Cannot reset library by deleting .cool file

[tempacc1969]

I'd love to buy this but...as the title suggests I located the .cool file and deleted it AFTER closing the program because for some weird reason I don't want 134,264 movies in various languages I can't even speak

I restart the program and....hey presto the .cool file is recreated along with all the default movies. I did a search on my C: drive for .cool files and it can't find any more anywhere unless they're hidden

So is anyone else having this problem?

I can't see what else it could be other than a bug if I've followed the instructions to the letter and it's not working

The strange thing is when the program restarts, the default 134,264 movies are immediately there, which means it's not downloading anything from the internet, they are either built in or being scanned from an existing file

So either your instructions are totally wrong or the program doesn't work the way it's meant to.

[(cool) Hector]

I located the .cool file and deleted it AFTER closing the program

What you describe is indeed the correct way to delete the .cool file that contains your personal data (which movies you've seen, which movies you own, etc...).

because for some weird reason I don't want 134,264 movies in various languages I can't even speak

You haven't understood how the program works. You're probably used to other programs, but our concept is different.

As the name suggests, Coollector movie database is at its core a movie database. Currently there are 134,264 movies in the database. You can't remove those 134,264 movies. They're not movies that you own, they're just the movie database.

How are you supposed to use the program? Contrary to the other programs, you don't have to search online each movie that you own and then download its information. All the movies are already there on your computer (you don't even need to be online). You just have to browse them and mark them as owned or rate them.

At any moment, if you want to take the movie database out of your sight, you just have to click the button "rated" to list only the movies that you've seen, or the button "owned" to list only those that you own.

Having a complete movie database is a great way to discover movies. The filmography of a person contains all her movies, not just those that you own. And as always, it takes only one click to hide the rest of the movie database and list only the movies from the filmography that you own or have seen.

Even when you do a title search it takes only one click to limit the results to the movies that you own or have rated.

I hope that you'll come to like our concept. It has many benefits!

[tempacc1969]

I can see the benefits and I'm sure many many people like it that way.

I had one program, its gone obsolete now. Developed by a guy in Canada I think.

It was perfect for me.

I don't really want to see hundreds of thousands of movies I'm never going to watch or even care about in any meaningful way. I just want to catalogue and enjoy the movies I've got on my harddrive and any new ones I add without having to screen out movies I don't know about, don't want, don't like. Obviously the only movies I have on my harddrive are ones I like and intend watching again. So I don't personally see the point of having a pre-existing movie database.

Its strange that you've stated

A frequently asked question is "how do I start over with an empty database?"

and then provide instructions on how to do that.

Now you're saying those movies CANNOT be deleted by using the above method.

So all in all a very confusing product from my perspective. As an ex-software developer/software engineer and project manager of XXX years in the IT industry I would say that developing something which potentially can reach a very wide audience and then saying "well, I'm not going to let you people use it" is a rather counter-productive business model.

Surely giving people choice is a major strength of software development?

As in, "Would you like a pre-rendered movie base of 134,264 movies? Or not?"

Whenever I wrote a program, whether assembly language, java or C++ making it as intuitive as possible was very high on my agenda, as well as giving people choices.

After all, choice is a fundamental part of life. And you're taking it away from people (i.e. potential customers) and from yourself as in diminished revenue.

So those are my thoughts for what they're worth.

[(cool) Hector]

I just want to catalogue and enjoy the movies I've got on my harddrive

If you use our scanning feature (located in the menu "Tools->Scan your video files"), you'll see that it's incredibly fast compared to the competing products. It's that fast because it doesn't make any online request (the entire movie database is stored locally).

Its strange that you've stated

A frequently asked question is "how do I start over with an empty database?"

This sentence is from the section "Coollection files" where it's explained that a coollection file holds your personal data (what you own, what you've rated).

When you launch the program, you're in front of an entire movie database instead of an empty database. How come you didn't realize it's a movie database and thought instead that it was your owned movies? Probably your mind is set on the concept of the other programs, and indeed some of them launch with a small sample data set... but certainly not 134,264 movies!

choice is a fundamental part of life. And you're taking it away from people

The program can't work without the movie database. You want the program to use a different concept than the one it was conceived for. It's impossible.

I'd argue that users have a lot of choice, more than with any other program, because we're the only one to include an entire movie database. With Coollector Movie Database, you have the choice to view your personal data superimposed on the movie database, or to view only your personal data without the other movies. It's a synergy (the whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts).

As I've explained, at any time you can restrict the database to only the movies that you've seen or own. It's only 1 click. That's the essence of the concept: being a collection manager AND a movie database. When you browse the movie database, the movies that you own or have seen are highlighted, and you can switch to listing only your personal collection with 1 click.

You can't delete those movies, but you can hide them with 1 click. Why do you insist on deleting them? Let them live, they're not hurting you.

So those are my thoughts for what they're worth.

For what they're worth indeed... Basically you're asking me to give up the current concept that I'm very proud of, and make instead a program like all the others. I'm convinced that my concept is more advanced and powerful, too bad that you can't figure it out. I'm the first user of my program. I'm a movie lover and I use it every day. I wouldn't change it for another one. And in this forum you'll find users who think the same.

[tempacc1969]

Of course there are many users who think the same, but lots people all thinking the same thing doesn't mean it's the best thing...World War 1 and 2....???

It just means it feels right for THOSE people and all I'm saying is, with more flexibility, i.e. some people don't want those movies in there or the inconvenience, however small, of being FORCED to click to hide them. Which is what you're doing.

Obviously, you'll never know exactly how many MORE people might buy your concept if it was more flexible in giving choice to the user.

So you can hide them ok. cool. but you're forcing the user to hide them. that's a choice sure, but very low quality.

Yes, I was impressed with how fast it scanned the movies. But it couldn't find poster info for some very popular movies, one was Big Hero 6.

I also had to press the space bar because I got tired of clicking "ok" when it kept reporting "No Poster info found " for several hundred movies. So something might need tightening up there?

You have to understand that for some people and we haven't surveyed so we don't know how many, but definitely most people I've encountered, get irritated by small things when it comes to software or online interactions. Its only 1 click, but that 1 click will become several hundred clicks depending on how a user interacts with the product. If you gave an option to set the default to filter out those movies that would be a high quality choice, rather than EXPECTING and thinking everyone will be ok with only clicking once.

It seems such a small thing and I would expect you to take all this personally but please. I'm really trying to help you not turn you into some kind of evil monster.

At the end of the day it's your software and you'll do whatever you think is best. Try to think about what I've said using a non-judgmental and non-defensive frame of mind. Just from a business perspective.

[(cool) Hector]

Of course there are many users who think the same, but lots people all thinking the same thing doesn't mean it's the best thing...

I'm not saying that my program is the best program for everyone. Some users will prefer it while others might prefer another one for whatever reason.

Obviously, you'll never know exactly how many MORE people might buy your concept if it was more flexible in giving choice to the user.

Considering its concept, I fail to figure out how my program could work differently.

You said that after the installation the program should ask the user "Would you like a pre-rendered movie base of 134,264 movies? Or not?". In my opinion, it's a very confusing question when you freshly start with a new program. "Pre-rendered movie base"? Even me I don't understand what that means! And if the users chooses not to display the movies, what happens next? How will he add the movies he owns or have seen? Except for the file scanning and the barcode scanning, you're supposed to browse/search the database to mark what you've seen or own.

I've chosen instead to welcome the user by suggesting him to play the rating game, because it's a fun way to get introduced to our rating system. Rating movies is an important part of the program, because you'll get movie recommendations based on your taste. By the way, movie recommendations are yet another thing made possible by the fact that the program includes a movie database.

Its only 1 click, but that 1 click will become several hundred clicks depending on how a user interacts with the product.

If you list only the movies that you own because it's all you're interested in, the next time you'll open the program it'll still be listing your owned movies. Nothing to do, nothing to click.

I'm really trying to help you

My problem is practical: I can't figure out how I could apply your advice.

Yes, I was impressed with how fast it scanned the movies. But it couldn't find poster info for some very popular movies, one was Big Hero 6.

That's weird. I've made the test and I don't see any problem.

Please give me more details. If there's a bug, I'm eager to fix it.

I also had to press the space bar because I got tired of clicking "ok" when it kept reporting "No Poster info found " for several hundred movies. So something might need tightening up there?

"No Poster info found"? My program never displays this kind of message. Are you really sure that you're talking about the right program? There seems to be some confusion here...

Please give me the exact error message and I'll check my source code.

[(cool) Hector]

Coollector Movie Database is a movie database that you personalize with your personal data. Most people do get it. I don't understand why you have such a problem with it.

Well, the fact that you're familiar with the other programs probably doesn't help you. But for a user without that habit, it's probably easier to understand and less daunting not to start with an empty database that you'll have to fill movie by movie.

[jpkuhta]

First I just want to say that this program is without a doubt the best I have ever used and I have tried over a dozen of them.
Just a tip or someone trying to delete there entire collection for whatever the reason.
The closing the program and deleting all the .cool files works.
You need to know that when you reopen the program in the “Movie Filter Search” tab
It may have the first dropdown set to “-any status-“
You have to change it to “owned” to show the empty collection.
Having typed in a ton of stuff into other programs, the ability to just direct this program to my video collection and have it “know” what movies they are is great. It is a time saver beyond belief.
Is there a way to delete a specific title if I no longer have it?

[(cool) Hector]

First I just want to say that this program is without a doubt the best I have ever used and I have tried over a dozen of them.

Wow! Thank you very much!

Is there a way to delete a specific title if I no longer have it?

Of course! Your owned videos appear in the "owned videos" box of the corresponding movie. You just have to press the "DEL" button from the box to delete them. If you had video files but they're no longer on your disk, a faster solution is to use the menu "Tools->Manage your video files->Find associations with missing files".

[Skinamp]

It just means it feels right for THOSE people and all I'm saying is, with more flexibility, i.e. some people don't want those movies in there or the inconvenience, however small, of being FORCED to click to hide them. Which is what you're doing.

For me this is a GREAT program feature !!
When i'm browsing my owned movies its just ONE click away to find
movies in the pre-installed database that i usually wouldn't look for.
This way i already found tons of movies i didn't know they exists.

Or i click a actors name and find movies, he or she also played in,
that could be interesting for me...

[(cool) Hector]

This way i already found tons of movies i didn't know they exists.

Movie discovery is an essential part of our concept, and thankfully many users choose Coollector because of that. But it's not the first time that I meet someone who's solely focused on collecting and bothered by this other part of the program. I tell them that if they're not interested in that part, they don't have to use it, but that's not enough, they have to remove it. I'm much puzzled by that attitude, if someone can explain it to me, please do. My theory is that they've been using a different app for years, and now they're too old to change their habits.

[Skinamp]

if they're not interested in that part, they don't have to use it, but that's not enough, they have to remove it

There are a lot of buttons in my car that i don't use, i still love the car !
Should i call f.e. mercedes that i only buy it when they remove the buttons i don't
want to use ?