Fw: [SCG] Welcome to the Stock Corvair Group - Activities Update

[Bill Hubbell]

I received this message from Dave Ellis, who is actively working on the database structure and web space with Marissa Andolina and others.  I should have noted that the "sample" manual is something I originally wrote back in 2001, when some of us were first discussing the concept which has since grown into SCG.  Obviously, a lot more thought has gone into the "Manual" since then, and as Dave points out we now intend the manual to be in electronic format (at least initially - perhaps eventually printed), and we will be encouraging the use of digital photography for gathering and sharing data.  We have agreed to set as the minimum standard 3.2 mega pixel images for the archives, although we can certainly use smaller images for communicating with each other.

Also, Dave mentions the fact that we may end up archiving a lot more data than will ever make it into the manual - this is especially true of video imagery, which may be of use in research but prove too large to fit into the manual.

Finally, I intend to post my previous letter and future communications on my personal web site until Marissa gets our own website up and running (probably a few months, at least).  I will also include a link to it on the SCG footer.

Bill Hubbell

----- Original Message ----- 
From: dave ellis 
To: Bill Hubbell 
Cc: Stan East ; SAM ANDOLINA 
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 2:20 PM
Subject: Re: [SCG] Welcome to the Stock Corvair Group - Activities Update


Bill....great document....that oughta get folks juices flowing and cranked up!!!

Only one minor comment.....in your sample reference manual it was great that you showed an "excel file" or table as a possible data entry besides text; to present information on a particular topic/detail,,,

However,,,you probably should have noted that we will be surely using digital photos...to the agreed minumum standard of 3.2 Meg images...I recongize that is such recently agreed upon scoop..that it might not have made it into that email... 

A suggestion;  at your next opportunity/communication; inform our SCG membership that digital images are a given as a data input source, and that 3.2meg images are the minimum standard,,,per our previous decisions...(I personally believe that the effective use of 
digital images is what is going to make this effort extremely efficient and entusiastically embraced by the members of SCG....
ie how is that unique weld in the trunk of a Canadial Built car suppose to look......two or three images will take the place
of the literal 2000 words of text!!!)


An observation....we expect to format the data structure via year/model/trim level/transmission/powerplant and A/C, (yes or no.).
and not have multiple trim levels qued in the same file structure......

I doubt if you've yet had a change to look thru it..but that concept is demonstrated in the data file structure that was attached to 
a email I sent you yesterday....

I met with Marissa last eve and she has approved the concept/format/approach of those two data file structures from
a "database technology" perspective...and that is good news...(both are attached in the same email, yr/model/trim level/trans/powerplant data structure is the first one,,,and the Detailed Content Data Structure is the second one,,,,,
and muchas gracias to Stan East for providing me the documentation defining the sequence and detail used in concours evaluation...all of that scoopis encorporated into that file....He helped me realize that my initial anal engineer data structure organized by operating system was indeed logical,,,but was totally inefficient from the standpoint of using the data structure to drive the actual
process of physically collecting the data whilst evaluating a vehicle..so I redirected my thrust..and I really think we've got a good
place to start....especially in getting the uniqueness for wagons, FC's and Rampsides slipped in there....) 

I have requested a detailed critique from a limited number of folks to get the content closer to perfect for the end of the month...
and after submission and approval by the appropriate SCG leadership...we can then make those fomats availble for broader review...

I would be willing to make the updates, and keep track of the "most current" revision of those files during their review process...
At somepoint we will need to agree that they are sufficiently accurate to use them to drive the "formal" creation of the data base,,,
and then to be used as the "vehicle" for the individual "forum" groups to gather their data...

I expect to maintain document revision control via a numerical suffix or prefix on the file title.....that way when we chose to
issue an update..we can inform everyone the latest revison is now....say #4, and widely distribute it to assure everyone is
on the same page...no pun intended....

One last conceptual issue to cover......in the midst of discussing how large the database could/should be....an observation...
even if we we granted unlimited space, for free by CORSA or whomever....we really ought consider the outside limit
for what we would make available to SCG folks for their purchase and use....

I suggest that would be one DVD disk,,,at max of 4.7gig I believe, for each of 3 logical groupings.
Series I, Series II, and FC's/Ramp-LoadSides......maybe at first we can get it all on one????
We can archive video to the tune of hundeds of gigs if we so desire on a server somewhere...but what we make routinely available,,,,the goal I believe you clearly have articulated; is to make the data a cheap, access easy for the SCG folks...
and almost every local Corvair club has now..or by the time we have something ready to make available...
will have someone with a DVD reader available to them....thus giving them easy access to the data they desire...
Put it in their laptop and take it to the local tech session to display...

Ok,,,,,Now to get ready to get out of town on vacation for a few days...will be available again Friday the 19th...

dme out...
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