I wanted to take some time to give an update on the Dupe Fixing, and mention some changes that you might have noticed.
For your edification (aka “points worth pondering…”)
I reference the original manufacturer’s website(s) frequently (except the most obvious, and ones I KNOW to be accurate. Even then I frequently check anyways.) The mnufacturer should be given priority IMO, not a vendor. 
The majority of the following relates to pre-existing flavors in the database…but here are some examples of how I’ve been trying to improve the functionality and user convenience.
These examples can (of course) also serve as a general set of guidelines for the formatting structure that I’ve been trying to nail down/iron out for “best practices” until Daath has the time to implement whatever great new system he’s got in mind!
I’ve also tried to go with “separators” (the commas, parenthesis, etc) to hopefully try and help facilitate an easier time for him to code the different segments. Whether or not it’ll actually prove helpful is unknown, but I have done my utmost to hold his needs in mind (with my limited coding history and understanding as a very loose guideline), as well of course, as the user base (the wonderful community we call ELR).
And now, to the meat and potatoes!
Naming convention examples:
General:
These are generally straight-forward, and easy to understand
Common Flavor Name: Type/Variety: Brand:
- Strawberry, Ripe (TFA)
- Strawberry, Sweet (Cap)
.
The following are examples of slightly more complex varieties, but I think they’re still pretty clear and self-explanatory:
Common Flavor Name: Line Variants: Brand:
- Coffee (SC) (Real Flavors)
- Coffee (VG) (Real Flavors)
- Yumberry (extract) (Real Flavors)
- Yumberry (SC) (Real Flavors)
- 27 Bears (Silverline) (Cap)
- Raspberry (Malina Koncentrat) (Inawera)
- Raspberry (Wera Garden E-Aromat) (Inawera)
Note: Ina has all too many “lines” and similar (if not IDENTICAL) names in each. This is still under scrutiny to see about an improvement to the layout. But if you go on Inawera’s site, and look for strawberry… you’ll get a good idea of what I mean. Lines from Koncentrat to Wera Garden, to E-Aromat, and then at some point they started merging within them… so, yeah, that’s a big ball of wax unto itself for the moment.
Next up is:
“Creative Branding”
Common Flavor Name: Brand:
Blenderize (Tutti Frutti) (FA)
Dark Bean (Coffee Espresso) (FA)
This one is another for points of contention, but, with these examples in particular, I lead with trying to keep the common name first, and the “FA name” second.
Things do get a bit more complicated in some respects though…
International examples (as needed/warranted):
Common Flavor Name: Type/Variety: Brand:
Banana (Bano) (FA)
Raspberry (Berryl) (FA)
Cherry (Cerise, Cillegia) (FA)
Cherry, Black (Amarena, Cherryl) (FA)
Be it French, Italian, Spanish (Spain), or otherwise…
there’s simply enough separate entries (and corresponding misspellings, etc) to warrant combining the most common/popular flavors with their foreign names. This way, when someone from another “major country” (no slight intended, just going by the most frequent outlying flavor additions that should be in with the common one) types in their local label (EG: Cerise) it still brings them to the primary flavor that everyone uses, has the most notes on, and percentages, etc.
The goal here was to try and be as inclusive as possible to our non-English-speaking users as possible, while minimizing stray database entries! (Hopefully ya’ll see this as a win/win.)
This will be an ongoing and case-by-case basis, but for now, I have already created the new format, and merged the appropriate “strays” into the two Cherries as shown above.
.
Unique Examples:
At the moment, remaining untouched.
Some don’t really have the “weight” to break them down individually, and still remain easily recognizable. In other words, the collective makes the whole:
Common Flavor Name: Brand:
Harvest Berry (Cap)
Lemon Meringue Pie v1 (Cap)
Strawberry Dark Chocolate- (Inawera)
Strawberry Milk Chocolate- (Inawera)
.
Others are “hybrids” (aka Complex Flavors) and rather non-descript:
Metaphor (FA)
wOw (FA)
But they still have no “viable” alternative.
.
Then we have “One Shots” and “Blends”:
Common Flavor Name: Type/Variety: Brand:
Cherry Bee (Blends) (FA UK)
-
- There’s a whole host of these that I have to key in soon (for correct structure, and because they’re new, and I can get ahead of the game for a change!)
But I believe this will make it easier to find them (for starters), and more importantly, because they are not really the same thing as one shots (given those are leaning towards “popular people” releasing their recipes in this form. AKA “Community Flavor Packs” and “DIY Mixer’s Showcase”).
https://www.bullcityflavors.com/community-recipe-packs/
It will also enable them to be easier to find for folks using the shopping list on ELR. As well as serve as the possible reminder that some might need to look in the One Shots section!
Blueberry, Blow Pop (One Shot) (ooo)
Watermelon, Pop (One Shot) (ooo)
.
Goal
Ease of use, in the stash and in the shopping list!! (the same basic categories grouped together. EG: Creams, Strawberries, Vanilla’s)
You’ll notice that plain old “strawberries” come first
Then “specialties”. (Biscuit, Jam with toast, etc)
Then those with what I refer to as “modifiers” (Sweet, Ripe, Wild, etc.)
**Note: It’s worth mentioning that the database has already gotten so large with some of these that they take time to merge where the larger groups are concerned. Most everything I’ve watched, has been successfully merged, once enough time has passed for the merge to complete (within the actual processing of the database). **So if you see that you appear to have lost notes, pricing, etc, PLEASE DON’T do anything immediate!!!
Leave it alone for the day, and check back tomorrow.
IF for some reason you lose notes (or anything else) in the process. I humbly apologise (for any that I am responsible for). I’ve had this experience myself in the past, and believe me when I say, I know the sense of loss as well as frustration. But the sooner we can get things organized, the less chance of having it happen again in the future (is how I look at it).
I hope you can extend your patience and understanding, but totally understand if it’s otherwise.
.
— REQUESTS —
PLEASE DON’T do the following:
There’s a special place in h…nevermind. 
-
Don’t put the size of what you bought in the naming line!!!
EG: Strawberry Jam One Shot OOO (30ml) -
Don’t put your inventory/location number in the naming line.
EG: Box3, row12 -
Don’t put the percentage in the flavor naming line.
EG: 1.5% CAP Sweet Cream
(unless it’s a “Dilution”, etc -see below!) -
Don’t abbreviate flavor names.
EG: Sw Straw (Cap)
They will be merged.
.
PLEASE DO:
- CLEARLY mark/indicate that your special creation (be it a NET, Dilution, Solution, or custom flavoring combination, etc) as such by using a suffix in parenthesis!
EG: (Custom), or (My DIY), or (Jim’s Mix), (stone), (base), (10% dilution), (20% solution), etc.
If you’re willing to do this, it’ll dramatically increase the likelihood of your special and very personal concoction that you’ve worked so diligently on, preserved!! Even though the Dupe Team are typically “Hands-Off” when it comes to stones and bases (etc), unless they’re marked as such, some have unfortunately been lost.
Help us to help you!
- take the time to key in flavor names as accurately as you can (language barriers are easily understood, and accidents happen. But sheer laziness isn’t appreciated.)
and another…
- In the above pic, you’ll see someone that used the flavor name line to note that he/she can swap flavors ["Vanilla whipped cream (CAP) or sweet cream (TPA)]. The place for this is IN YOUR RECIPE NOTES. These will be merged as they continue to be found.
NOTE: For those who try to help by submitting dupes, sometimes the easiest way to find them, is to think outside the box. For instance, the way I found the whipped cream fiasco above, was to use “ped” in the primary search, and then refine from there.
-
Make sure that you pick the closest (or right) existing selection!
Don’t just put strawberry chocolate (Ina), as it DOESN’T EXIST.
(unless it’s a stone/etc, in which case, see above please!)
- Strawberry Dark Chocolate- (Inawera)
- Strawberry Milk Chocolate- (Inawera)
The database DOES HAVE both variations! And I learned something in the process (as I often do) by having to check the manufacture’s site to verify that the flavor entry in the database wasn’t a fluke or accident! I had no idea there was a Dark Chocolate version (and only 5 recipes exist with it!). lol
- Be assured that flavors that used to exist but are no longer in production will still be preserved to the best of abilities.
I think a “Discontinued” entry would be helpful, but as of yet (at least for me) that’s on the back burner. The things that are currently in use are a much higher priority.
Closing Thoughts
I appreciate your reading this far. There’s SO much to cover that many folks (mostly forum users) are quite aware of, but even more are NOT it would seem. Please help spread the word as needed, but PLEASE do so as politely as possible.
I also acknowledge that some folks might have a hard time with some aspects, but I’m genuinely trying to consider all aspects. There’s no other factor or agenda than to serve the cause (keeping things clean and organized with some usable sensibility) and our community. And I hope that I’m doing that successfully in most folks eyes.
There’s more here that I’ve forgotten to mention I’m sure, but this is a lot of what I wanted to cover for the time being. And I’m running out of steam (as it’s taken almost 3 hours to get all these things and thoughts together to hopefully illustrate some of the issues we (as a community, and as Dupe fixers) face, and ways to improve things for the the immediate future.
Thanks for your time and efforts!
Much love to those who try to help and educate!!
Rob
