You're probably right for R1 USA, but in many localities with far less contributors it's quite true that full audits are rare. So it entirely depends where you get your DVDs from what the likelihood of encountering full cast and crew credits is.

This is not to say that that would be an excuse for not following the rules though. 

I never expected this thread to be so popular, strange what sparks conversation.  I am pleased to see that most of the banter is friendly and informative though.  Frankly I'd hate to add too much contention to a group, being a new guy and all.

Firstly, thanks for all the comments and opinions.  There seem to be some yays and some nays.  I still stand my ground that using the overview in this case was okay.  Indeed this is a TV series from the 90s.  I probably should have been a little more informative in my first post.  I would be curious to know if anyone knows of any overviews that list main characters that are inaccurate.  In this case it was much easier than going to the end credits since they were right there and in their entirety.  It would have taken too much time and energy (things I'm short of these days) to go to the end credits of each and every episode (23 in all) and figure out which were main characters of the series and which were guest or recurring roles for just certain episodes.  That's my justification, take it or leave it, agree or disagree, it matters not to me at this point.

Skip, at one point you compared IMDb with Profiler.  This is not only unfair, it's totally bogus.  IMDb is a database that can be searched and browsed by anyone in its entirety.  They have massive amounts of information, most of which, whether you believe or accept it or not, is accurate.  IMDb dwarfs Profiler.  With a database that large and extensive there are going to be errors.  And to think that Profiler has little errors, in comparison, is delusional.  If you think that errors or very few errors sneak past the screeners for the profiles, again, you're delusional.  I'm not bashing Profiler, but I'm kind of tired of people talking crap about IMDb.  I contribute there whenever I can.  Mostly deleting dead links and trying to keep things consistent in the credits.  They're not working, a lot of times, from anything other than people who know someone is in a movie or TV show and adding them.  Not unlike when people add a "pre-release" profile here.  Most of the time, that I've seen anyway, when a pre-release profile is added it contains errors when I start looking at what actually appears on the DVD.  So when the DVD is finally released, the errors can be corrected and other information can be added.  But with IMDb we have to wait for the DVD for credits to be accurate, but the profile for the movie is usually in the database 2 sometimes 3 years before it's actually released in theaters which gives time to add additional information which is sometimes very useful.  I feel that I'm rambling now...my point is, IMDb is an awesome and unique resource and should be given credit where credit is due.

Quoting aka510:

Quote:
I never expected this thread to be so popular, strange what sparks conversation.  I am pleased to see that most of the banter is friendly and informative though.  Frankly I'd hate to add too much contention to a group, being a new guy and all.

Firstly, thanks for all the comments and opinions.  There seem to be some yays and some nays.  I still stand my ground that using the overview in this case was okay.  Indeed this is a TV series from the 90s.  I probably should have been a little more informative in my first post.  I would be curious to know if anyone knows of any overviews that list main characters that are inaccurate.  In this case it was much easier than going to the end credits since they were right there and in their entirety.  It would have taken too much time and energy (things I'm short of these days) to go to the end credits of each and every episode (23 in all) and figure out which were main characters of the series and which were guest or recurring roles for just certain episodes.  That's my justification, take it or leave it, agree or disagree, it matters not to me at this point.

Skip, at one point you compared IMDb with Profiler.  This is not only unfair, it's totally bogus.  IMDb is a database that can be searched and browsed by anyone in its entirety.  They have massive amounts of information, most of which, whether you believe or accept it or not, is accurate.  IMDb dwarfs Profiler.  With a database that large and extensive there are going to be errors.  And to think that Profiler has little errors, in comparison, is delusional.  If you think that errors or very few errors sneak past the screeners for the profiles, again, you're delusional.  I'm not bashing Profiler, but I'm kind of tired of people talking crap about IMDb.  I contribute there whenever I can.  Mostly deleting dead links and trying to keep things consistent in the credits.  They're not working, a lot of times, from anything other than people who know someone is in a movie or TV show and adding them.  Not unlike when people add a "pre-release" profile here.  Most of the time, that I've seen anyway, when a pre-release profile is added it contains errors when I start looking at what actually appears on the DVD.  So when the DVD is finally released, the errors can be corrected and other information can be added.  But with IMDb we have to wait for the DVD for credits to be accurate, but the profile for the movie is usually in the database 2 sometimes 3 years before it's actually released in theaters which gives time to add additional information which is sometimes very useful.  I feel that I'm rambling now...my point is, IMDb is an awesome and unique resource and should be given credit where credit is due.

Not unfair at all. IMDb is the single most inaccurate database i have ever seen, they have or exercise very little control over the data their users submit and thus  are filled with errors. They also, unlike Profiler, provide absolutely no way to look at a "bibliography" which would provide documentation to back up any of their data. The data is simply there and it is error-filled. They are not a source for any kind of data which I would be willing to trust as a datasource on its own merits without independent verification. If you think they are wonderful then that is fine and your call, but it is not factually based. Try comparing ACTUAL film data against IMDb and it won't take you very long at all to discover just how inaccurate they are.

Skip

I didn't catch that, Unicus. but quite right. aka,  if you wish to NOT follow the Rules then keep your data locally and do NOT Contribute it. We have the Rulers for a reason and we ALL follow them.

Skip

Quoting aka510:

Quote:

Skip, at one point you compared IMDb with Profiler.  This is not only unfair, it's totally bogus.  IMDb is a database that can be searched and browsed by anyone in its entirety.  They have massive amounts of information, most of which, whether you believe or accept it or not, is accurate.  IMDb dwarfs Profiler.

Sadly enough after verifying numerous dvd credits, I personal found IMDB can not be trusted on accuracy, sometimes it is even misleading, it is user build and based on the users belief and controls on it are very weak. I rather prefer the facts. However sometimes it is sometimes impossible on the other hand we have users mailing agencies, cast and crew members, we even had users calling crew internationaly with there mobile phones. One of those is this case:
Michael Hopkins (NZ) <> Mike Hopkins (UK)
so there are many other cases, where we start digging and try finding the facts. If you don't have the time doing the research and insist on using IMdb data, keep it in your local database and don't contribute the cast and crew for that profile. There is even more work in verifying a profile than start a new profile. Cast and crew not in credits as credited out of order, ...

Quoting surfeur51:

Quote:
Quoting aka510:

Quote:
IMDb is an awesome and unique resource and should be given credit where credit is due.

I agree with that. There are some errors on some movies, I would say, 10% of movies have errors on IMDb.

Dvdprofiler online doesn't do better, in region 2. Reading this forum, it seems that region 1 is nearly perfect...

Not even close.  Region 1 DVD profiles for big time releases may be perfect in terms of copying screen credits, but does not work for cross linking actors across different movies precisely because of that exact rule.  "As credited" was designed to fix that flaw, but I would venture to guess that ones that are corrected are in the minority.  If I wanted to see which movies an actor was in, I would trust IMDB or the old DVD Spot database way over DVD Profiler.

As far as "very very very few people" comment, I no longer collect DVDs, just Blu-rays.  With Blu-ray profiles, even big name releases often go days to weeks with next to no credits on cast and crew.  I've been rectifying them by copying the cast and crew from DVD profiles and contributing them, but the number of folks doing regular contribution seem much less than in the old intervocative days.

I absolutely agree, Ken. 10% incorrect data in IMDb is way way liberal, I'll give thenm 20% correct since they have nade some very familiar sounding changes that seem to be slowly having an effect but more often than not any given fataset at IMD is going to be a train wreck.

Skip

Quoting xradman:

Quote:
Quoting surfeur51:

Quote:
Quoting aka510:

Quote:
IMDb is an awesome and unique resource and should be given credit where credit is due.

I agree with that. There are some errors on some movies, I would say, 10% of movies have errors on IMDb.

Dvdprofiler online doesn't do better, in region 2. Reading this forum, it seems that region 1 is nearly perfect...

Not even close.  Region 1 DVD profiles for big time releases may be perfect in terms of copying screen credits, but does not work for cross linking actors across different movies precisely because of that exact rule.  "As credited" was designed to fix that flaw, but I would venture to guess that ones that are corrected are in the minority.  If I wanted to see which movies an actor was in, I would trust IMDB or the old DVD Spot database way over DVD Profiler.

As far as "very very very few people" comment, I no longer collect DVDs, just Blu-rays.  With Blu-ray profiles, even big name releases often go days to weeks with next to no credits on cast and crew.  I've been rectifying them by copying the cast and crew from DVD profiles and contributing them, but the number of folks doing regular contribution seem much less than in the old intervocative days.

xradman:

The problem with the linking is as follows. It should be largely a local issue, data which is properly documented should be shareable in a form which i have previously described. The system as it functions now, I haven't been able to devise a fix for, I really wish I could. Whether you, what you link and how you do it, is NOT an Online problem. The only issue vis a vis Online, sharing of data, which requires documentation, not simply throwing mud on the wall to see if it sticks.

Skip