Idea: Turn product numbers into links.

[yak]

Hi,

I had some free time today so for sports I was looking at the source of the Lenovo support page, the one that lets you give it the product number and in return it gives you full description of the particular machine this product number refers to, including full factory specs.

As it turns out, there just a short javascript code that removes all non-alphanumeric chars from the given product number whin you hit submit, makes it uppercase and reloads the page using the following URL:

Code: Select all

http://www.lenovo.com/support/site.wss/quickPath.do?quickPathEntry=xxxxxxx

where "xxxxxxx" is the product number, (ex. 2668KHU).

I then started to look for use for this information. One could be to automatically turn "xxxx-xxx" strings (or "nnnnxxx" strings where "n" are digits and "x" are letters) posted on this forum into links to the above URL. If someone was asking a question, he would just have to include the product number. Others would then be able to easily check the full specs so the probability of relevant answers would be higher. A lot of people also include their product numbers in the signature. They would also automatically turn into links.

I'm not a phpBB expert so I don't know if it would be done by adding some module or one would have to hack the core. Knowing the right place to add it, it should be pretty easy using regular expressions.

What do you people think?

[dr_st]

Sounds like a great idea. I hope it can be implemented.

BTW, for those running Firefox, there is a search plugin for Lenovo's model numbers:
http://mycroft.mozdev.org/search-engine ... Lenovo+MTM

[RealBlackStuff]

It would require quite some Database power to convert all the Type/Model numbers, adding an unnecessary extra load on the server.
There are nearly 500,000 posts that would need to be checked, not to mention the 32,000+ user profiles.
Idea is not bad, but just not practical.
Besides, all regular users know about this anyway.
As long as people mention these Type/Model numbers in their signature (or in their post) everyone is happy.

[yak]

It would require quite some Database power to convert all the Type/Model numbers, adding an unnecessary extra load on the server.
There are nearly 500,000 posts that would need to be checked, not to mention the 32,000+ user profiles.
Idea is not bad, but just not practical.
Besides, all regular users know about this anyway.
As long as people mention these Type/Model numbers in their signature (or in their post) everyone is happy.

I rather thought that the links would be added on the fly while generating the page. I don't know what servers are running thinkpads.com but it shouldn't need that much processing power.

But anyway, it was just a thought

[yak]

BTW, for those running Firefox, there is a search plugin for Lenovo's model numbers:
http://mycroft.mozdev.org/search-engine ... Lenovo+MTM

Great. Didn't know about this. Thanks.

[ssd_thinkpad]

It would require quite some Database power to convert all the Type/Model numbers, adding an unnecessary extra load on the server.
There are nearly 500,000 posts that would need to be checked, not to mention the 32,000+ user profiles.
Idea is not bad, but just not practical.
Besides, all regular users know about this anyway.
As long as people mention these Type/Model numbers in their signature (or in their post) everyone is happy.

This is done just with an sql replace query on post table and should require very few minutes if at all.

[RealBlackStuff]

Ask the management.

[bill bolton]

Not all valid MTMs yield matching web pages (particularly for small volume commercial order configurations), so an automated link of the type suggested above which does not produce the desired result 100% of the time is simply not worth doing.

Cheers,

Bill B.

[yak]

Not all valid MTMs yield matching web pages (particularly for small volume commercial order configurations), so an automated link of the type suggested above which does not produce the desired result 100% of the time is simply not worth doing.

Oh, I didn't know that.

[RealBlackStuff]

How about all those CTO machines (Configured To Order)? They have no info available on those...
And our members have loads of those.

@yak:
Your signature is missing the Type/Model!

[yak]

Your signature is missing the Type/Model!

Fixed. I opted for putting my full config there since it is quite modded comparing to what is listed on Lenovo's support site. Now I've included the model number as well as indication what was upgraded.

[Mike Blake]

RealBlackStuff wrote:
Your signature is missing the Type/Model!

Yeah, but so is Bill Bolton's...oops, never mind, it says "Admin" under his name, so I guess the rules don't apply to him.

[RealBlackStuff]

Putting the Type/Model in your signature is not mandatory, but extremely helpful.
I just thought it was curious to see yak make a point about converting the Type/Model information, and that he himself does not even supply this very info!
Hence my 'ribbing' of him!

[tfflivemb2]

Not to mention that a signature isn't even required at all....it is just helpful. I don't even have my plethora of machines listed anymore. Sometimes people own too many to list them, because people might assume that the question that you are asking my only be relevant to the machine/s in your signature. Now, if you only have the one machine, it certainly makes things easier....

[Mike Blake]

Actually, when I posted, I had momentarily confused the rule you must include your location, with putting your Thinkpads in your sig.