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| MavicaNet - Classic |
Language
How to Search
Navigation
Site Listings
Stats
Adding a resourse
What else you can do here
Floating Menu
Catalog page: an overview
Potential problems
Our directory is multilingual. It lists sites in many languages. It presents the same categorial structure and displays the same navigation elements translated into quite a few of them.
To select the browsing language, use the dropdown menu in the upper right corner.
Changing the browsing language will alter the order of sites in listings, especially if Site sorting is set to Language. Use another sorting option (preferably last edit time) to keep site listing order fixed.
Site language label is shown next to the site title, separated with a dash.
Multilingual sites have several language marks.
Site description language is shown in square brackets below the site description.
If the site is described in several languages, it will have more than one such label. Each description language label works as link switching to the respective browsing language.
In browsing Options (Floating menu -> Options) there is a section named Priority Languages, enabling you to select up to four languages as site sorting priorities.
For example, you can switch Site sorting to Language, and select English as level 1 priority language and French as level 2 priority language. Then in all categories sites with English descriptions will be displayed first, sites with French descriptions second (below), and sites having neither English nor French descriptions, below the former two groups. See also Site listings -> Site sorting.
First, as usual: type in the word(s) you wish to search for in the Search query box, then click the lense icon to start search. Search results are displayed where usually Site listings are located.
The query box can also be accessed through Floating Menu. Search results are displayed as list of sites with pathways to their host categories. This feature can help you to quickly find similar sites and sites on related subjects, even when their descriptions do not contain exactly the same words as those searched for.
The search can be restricted to content of current category, to category names, to a specific language, to site URL. These advanced search settings can be accessed through Floating Menu (Option: Search).
URL search is ordered through a separate search box at the bottom of search options window. When you search in category names, search results represent a list of category names with pathways.
The default settings are: all words, in site profiles, in all categories, in all languages.
Note that if you search for a short word, it is probable that there is an unrelated word in another language spelled the same way. To avoid confusion, restrict your search to one language. On the other hand, some words (e. g. trademarks) can be quoted without change in descriptions written in a foreign language. What you choose from the search options menu is the language label of descriptions (category names, etc.), not the language of origin of the specific word you are typing in. If you are interested in sites about HTML (which is an English abbreviature: Hypertext Markup Language) described in Russian, you can safely set search language to Russian (rather than English).
The search program understands some elements of Boolean algebra: brackets; "|" (without quotes; copy and paste from here if you have any problem with the keyboard) is the same as "OR" (without quotes, uppercase); by default, space between words is equal to "&" (without quotes) and "AND" (without quotes, uppercase).
Therefore, typing in two words, you are ordering the sites whose descriptions contain both of them in whatever order: if you've typed big dogs, you'll get sites about "BIG DOGS", "BIG cats and small DOGS", "DOGS with BIG ears", etc., but not "BIG cats" or "large DOGS". To search for the sites whose descriptions contain any of the two words, type: big OR dogs. Using brackets, you can type: big (dogs OR cats) to find sites about "BIG DOGS" and sites about "BIG CATS" (as well as "CATS liking BIG mice", etc.)
Finally, you can make use of our directory's categorial structure. If you know a site on a subject and the site is listed in the directory, there is a good chance that other sites on this subject will be listed nearby, in the same category or in neighboring ones.
Tip: if the search offers no results for the search word you've used, try a broader or simply related term and check the placement in the directory of the sites you see in search results. It is very probable that the sites you are looking for are in the same categories, or in their parent categories, or in categories marked "See also", etc.
Each category name is a link. When you click it, you get inside that category and see its content: the subcategories and the sites. Indeed, subcategory names are links, too.
Besides, you will often see links to related categories that are not exactly part of the current category, marked "See also".
Above the category header there is one or more pathways leading from the directory root to the current category. Each of the category names that form the pathway is a link leading to the respective parent category.
In some categories you will see (to the right of the category header) an Alphabetical index. It represents a row of the letters of the alphabet used for the browsing language you've chosen and allows to go directly to a subcategory placed several levels down the categorial structure, if you know the subcategory's name.
By clicking any letter in the row you get a list of subcategories whose name begin with that letter. To exit the index, click on the parent category name diaplayed at the top.
Finally, there is a dropdown menu of Sister categories. It shows all categories that are listed as subcategories together with the current category anywhere in the catalog.
These navigation elements allow you to move quickly across the directory's structure in any direction.
The MavicaNet logo, as well as the inscription Catalog below it, are links that lead to the start page.
Site listings are located below the yellow bar labeled Sites that separates them from the list of subcategories.
The Sites button above the subcategories and the Categories button near the yellow separating bar allow you to jump from the site listing to subcategories and back.
A special way to make your search more specific is using Filters. Filters represent common types of sites (like Organizations, Job, News, etc.) that can appear in any subject category of the Catalog. You can activate a filter from the dropdown menu on the yellow bar above the site listing. Then you can navigate in the Catalog as usual, seeing in each category only sites belonging to the filter you've made active.
Note that not all sites are visible in the Default filter. For example, if there is an organization having some relation to the subject of the category you are in, but its site isn't especially rich in original information, it is quite possible that the site will be visible only in the Organizations filter. To see all sites in the current category regardless of filters, switch to the No filters selected option in filters menu.
Site Sorting can be adjusted from a dropdown menu near the right end of the yellow bar marked Sites. The default sorting method is: by Language, then by Quality.
Sorting by Title is alphabetical; sorting by Last Edit Time puts last changes to the top.
You can use the Sorting option in the Floating menu, or simply click the small icon near the sorting menu, if you wish more than one sorting methods to be applied in a sequence.
For example, if you select Quality for level 1 and Title for level 2, you will see the sites sorted by quality and, within each quality group, alphabetically.
Note that changing the Browsing language while Language is one of the active sorting methods will change nearly each site's position in the list.
Quality marks. Yellow stars to the right from site descriptions denote the site's quality (in the category editor's opinion). The more stars the better. Quality is one of the Site sorting options, which you can apply if you wish to see best sites first.
Rating depends on the number of clicks on the given link by our directory's visitors. It is not directly displayed but can be used as another Site sorting option.
The figures in square brackets next to subcategory names are numbers of sites within the subcategory (with all its subcategories).
Total number of links listed in the Catalog is displayed below the MavicaNet logo in the start page.
You may notice that the numbers of sites in top categories yield in sum more links than shown below the logo. This is because some of the subcategories belong simultaneously to more than one parent category.
To add a site you wish to be listed in the catalog, click the opton Add site in the Floating menu. You'll be offered a form allowing you to type in the site's URL, Title, Description, to specify the Site language, etc.
Note that you can provide descriptions in several languages for the same site by toggling the options in the Description language menu.
The site will be added to the current category; it will be reviewed way faster if you choose the correct category first.
The link won't be visible immediately after being added: it still has to be reviewed by a human editor (who will check if its description and placement are OK, if it does not mirror another site already listed in the Catalog, etc.)
Your Comments for the editor and your E-mail account for feedback (added through the same form) will help to solve any potential problems.
A site covering several different subjects can be added to more than one category. So besides adding a new site you can add a new placement for a site already listed in the Catalog. To do so, you can mark a site by clicking the small square right to its title, then select Copy in the Floating menu, then go to the category you wish to add the link to, and select Paste in the Floating menu. As usual, what you add will become visible upon an editor's reviewing.
For example, if in the category Pharmacology you find a site which, among other things, advertises cat sprays, you can mark it by clicking the checkbox near its title, then copy it (through the Copy option in floating menu), then navigate to the category Cats, and finally, submit it for the additional placement in Cats (through the Paste option in the same menu).
If you think a new category or a new link between categories will improve our directory's structure, send a message to the editor of the parent category. Or, still better, become an editor yourself!
There are Editor forums. You can participate upon some registration. Their main purpose is to be the place where registered editors can discuss various topics related to their editing, but comments from plain visitors are always welcomed.
Registered editors (one of whom you can easily become) can use categories of the Catalog to expose their personal bookmarks.
It looks like a vertical bar with several icons on it, which moves up and down the screen as you scroll the window. If you point your mouse to any of the icons, you'll see an alt-text explaining its function. If you click the icon, you will activate the respective function.
If you click the black downward arrowlet at the top of the menu, it will open into a small window with the same options presented as usual links.
The options offered in the floating menu are grouped as follows:
Search. See above, How to search.
Sites, including:
Add Site. See above, Adding a resource.
Copy. See above, Adding a resource.
Paste. See above, Adding a resource.
Sorting. See above, Site listings -> Site sorting.
Service, including:
Editors' login. The place for registered editors to enter the editor interface. You'll have to type in your username ( = login) and password.
Editors' registration. Fill in the form (mandatory fields are marked with asterisks) and press Send.
Please type in your e-mail account correctly, for confirmation and further instructions will be sent to you by e-mail.
Message for editor. You can send a message to a category's editor or to catalog admins. If you activate this option from a category having an editor, the editor's nickname will show up in the To field. If no editor is individually responsible for the current category, your message is directed by default to Common mailbox. Besides, you can type in an editor's nickname. If you wish to receive a feedback, fill in the field E-mail account.
Options. Here you can set language priorities (see Language above) and remove a number of elements (category descriptions, site descriptions, sister categories, stats, substitute language names) from the default browsing mode.
About us leads to a text about MavicaNet catalog, its designers and aims.
The page has a header. By clicking it you get to Catalog start page (a. k. a. Root category) from any other category. The start page displays some Stats directly below the header.
Next down goes a yellow bar labeled Catalog, with the Search query box and the Browsing language dropdown menu.
In the left yellow field of the page you can see the Floating menu.
Below the yellow bar there is the name of current category, and below it, the list of its subcategories. Under the name of current category you can find category description (if available; most categories have none), and then the nickname of its editor — if there is one; if not, you'll see the invitation to become an editor, which is a link leading to editor registration form.
To the right of current category name there is a link to the Sites and a dropdown menu of Sister categories.
Each subcategory name has the number of sites it contains (including sites in its own subcategories) displayed next to it to the right, and, if it is not available in your chosen Browsing language, the name of the language it is displayed in (this substitute language label is also displayed with many other elements if unavailable in the browsing language).
Under the list of subcategories there are See-also links, leading to related categories that are not exactly part of current category.
Next down is the yellow separating bar labeled Sites. It carries the dropdown menu for Filters, another menu to choose Site listing page (by default the first page of the listing covers the first 20 sites in current category; the menu enables you to go directly to any other page of this listing, if there are more than 20 sites). Below this yellow bar there is a link to Categories and a dropdown menu for choosing the Site sorting method. A small icon near this menu leads to additional sorting options.
Besides, under the yellow bar the category name is repeated with the number of sites listed in its root (that is, subcategories not included).
Below the bar is the Site listing proper.
Each site description begins with a small square allowing you to select this site. Next is the Site title in bold case. Next, a label for the site language(s). A line below it displays the site's URL. Then, in a separate paragraph, you can see the description itself (in your Browsing language, if available). Then, in a separate line, there is the list of available description languages. Each language name in this list is a link switching the whole page to the respective Browsing language.
Yellow stars to the right of the description denote Site quality, in the category editor's opinion. Best sites have three stars.
A yellow bar below the site listing page nearly mirrors the Sites separating bar. It carries sorting method, filters, and site listing page menus.
At the bottom of the page there is a Footer with links About us, Contact us, Add site and Register.
Browsers. The catalog is better viewed with Internet Explorer; with Netscape Navigator some problems may arise (for example, after adjusting window size). Pushing the Reload button usually solves them.
Please check the settings of your browser: it is supposed that it supports Java Scripts and Style sheets. If you are going to Register as an editor, please check first if your browser accepts Cookies.
Stats. Sometimes stats will show more sites in a category than you actually find when you enter it. This happens when part of the sites belong to certain Filters. For details, see Site listings above.
Languages. Certain languages cannot be adequately displayed simultaneously in the same page. This is a problem very difficult to avoid with multilingual HTML documents. Some elements (chiefly in site titles and site descriptions) not available in your chosen Browsing language will have an abracadabra instead of some or all of the foreign symbols.
You may find it helpful that each of the Description language labels available for the given site works as link switching the whole page to the respective Browsing language. See also above, Language -> Description language.
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