ID:134846
 
On various blog posts, I have seen people intested in things such as "Games", "Gaming", "Playing video games", etc. Maybe you could wipe everyone's interests (or store them somewhere temperarilly--only visible on the Edit Site page until the user deletes them) and instead do this:

Meh I dunno how to word it in English, so lets use DM :D
var/global/Interests = list("Byond","Other")

mob/var/list/interests

mob/verb/AddInterest()
if(src.IsByondMember())//can't remember if that's a client proc or not >_> oh well doesn't matter for this I'm not compiling it
var/tempint = input("Add which interest?") in global.Interests
if(tempint == "Other")
tempint = input("Add what interest to list?")
global.Interests += tempint
src.interests += tempint

Meaning there's a default list of just "Other" and "Byond" (I hope that everyone like Byond anyway) that Members can choose from, and if you choose "Other" then you can add an interest to the list for anyone else to choose. This way, you don't get people interested in, as I said, Gaming, Games, and Playing Video Games. That almost takes out the purpose of being able to search for other members with that common interest.

Edit: I can also word it in Spainish! :D
El significar allí es una lista del defecto apenas de "otro" y "Byond" (la esperanza de I que cada uno tiene gusto de Byond de todos modos) ese los miembros puede elegir de, y si usted elige "otro" entonces usted puede agregar un interés a la lista para cualquier persona de elegir. Esta manera, usted no consigue la gente interesada adentro, como I dicho, juego, juegos, y jugar los juegos video. Eso casi toma hacia fuera el propósito de poder buscar para a otros miembros con ese interés común. (or did I use Altavista for that... ah well)
If you search for "games", the search will pick up things like "Computer games" and "Playing video games" anyway. Try it. =)

I like the current system. It's nice and flexible.
In response to Crispy
Well I guess that helps a little, but still there are a lot of people who use "Gaming" and other wierd things. Also, some people might misspell something which I'm sure people have. (But if my suggestion goes through [but after Crispy's post it doesn't look as helpful as I thought it was :P] you could report typoes in the List.)

As for the other suggestion my new Topic title mentions, You need to do something about inactive blogs. For instance, if you search interests for "Byond":

DeathWyvern: WHAT, WHAT, WHAT? I can't add Dragon Warrior Legacy to my top 10 games? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT?!?!

Interests: Dear GOD, what is the point of becomming a byond member. Oh, my interests, thats right., Interests:, NOT BECOMMING A BYOND MEMBER., DWO(which is dead mind you.), DWL(which is almost dead mind you.), and other things you need not worry about.


...what the heck? >_>
Its clear he doesn't wanna be a member. Give his games.byond.com/people page back :P
You should do that with all the people who clearly signed up for the free trial strictly to keep using pager, such as our "friend" DeathWyvern there.

Also, maybe instead of my very first suggestion, you could just make links work for one or two-word interests, so that if people do this:

Syasu: Syasu's BYOND website - A Place, where no one thinks straight after.

Interests: Well let me see here, Byond-Gaming upon non rips.. Shopping at the mall, hanging out with some of my IRL Friends. I like some Video Games, .. Not that good though - I also like to swim, and to just plain out have a decent day and MAYBE be able to party.

There are a few people like that who just inserted a sentence; not knowing it'd link :P

An alternative to giving DeathWyvern, etc., their games.byond.com/people pages, could just be to keep the current page their for a month (i.e. now for some people.) and after a month delete it. There's no need to let the non-members keep their member pages if they're not going to resubscribe and use them again. I think a month is long enough for some man living in the desert in Arizona who doesn't recieve postal service (err...but he has internet I guess) to grab $15 from his sock drawer and march down to Dantom HQ (or just the post office, but I said Dantom for "the effect") and hand it over. This is granted the desert doesn't claim his life, but hey: if it does you've got one killer story to tell your friends! ("Hey Bob, I ever tell you about the time some dude died coming through the desert just to pay our company $15 for a membership?")

P.S.: Don't forget to add "Cowdude" to your interests list! I'm the only one :(