Absolutely. I do this all the time, but it's a lot of stuff and my time is limited. Also, manufacturer lock :)
True, but so is everybody else's, including the people who mod the site. This is a community effort, we all pitch in somewhat.
Sorry if that came off dismissive, didn't mean it that way. Just meant that even with all the people doing this right now, it is a difficult and time consuming process.
[...] I wonder if a broader category like "Modulation" with sub feature filters that one could select multiple feature from would work? For example the user could select the FUNCTION Modulation and then select 1 or more multiple FEATURES like Attenuator, Envelope Generator, Mixer.
I am not sure adding a multifuntional tag would solve the problem. Though the idea is right in that broader categories to encapsulate modules main function might be beneficial. This is provided more detailed sub-tagging could be applied and the method for searches allowed one to select multiple features. It could mimc ecommerce product listing page filters. For example, if one is looking at a product listing page for the t-shirts category then could then select the colors black, red and blue from a filter list and not have to see white, yellow and orange.
I think you're simplifying the problem to a degree which is not realistic. Color is an attribute and can easily be defines as a subgroup of a product category. It is a rather obvious one and makes for an easy UX choice, whereas functionality VS features are interchangeable attributes. To extend your example, where does Mixing fit in terms of Utility? Is it a subcategory of Utility or a different function entirely? This is all subjective as we try to define usage in an area which by definition tries to avoid it. Modulation, right, what about all the oscillators that can go to LFO speeds? It's a can of worms.
You are correct, I am over-simplifying the problem. Mostly so that I can wrap my head around it abstractly without actually doing any real work. To really dig in to it someone would have to look at all that data and begin t structure it. I do this all the time for work and it can be a nightmare. I am actually running into an issue with this right now where products are both categories and attributes. Though in my case, there is a hell of lot less that what exists on MG. And yeah, maybe modulation is not a good idea, but trying to start somewhere.
Again, in my most humble opinion, the problem we're facing is having too many disparate modules on the grid. If we get the option to merge, categorize as one-off creations or manufactured (because not all manufacturers are properly listed) and then allow for a maximum of 3 tags per module, that could make things far more easier to navigate. What if a module can do more than those three things? Well, you know what, that's what manuals and demo videos are for. We also have a huge database of info on MW FB and MW forum and that's what the internet is here for.
Yeah, I can see how having multiples is a problem. Not including the micro-Braids, there are 9 distinct Braids modules on the grid. Merging those into one using the multiple panel feature would be a huge start towards cleaning things up.
And I totally agree on the manual/video/forum point about getting more detailed descriptions. Maybe you are on to something with limiting the tags.