Error Tracker FAQ

What and Where is the Error Tracker?

The Error Tracker is a web page at http://maelstrom.walton.uark.edu/errors/ that anyone can use to report information to the Editors at the GCD. Primarily, this is done to report errors or omissions in our database.

The technically-minded may be interested to know that the Error Tracker is a substantially modified and streamlined instance of Bugzilla 3.0.3.

Who can submit errors to the Error Tracker?

Anyone can enter errors. It is one of the easiest ways to contribute to the GCD! Being a GCD member or a comic expert is not required.

What should be reported through the Error Tracker?

Any errors that are found in the data from the GCD should be entered on the Error List. Here are some specific examples used, along with what to select in the "Error Type" field (although the default Error Type "data error", is always appropriate do don't worry if you forget):

• Type "data error":
  • Spelling Errors: Any spelling errors in the names of characters or creators, or in the text of fields such as the notes or synopsis.
  • Factual Errors: Incorrect information about the contents of a comic. Among other things, occasionally data will slip from one comic to another or one story within a comic to another because of an error during upload.
  • Errors of Omission: Sequences (especially "optional" sequences like Text Pages and Fillers), characters or other information may be missing. See below for missing publishers, series or issues.
  • If you are an indexer and have numerous corrections for an index, you may request that the index be re-assigned to you for an update. Put this request in the Description field.
• Type "art identification":
  • Attribution Errors: The original indexer may have made their best guess at who an artist was, but we always welcome second opinions
• Type "cover scans":
  • Requests to upload replacement images for covers that are not already marked for replacement.
• Types "missing publishers", "missing series", "missing issues":
  • Requests to add publishers, series or issues. For missing series, please see the Series Skeleton Requirements for the set of information we'll need.

What requests should not be entered into the Error Tracker?

• Technical problems: Please report those at http://maelstrom.walton.uark.edu/bugs/ (which is a not quite as modified version of Bugzilla 3.0.3).
• Appraisal requests: Probably the most common email we get that we can't respond to is "How much is my comic worth?" For that, there are online price guides, or you can look up the comic on eBay. We are concerned with the contents of the comics, not how much they are worth.

What information should be included in the Error Report?

For errors in existing data, the single most useful thing you can do is paste the URL into the URL field in the error report.

For missing data or other situations when a single URL is not available, please make sure to include the name of the series, issue number, story sequence number, data field, and details of the correction or addition needed. If there is more than one series with exactly the same series name as the series you are making an error report on, please identify the specific series by the publisher and year the series started publication.

Example:

  Tarzan (Dell, 1948 series) #24
  sequence 0; PageCount field:
  page count should be 52 pages, not 36 pages

When you write the Summary, please make it as informative as possible.

Good Summaries:

• Legion of Super-Heroes (1984 series) #300: Misspelled character
• X-Men (1963 series) #10: Wrong colorist
• Missing issues #12-24 for Sandman: Yet Another Spinoff

Bad Summaries:

• Wrong info
• Title problem
• Credits are wrong

What happens after I file the Report? How do I know when it is fixed?

You will be emailed every time an editor updates the status of your report in the tracker (this is why we ask for your email address). An editor may ask you some clarifying questions, then either make the changes and report the error as fixed, or in more rare cases explain why there is not really an error and mark the report as such. If you would like to know more about this process, see the editor's Error Tracker Workflow.

What if I have a whole bunch of information that isn't in the GCD? Should I report it all in the Error Tracker?

You certainly could. We would rather have that info than not. If you choose to do this, please group closely related information into single error reports, but file separate reports for widely differing errors. For instance, if you have information about several issues of a series, you may report those all together. But information about an entirely different series should be placed in a separate report. This will allow two different editors to work on the issues separately.

However, if you have a lot of info and time to report it, we would ask that you consider becoming an indexer. See Indexing Online for more information.

I have a file that shows what I mean. How can I send it to you?

If for some reason you have a file you want to include with the error report, *after* you report the error you may attach it. Once the error is reported, several more fields become available. One box, part of the way down the page, allows you to add attachments.