View Full Version : Visability thead expansion
The visibility report thread has to be one of the most hit threads on this site. It’s a dam good planning tool, both historically and real time for me. However it's now massive, as it contains a load of info from loadsa sites it's often hard to sort the relevant site info.
I wish it was divided say into several general areas that could be instantly referenced. Say Loch Long, Fyne, St Abbs, Dunbar.
Don’t know how you would set up such a reference tool but I imagine half dozen members favorite top locations would go down well, being as the original thread is so popular.
what do ya think
Dive Tramp
19-06-08, 15:26
Uhuh, :D Perhaps it could be broken down, as you suggest, into locales eg West Coast, Loch Fyne; Loch Long: East Coast, St Abbs; Isle of May; Aberdeen areas: Moray Coast ...??:confused:
This would be easy to implement if people wanted it and would use it. We could even create a Visibility sub-forum with various location-specific threads in it.
However ... personally I think that info in the Viz thread has a shelf life of about 2-3 days as it varies with surface conditions. So ... is there any point in having separate databases for different locations? The old data is useless (unless someone wants to graph it against historical weather and tidal information and look for correlations ;) ... volunteers apply here please!!!)
So, yes it could be done easily. But is it worth doing is another question. What do others think?
By the way, I think it would be awesome if someone had the time to sift through and tabulate the historical info in the viz thread. It would be good to chart it over time and plot against weather and tidal information as well as by month / time of year.
If anyone fancies doing this, it'd be dead cool. Personally I don't have the time at present what with work n all ...
Yogi Diver
19-06-08, 17:37
Perhaps if the thread could be "tabulated" in some way so that every post was required to populate specific fields using a common template. Then the information could be readily collated into an Excel spreadsheet, or Access database to provide reports that were meaningful for different areas. Average visibility at specific times of year etc?
Doesn't help with the existing information but could build into something really worthwhile in future years?
Just a thought for anyone with the savvy to do it. I'm afraid my PC knowledge just aint up to it.:(:o
how about just one post....
loch long, <2m viz.
loch fyne 6m+ viz
east coast, mostly blown out onshore but often 10m+ viz on a good day.
job done....:D
yogi,
i imagine constructing a database of such magnitude would be a lot more work than you think.
then there is perhaps a security issue of anyone uploading to the site.
i think if someone wants to graph the old info and/or perhaps keep on top of any new info it would be nice to look at.
i volunteer Regthing, i have read his CV & he is good with computers...;)
Yogi Diver
19-06-08, 19:53
i volunteer Regthing, i have read his CV & he is good with computers...;)
I volunteer anybody except me!!:D
Yogi Diver
19-06-08, 20:01
i imagine constructing a database of such magnitude would be a lot more work than you think.
then there is perhaps a security issue of anyone uploading to the site.
If the information could be standardised and outputted in Excel format, I am sure even I could manage the database.
The difficulty, and therefore work, is getting it tabulated in a standard format in the first place.
ie Visibilty would need to be an absolute measure. NOT 6+, or 6 - 8 metres.
(6.2 could be accomodated.)
This would also leave no room for the less relevant, but extremely important, points such as biscuits etc and may take the fun out of the thread. Think a nonsense field or two, not used in the output, should still be included.
Not sure what the security issue is? If anyone else wants to use the info, let them?:confused:
Not sure what the security issue is? If anyone else wants to use the info, let them?:confused:
not the use of the info but the amount of people being able to access and change/save info to a live document.
and then there is 'beer friday'... need i say more..:D
databasing is beyond my computer skills.....;)
Yogi Diver
19-06-08, 20:25
not the use of the info but the amount of people being able to access and change/save info to a live document.
That's probably one of the biggest challenges. But we don't tend to get that many arseholes on the site posting bum information do we?
Present company excluded of course.:p:D
What is needed is a system to take the data from individual posts to a, behind the scenes, spreadsheet/database
I could probably handle the databasing bit, it's the on-line stuff that beats me.
how about just one post....
loch long, <2m viz.
loch fyne 6m+ viz
east coast, mostly blown out onshore but often 10m+ viz on a good day.
job done....:D
I was thinking the same , but had only got to Loch Long - were you there on a good day? 2m?! :rolleyes:
That's probably one of the biggest challenges. But we don't tend to get that many arseholes on the site posting bum information do we?
Present company excluded of course.:p:D
What is needed is a system to take the data from individual posts to a, behind the scenes, spreadsheet/database
I could probably handle the databasing bit, it's the on-line stuff that beats me.
That soubnds real close to volunteering to me, well done Yogi, we all await the results :D
Yogi Diver
19-06-08, 22:22
That soubnds real close to volunteering to me, well done Yogi, we all await the results :D
Wait all you like. Till you get me the Excel data, it ain't happening,:D
I was thinking the same , but had only got to Loch Long - were you there on a good day? 2m?! :rolleyes:
i said less than two meters... (<2m) and obviously 2m was a good day, i was trying to cover the full seasonal range..well spotted.;)
Yogi Diver
19-06-08, 22:42
i said less than two meters... (<2m) and obviously 2m was a good day, i was trying to cover the full seasonal range..well spotted.;)
My database will report the seasonal average based on Peter's spreadsheet data.:D
If Gordon can extract the data from the post into either txt or excel I can have a play with it, once I put my geek head on.
Theres no way I am going to go through each post and copy paste for a few hours.
If Gordon can extract the data from the post into either txt or excel I can have a play with it, once I put my geek head on.
Theres no way I am going to go through each post and copy paste for a few hours.
errr .... that is the job, Chris :D
There's no way of automatically scanning the thread and extracting data. It would need to be done manually.
How about a volunteer to do just 2007 ...? :):rolleyes:
old reggie has my vote :D
but saying that, yogi could do it when he is laying in hospital after the op!
Yogi Diver
20-06-08, 11:47
old reggie has my vote :D
but saying that, yogi could do it when he is laying in hospital after the op!
it's an overnight job.:D The op that is, not the database.:rolleyes:
errr .... that is the job, Chris :D
There's no way of automatically scanning the thread and extracting data. It would need to be done manually.
How about a volunteer to do just 2007 ...? :):rolleyes:
I would have thought you could extract the whole thread from the database then forward that on in any format. Dividing the data up would then be achievable, but still a pain. Working my way through every thread and copying and pasting can't be the best answer surely??
Chris (with Geek head on)
This was a database from another web site that had promise but died a death due to lack of input.
http://www.divesiteinfo.co.uk/dcstabbs.htm
However the site didn’t have the traffic or sustained interest like C/A enjoys. Perhaps something similar would work on C/A. The original vis thread is well supported with updates, even if its now a monster text.
Cobbling together details from the old postings would produce a lovely tool but it’s a massive task, and one that is unlikely to gain a father.
Perhaps we should be thinking how best to collect and collate future data into a usable format.
Whadoya think
Scuba-Doh!
20-06-08, 12:47
I've dabbled with PHP and MySQL, a web programming language and database system. If people here would rather fill out a form to provide the visibility report (i.e. drop down menu for location or text box and a series of fields for temp, visibility, surface conditions, time of day, date etc etc. These could be stored in a database with access as a forum output, tabulated, graphed and selectable by site, loch/coast, date/season etc etc. Theres a lot of work in it though. As for extracting the data from the existing thread I could imagine a PHP, MySQL, JavaScript system to glean the data from the thread but the interpretation would be difficult as not everyone uses a standard layout for the data.
Enough of my rambling though, I've not enough time for diving never mind writing code for diving websites! I never even finished the custom gallery for the Allander Divers website :(
I know it could be done, but it would be a huge job and just not worth the effort imv ...
unless a majority of site users think otherwise of course, in which case I'd consider it.
It's the kind of job you could get a php coder in the US to do for a few hundred bucks. So unless it was a killer app for CA, I wouldn't want to invest that.
I've dabbled with PHP and MySQL, a web programming language and database system. If people here would rather fill out a form to provide the visibility report (i.e. drop down menu for location or text box and a series of fields for temp, visibility, surface conditions, time of day, date etc etc. These could be stored in a database with access as a forum output, tabulated, graphed and selectable by site, loch/coast, date/season etc etc. Theres a lot of work in it though. As for extracting the data from the existing thread I could imagine a PHP, MySQL, JavaScript system to glean the data from the thread but the interpretation would be difficult as not everyone uses a standard layout for the data.
Enough of my rambling though, I've not enough time for diving never mind writing code for diving websites! I never even finished the custom gallery for the Allander Divers website :(
my last comment on this for now is that this is a job i always wanted to do. I'm just pretty busy these days and haven't got round to it. But it's not as big a task as all that. So I might well do it in the autumn when the evenings draw in. But this is the summer :)
(and I've only had 7 dives this year which is a problem that I need to prioritise above creating a feckin spreadsheet of historic viz :eek:)
Yogi Diver
20-06-08, 13:51
(and I've only had 7 dives this year which is a problem that I need to prioritise above creating a feckin spreadsheet of historic viz :eek:)
That requires 3,500 posts according to your own rules.:D
my last comment on this for now is that this is a job i always wanted to do. I'm just pretty busy these days and haven't got round to it. But it's not as big a task as all that. So I might well do it in the autumn when the evenings draw in. But this is the summer :)
(and I've only had 7 dives this year which is a problem that I need to prioritise above creating a feckin spreadsheet of historic viz :eek:)
The original thread has about 500 replies and close to 1800 views so I would say it’s a hot topic of interest. Your original suggestion of giving the subject its own slot subdivided into several geographical areas would give some order to an interesting topic in the future.
Using this approach would be utilizing functions already contained in your web site package without the need to spend loads a dosho.
Actually it's not that hard just to sift the original thread for locations that interest me. I only made the suggestion as a possibility to refine C/A further into what is now considered the definitive web resource for diving up North
errr .... that is the job, Chris :D
There's no way of automatically scanning the thread and extracting data. It would need to be done manually.
How about a volunteer to do just 2007 ...? :):rolleyes:
reg was my first thought but perhaps a little unfair, as is perhaps one person.
soooooo... just an idea!!
how about 4 people taking 3 months each from 2007 and cutting and pasting the data?
they could then form a user group and be known as the 'viz-kidz' ...;)
so anyone up for voluntering?
good idea, and I am up for that, someone with more geekiness than me should set up a template though so that we all use the same format!
Scuba-Doh!
20-06-08, 23:04
Collaboration using a Google spreadsheet perhaps?
Collaboration using a Google spreadsheet perhaps?
Not a bad idea!!
Here is a starter http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p4OS7NWYmszA0jfBfTkNTRQ
Did the first 4 entries for 2007, is this the kind of format we think can work. Anyone can go in and add a couple to it from the thread. So feel free to go in add 3 or 4 then notify us on here. If we all took shots we could have it finished in a couple of weeks then graphs could start to come spewing out :D
extracting data from Viz forum.
Used excel (office 2007) to run a forum search and import the data into a spreadsheet. its not sorted and there is a bit of extra information that is not required.
But it is possible.
Sequence.
1) log onto site
2) Run search say st abbs on viz forum
3) copy resulting html web address into excel and run import data from web site.
press go.
and data is imported into excel.
excel data import for Slates
Forum: Main Forum Yesterday, 17:04
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By Yogi Diver
The Slates 22/6/08
Date:22/06/08
Dive 1. 10:10 am
Site:The Slates
Visibility: 10m :)
Tide: Ebbing
Weather: P***ing down:(
Life: Practically None. Think DG and the weegies ate everything last night!:p
...
Forum: Main Forum 25-05-08, 20:59
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By Smudge
Date: 25/5/08 Site: Slates, Ballachulish Depth:...
Date: 25/5/08
Site: Slates, Ballachulish
Depth: 35.6m
Viz: 10+ metres
Temp: 10 degrees
Weather: got a suntan :)
Dive 2
Date: 25/5/08
Site: Slates
Forum: Main Forum 23-03-08, 22:24
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By stewart
date: 23/03/08 site : The Slates depth: 31m...
date: 23/03/08
site : The Slates
depth: 31m max
vis: 7-8m or so, better in the shallows.
time: aw day :)
temp: 7c
Forum: Main Forum 22-03-08, 13:06
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By Lars
The Slates
First dive at the slates. Good viz, but awful weather :mad:
date: 21/03/08
site : The Slates
depth: 30m
vis: 10m(?)
time:35 mins
temp: 7c
date: 21/03/08
Forum: Main Forum 13-01-08, 22:47
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By Gord
Date: 12/1/08 Site: Slates, Loch Leven Time in:...
Date: 12/1/08
Site: Slates, Loch Leven
Time in: 1120am
Tide: High ebb
Temp: -5 on surface, +7 in water
Surface weather: cold and clear; no wind
Visibility: 8-10m :)
Mulled wine in Clachaig during...
Forum: Main Forum 12-11-07, 10:37
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By charlie
Site: Slates...
Site: Slates (http://www.congeralley.com/sites/slates.htm), Loch Leven
Date: 10-11-07
Time: throughout the afternoon!
Vis: 8-10m on slate slope, 5m in bay
Max Depth: 20m (instructing)
Temp: 10...
Forum: Main Forum 04-11-07, 23:26
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By regthing
The Slates
Date: 3/11/07
Site: The Slates
Visibility: 4-5m once past the thermocline at 5-6m (not much before it, rain run off we think)
Tide: Forgot to check :rolleyes:. But ebbing going by the drift we were...
Forum: Main Forum 30-09-07, 21:49
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By Smudge
The Slates Loch Leven
Date: 30 09 07
Dive 1
Site: The Slates, Loch Leven
Visibility: 10m+, significant haloclines evident around 5-10m
Tide: HW Slack
Weather: Overcast but millpond
Time: 61 min
Max Depth: 41.3m
Forum: Main Forum 15-09-07, 17:06
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By shog69
The Slates Viz - 5m Max Depth - 22m Temp - 14...
The Slates
Viz - 5m
Max Depth - 22m
Temp - 14 Degs in Water - 6 Degs on Land
Forum: Main Forum 22-07-07, 22:54
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By stewart
the slates, glencoe
Date: 22/07/07
Site: The Slates, Glencoe
Vis: 6-7m at best.
Depth: yes
Temp: 14 degrees, roasty toasty.
Tide: Low (incoming)
Weather: overcast, sunny.
Biscuits: the infamous Loudy donuts. :p
Forum: Main Forum 17-06-07, 19:05
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By stewart
Date: 17th June 2007 Site: The Slates, Loch...
Date: 17th June 2007
Site: The Slates, Loch Carron.
Visibility: 10-12m :)
Tide: mid
Weather: overcast/sunny
midges: only a few blood thirsty demons!
run time: 55 minutes, max depth 43m
& 40...
Forum: Main Forum 09-04-07, 19:36
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By charlie
Stirling Uni training trip: 31/3/07 - 7/4/07
Saturday 31 March 07: Furnace Tearooms - ScotSAC uni training weekend - viz reportedly v poor (unsurprisingly). I wasn't there on that day due to family commitments.
My dives:
Date: 01-04-07
Site:...
Forum: Main Forum 24-03-07, 22:03
Replies: 468
Sticky: Visibility Report
Views: 17,964
Posted By Claire
Date: 24 March 2007 Site: The Slates,...
Date: 24 March 2007
Site: The Slates, Glencoe
Tide: High ebb
Vis: 6-8m on first dive, 10-12m on second
Mins: 53 first dive, 48 second
Max depth 24m and 22m
Weather - sunny!
Cracking dives - vis was...