Membership.....

[Joe-K]

Seemingly, as one of the last 2 "paying members" I was just wondering about how to get others to actually support financially this wonderful database.

I have renewed.....because I firmly believe that this is a "GREAT" resource and I know it must not be an easy task to maintain, support, program and pay all the costs involved.

Even, though I am waiting for a bi-metallic & token template (grin & hint) the potential I see has always been huge for the numistist.

I am retiring from teaching next month (39 years) and I have several irons in the fire for my future... several are doing more eSales (www.k-products.us), writing, publishing and K-12 Professional Development.

Which brings me to my purpose.....More people could use this resource and many people are not aware of it.

Thus, I would like to write an article about Tantalus, how to use it and submit it for publication.

I would submit it for approval prior to submission but I think this may draw more people to the site and possibly more "paid" membership.

Thoughts.....

Joe-K

[mrichter]

Joe,

I still use both Moneta and Tantalus. There are two reasons that keep me using Moneta:

- Dealer directory. I can keep the names and contact information on my coin community in one place
- Flips. IMHO the flips system is a lot easier to use and the appearance is significvantly better than in Tantalus. Especially when you want to print only a few coins at a time.

The addition and improvements suggested above would allow me to completely stop using Moneta.

Other suggestions for Tantalus:

- better search function. Even the advance search does not work as well as searches on other sites

- Publicly viewable grids . I think that anycome coming to the website should see a link to take them to a "library" of members grids that they have allowed public viewing. This would also allow for people to work together to make more informative grids (example: I could pull other members coins tto my grid of RIC I Tiberius coins to have a pictoirial grid of that section of RIC I). Some people with related websites would also be able to add links to grids they like

- Allow members to make specific Albums publicly viewable

- More outside recognition: Has anyone, including Ras, tried to get ANA, ACCG, or ACE approval to display thier badges. Has Ras or anyone else ever nominated the site for a Forum award?

- More outside recognition2: Get more publications to note the site. Celator and The Numismatist (The ANA pub. I may have the name wrong) both recently listed online collection sites. Neither mentioned Tantalus which IMHO is much better than the ones mentioned that I had looked at previously. I thought Tantalus' absence was especially condpicuous in Zach Beaslkey's column.

Regards,

Matt

[kerux]

Originally Posted by mrichter

J
Other suggestions for Tantalus:

- better search function. Even the advance search does not work as well as searches on other sites


Matt

I have to agree on this one. The case-sensitive problems with the search engine is quite annoying.

Joe W.

[Joe-K]

Matt & Joe W:
I agree with both of you.... I wish I had more experience but the lack of a template for Bi-Metallics and Tokens prevent me from going forward.

I have tried flips but I feel like Iwould be doing double duty on entry.

I have tried to make some match fields but it was too complex and I kept confusing even myself as to what is what.

Ras - Has promised a template and went further to suggest having a customizable template but I'm still waiting.

There has been no movement on that area at all but I'm keeping the faith.

This registry could be uniquely great but the search issue and template problem must be solved.

I would not want to push to the ANA or any other group a broken program.

Maybe there should be a"help desk" to report, track & resolve problems...

I know some things take time but.....

Joe K

[benzgemz]

I really like this site and think the potential is great, but I would like to see improvements in the search, also, one of my pet peeves is misplaced coins. Sometimes even experianced posters accidentally place a Roman Imperial in Roman Republic. I'd like some kind of correction mechanism, if coins are in the correct catagories it improves your chances of good searches.

Ben

[mrichter]

Joe,

I don't have many bi-metallic coins and there are none in my major areas of collecting (ancient) so I may not understand your issue with the template. For the few bimetallic coins that I do have, I just include both metals in the metal field. Why is it important to havce seperate fields for both metals or a seperate template for bimetallic coins?

Here is one of my bimettalic coins:

http://www.tantaluscoins.com/coins/23687.php

Regards,

Matt

[Joe-K]

Hi Matt:
First, nice coin.... but that is a typical bi-metallic... also some coins are tri-metallic.

Centers are not always centered, rings are not always round, metals vary and so does the thickness of the coin some are in blister packs, some single, some commemmorative, and some a sepecial minting.

Some may argue that they are really an encased coin but then there are encased coins.

Tokens can be bi-metallic, encased and tri in metals.

Some coins are legal currency, some trade only currency & novelty.

Then we have the casino "Silver Strikes" a bit metallic.... different casinos, makers, designers, dates and values.

Of course there are many designers of all the coins.

I just did not see how to have all of this on the current template? Or am I just not creative enough to figure out how to use the existing template.

Joe-K