Staff wanted!

[GHDpro]

Staff wanted! (for the site)

Unlike certain other sites, where users can submit torrents themselves, AnimeSuki is a moderated index where only staff add new torrents. This has it's advantages and disadvantages. While moderating each torrent before it's added keeps the index "clean", it does mean somebody has to actually add every torrent.

For a long time the current staff took care of this work. However sometimes (or quite frequently actually) there isn't anyone of us online to add new torrents, delaying additions for hours. And in particularly in the past year, the task of adding new torrents was taken up by only a very few, which might lead to a "burn out" - and I don't want that to happen.

The task
As mentioned before, the main task of new staff will be to add new torrents to the site as they appear. I've written a script that will automatically check a huge list of sites for new torrents hourly; when found they're added to a queue. From there they need to be manually added or "ignored" (in case of licensed anime etc). Other tasks include adding new series & groups and keeping the information on those pages (especially for series) up-to-date.

The requirements
All backend site scripts were custom written by me, you'll probably experience a bit of a learning curve. Essentially if you have trouble operating devices without looking at the manual first you may want to reconsider applying .

Helping keep the site up-to-date doesn't normally take much time. However if accepted, I'd appreciate it if you could login reasonably often to check for new torrents waiting to be added. So if you only have time once a week, you might again want to reconsider. Also note that if enough staff apply, there might be times when there is nothing to add for days (because some other staff member already added any torrents before you logged in). You should not get easily discouraged by this.

Now comes the hard part - we can't just accept anyone. You will need to be able to cooperate with the existing staff (scroll down) which includes all forum administrators and some forum moderators. If you every got into an argument with us on the forum, you might want to rethink if you will fit in the team.

Second, we need some way to see if you are a suitable candidate for a staff position. One easy way would be if you are an active contributor to the forum. If you are not however, we need some other way to verify who you are and if you "make the cut". One way would be if you are the operator or staff member of another site, or if you run an active anime blog for example, just to name a few ideas.

How to apply
Just reply to this thread. Also feel free to reply if you have any questions or comments.

[CrowKenobi]

Okay, I'll bite. Please add me to the list of applicants. I'm usually here daily, so adding backed up torrents won't be a problem and long stretches of nothing to do won't bother me.

[KholdStare]

I'll also bite for now. Even though I am usually quick with new things, are there any technical requirements such as extensive knowledge in HTML, PHP, java, etc...?

[Vexx]

Sounds like a useful way to contribute... since no one has ever directly yelled at me I'll assume I'm not on anyone's "please just go-away" list

[GHDpro]

Thanks for the applications so far! I forgot to mention in my original post that it might take a few days before you get a response from me/us, as current staff needs to OK your application.

Originally Posted by KholdStare

I'll also bite for now. Even though I am usually quick with new things, are there any technical requirements such as extensive knowledge in HTML, PHP, java, etc...?

Not neccesarily, unless there are technical issues with adding a torrent (but that's pretty rare).

Attention to detail however is more important. Quite frequently the script that I wrote to check for new torrents will display unofficial batches or unofficial re-encodes, which have to be ignored and not added to the index, and there are various other little "gotcha's" you may need to get used to handling properly.

[Kristen]

Heh, I've actually wanted to do this for a while now, but didn't bother asking since I thought it was invite only. ^.^

I can do this pretty easily. I check the site like 10 times a day, after all. >.< I also tend to know a bit about group policies and stuff, so I tend to be able to detect fake torrents vs. real ones vs. unofficial ones.

[GuidoHunter_Toki]

I'll take a stab at this as well. I login about 2 or more times every day so availability would't be an issue. As far as I know nobody hates me and I'm really polite so problems with other staff memeber is out of the question.

[felix]

Everyone seems to be basing everything on social skills and some sort of popularity ranking. Why? You just need basic conversation skills (and just enough to get the job done). Nobody is going to complain as long as the job gets done, as it should; and even if anyone complained you're not exactly in the wrong if you did what was required. Also GHDpro explicitly refered to the staff not members (do you have infractions? other then minor ones).

Also concerning logins. I'm sure the listing generated every hour by GHD's scripts is pluged into a RSS feed so you don't really need to login to check it. This should be as simple as answering a IM message (I doubt there is a new torrent each hour). What you all should be concerned with is your understanding of fansub groups, notice how a lot of problems in the sticky above are related to typo's or miss-crediting among other issues.

(just so nobody gets the wrong idea, I am not volunteering)

[warnold]

Originally Posted by Cats

Also concerning logins. I'm sure the listing generated every hour by GHD's scripts is pluged into a RSS feed

nope.

(I doubt there is a new torrent each hour).

Actually, there are 3-4/hour 24/7. and we get occasional surges of 10+ at once.

Most are either duplicates (I'd guess 30%) licensed, or otherwise don't meet our listing policy (30-50%) and the rest being the ones we care about.

edit: actual data: there were 29 torrent entries added to the listing database in the last 24 hours, and 57 torrents ignored. I didn't count, but the number 1 ignore reason is that the series is licensed (50%+) number 2 is non-English subtitles, and then a smattering of uncommon reasons. (raws, hentai, non-anime, etc)

What you all should be concerned with is your understanding of fansub groups, notice how a lot of problems in the sticky above are related to typo's or miss-crediting among other issues.

Yeah, this is the big thing. You have to be able to take a group name (as listed in the filename of a torrent) and track down what group that actually is, what language they subtitle in, figure out if it's already listed in our database, etc, etc. Same for new releases( usually easy), or really old shows that you've never heard of before (these can be difficult tracking down information on)

90% of the time it's click on "scan" click "continue" click "save", but you can't let yourself fall into an unthinking rut, because the code doesn't always fill in the fields correctly. And when it's wrong, just about anything can show up.

-billy-

[KholdStare]

Thanks for generalizing me in with everyone, Cats.

[Hs Vi Germania]

Hey there. I m not the great IT nerd but I just wanted to say that I want to help you out if you need some guys for your stuff.
Of course you will have to introduce me to handle with torrents etc but I am daily on and if you want me simply say it, if not it's also ok.
By the way I don't know if it really matters or not but I am a moderator of a German browsergame with a little forum which will soon start.

So far Hs

[GHDpro]

I'm going to close this thread, as I think we got enough staff applications for the moment.

Depending on things go, I might do another request round, so I'll leave this thread here.