-use interface on a tablet or PC could make it easier but it might not be affordable.
• Result processing scripts would need to be updated to support more Results due to extra's

Some of this is discussed by the WRC over here.

Feel free to get involved

Tim.

 

[Ollie]

http://iwca.jp has scrambles, in case you didn't know

Ah, sweet! I've also just seen that it's on WCADB.net, which was the format I was hoping for, but the iWCA scrambles is ace with the visuals. Thanks!

The code is open source. A View scrambles issue was raised.

You are welcome to contribute over at GitHub and see who's contributing.

If you'd like a user to be taken to the scramble after clicking a result then:

• Each set of Results would need to be related to a Group
• Organisers would need to keep track of who's in each Group
• Score-taking systems would need to be updated to support Group ID's for each set of Results
• Result processing scripts would need to be updated to support the Group ID's
• Extra attempts may need to be replaced with "EXT" and additional Results entered (Result 6, 7, ...) for that set
• The delegate would need to write "EXT" (e.g. in Result 3)
• The delegate would need to either get the scramble for Result 6 (E1) immediately or rely on the judges and scrambles keeping track (i.e. don't end up with 9.21, 8.43, EXT, 7.54, 9.20 and the competitor walking away with the puzzle... Scramble 6 should be performed and 9.21, 7.43, EXT, 7.54, 9.20, 10.43 entered into the system)
• The way in which extra scrambles are issued and tracked may need to be improved (e.g. 4 attempts awarded for some valid reasons; only have 2 extra scrambles; so another sheet is generated... the delegate then needs to somehow keep track of that and ensure that the Results are linked across two sets of scrambles.... let's hope this doesn't happen half a dozen times in a big comp). Moving away from paper and to some easy-to-use interface on a tablet or PC could make it easier but it might not be affordable.
• Result processing scripts would need to be updated to support more Results due to extra's

Some of this is discussed by the WRC over here.

Feel free to get involved

Tim.

I just might do

 

[TimMc]

I just might do

Thanks!