Popular Request/By Popular Request (Arsenal Computer)(SysOptics Distribution System).ISO/amiga3/modchart.faq

Text File | 1994-02-17 | 6KB | 103 lines

    MODCHARTS
    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS        February 1994

Q: MODCHARTS? What's that?
A: MODCHARTS is a compilation of the fifty best MODs of the month. This top50
   appears each month and is available all around the world. All you need is
   a computer to play these songs (normally through a so-called "MOD-Player")

Q: How does it work?
A: You (the "voter") will download the MODs from your nearest server.
   Normally, there are 14 MODs (the places 1 to 10 plus four newcomers).
   You will listen to these MODs and put them in your favourite order,
   sending this order (i.e. this vote) back to me. Sometimes, you may not
   vote for a MOD, because it stayed in the topten for six months now.
   (See below for further explanation of this "6-month-feature")
   I will analyze all incoming votes and calculate the new top 50.
   You see, it's working like a radio top 50. :-)

Q: But the list shows a top50. Why are only the places 1 to 10 and the four
   newcomers available for downloading?
A: That's right. Only the current top ten is available (plus the four new ones).
   Uploading the whole top 50 would cause some chaos, especially on the BBS's.
   In your vote, you can (must!) propose at least three newcomers (please
   see the section "MODs that I would like to hear next month" on your
   vote-sheet). The "lower part" of the top 50 (i.e. the places 11 to 50)
   consists of the MODs which have been in the charts before. This part may
   help you to find some proposals for the next chart's newcomers.
   Of course you can propose other MODs which are not in the top 50.

Q: I can only vote for the songs given in the current chartfile?
A: Yes, please take only the 14 MODs from the current edition of MODCHARTS
   (thats place number 1 to place number 10 and the four newcomers).
   Please do NOT vote for the MODs on the places 11 to 50!
   Don't send me any "private topten" or own compilation.
   In addition to that, your vote has to be "complete": Please fill out ALL
   the 10 places. Don't give me just your "favourite five" or something like
   that. I can only accept "full" votes.

Q: So how can other MODs enter the charts?
A: via the "newcomer section". If you are having a favourite MOD and this MOD
   is not currently in the charts, you can propose it as a "newcomer".
   There is a section in the vote-sheet called "MODs that I would like to hear
   next month". Please put your suggestions there. If you don't know any, you
   can look through the places 11 to 50. These MODs hit the charts in earlier
   times and are still hot...
   The more voters propose a special MOD, the earlier this MOD will appear in
   the next month's edition of the charts.

Q: How long does a MOD usually stay in the charts?
A: The time for a stay is limited to six months to provide some "motion" :-).
   After being officially introduced as "newcomer", a MOD will stay up to
   half a year in the charts (it may drop earlier, sure).
   After 6 months, it has to quit, but it can be easily brought back by
   proposing it as "newcomer" again. Normally, there will be a question at
   the end of the vote-sheet if necessary, just as
   > MODs that I would like to hear next month:
   > already.6.months.mod    (yes/no)
   > a)__________________
   > b)__________________    <- your own proposals
   If at least 50% of all voters want this MOD back, it will become a so-called
   "re-entry" in the next month's edition of MODCHARTS.
   Thus - theoretically - a MOD can stay in the charts till eternity, but it
   will have to stand the test each 6 months :-)

Q: When and where does the new chart appear and how much time do I have to vote?
A: The new MODCHART edition usually appears in the first week of the month.
   (please read the textfile "modchart.sites" to find your nearest server/BBS).
   Depending upon my luck in uploading the charts and the internal distribution
   delay of AMINET (normally 16 hours...), the new charts will be available at
   least on Monday of the 2nd week. The dates for other servers or BBS'es may
   vary. The textfiles (the topten, the FAQ and the site map) are also uploaded
   to the NewsNet. Current groups are
   - comp.sys.amiga.audio and
   - comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.
   Please do not post your vote to the NewsNet!!! Send it directly to me!
   Deadline for your vote is the last day of the current month. The deadline
   is also given in each month's edition of MODCHARTS.
   Just cut off the "vote-sheet" from the text of the current MODCHART edition,
   fill it out and send it back to me via e-mail.

Q: Well, I don't have Internet access. :-(  How can I send back my vote?
A: Probably you got the charts from your friend (who has an Internet access).
   Your friend may "pool" all votes of the Internet-access-less users (:-) )
   around and send the votes back to me, packed together in one file.
   If you received the charts from your local BBS, then send it back to your
   BBS (your Admin knows what to do with your vote :-) )

QUICKSTART:
1) Read the file "modchart.sites" to determine your nearest MODCHART-SITE
2) Log in on that site (anonymous-ftp-server or BBS)
3) Download all textfiles ("modchart.month", "modchart.faq", "modchart.sites")
   They may have changed, so get them ;-)
4) If you participated last month, goto 6)
5) Download the places 1 to 10, if you don't have them already
6) Download the four newcomers, if you don't have them already
7) Listen to the 14 MODs
8) Fill out the top-ten on your vote-sheet (thus four MODs will drop)
9) Propose three (or more) newcomers, either newly discovered MODs or some
   MODs of the places 11 to 50
10) Send your vote-sheet back to me (email) or to your BBS

That's all folks. Party on...
Oliver  ([e-mail])