Forums

Posted: 12-10-2003 11:54 Post subject:

Ian, Fort was never against classification as a tool ... he even used shoeboxes for files and had 30k topic heading himself. Its a map and territory problem. The territory - the complicated and interrelated nature of phenomena (not just fortean phenomena) is a weltter of cross-connections and inter-relationships. However when we accumulate thousands of pieces of info (datums, Fort called them) we need some method ( a map) or all enquiries will be utterly random and chaotic. (It's a nice thought but impractical for reseach etc). So as long as we dont confuse map with territory we will be ok. When we make inquiries into the encyclopedia (whatever form it takes) we need a method to refine our search and reject what we dont need ... so it has to come down to a good set of categories.

That said, we are forteans and will not regard categories in any final or restrictive way but as a starting point for enquiry. The others are right about the great advantage of hyper-linking .. and that is why I said special attention - not to say wisdom and intelligence - must be paid to creating the cross-references.

Typical of the problems we face with our unending monsoon of newsclippings is, say, Yithian's example (above) - i that case we would photocopy it the required number of times and file one under each subject. But more of this later.

bobR

Posted: 12-10-2003 11:59 Post subject:

btw - i promise to read the fortopedia thread and add comments.

bR

Posted: 13-10-2003 04:11 Post subject:

Iankidd brought this point up:

Posted: 13-10-2003 07:06 Post subject:

Hypertext linking is indeed a useful tool, but not I fear, the key to Mr Rickards problem.

If this information is to be useable, it needs to be searchable. In order to be searchable it needs a taxonomy.

Without a taxonomy, any search will result in multiple, irrelevant "hits".

Has any work been done to produce a list of taxons (Mr fort's shoe box dividers might provide a start)?

Posted: 13-10-2003 14:15 Post subject:

Arthur ASCII:

Posted: 16-10-2003 13:15 Post subject:

With a computerised encyclopedia one can use a frame work that thows up a standard page with 'slots' that pictures and text fit into from a database. It's surpriseingly easy to make too as I made one useing visual basic and microsoft access as a computing project for a level and got told off that althogh my program worked fine it wasen't compicated enougth for an a level project.
Another really useful feature of databases is that one can simply pop up a catorary feild into the database and have a search engine search that for a relivent catagory, displaying all the results (with links) in a 'slot' on another standard page, this negates a nead for a taxanomic clasifaction to navigate the encyclopedia manully(as in efect you can use a saved search line as a link), cuts down on site maintinace as link to a new article nead not be added to every relivent topic as the search engine creates the pages from infomation from a saved databse and also, if the database feilds are designed properly won't belch out a load of irelivent hits like a web search engine such as google dose as it would not be searching the whole article.

So there's not really a taxonomy problem to solve (If you understand what I'm trying to say... it's not the easiest thing to explane without diagrams and examples and in anycase there are people on this MB a lot better at programing than me who will hopefully be able to explane what I'm whittering on about better).

Posted: 21-10-2003 08:58 Post subject: Ananova

How about modelling the EF on Ananova?? their news is subdivided into some quite wonderful catagories...Showbiz quirkies...Heartwarmers...Rocky relationships...Bad taste...Unlucky...Quirkies video report...
Iraq aftermath...Celebrities...Technology
Science and discovery...Royals...Lifestyle
Surveys...Politics...Lotto...

How about something like that??

Maybe I'm coming around to this catagorisation idea...just so long as, as Bob said, maps and landscape don't blur into indistinguishment..

Ian

Posted: 21-10-2003 09:44 Post subject: Re: Ananova

Posted: 22-10-2003 19:18 Post subject: Fortean tabloids

Lol, well, something halfway between tabloid and Sourcebook then, eh?

THREE BREASTED WOMAN might be a Fortean tabloid title?

Ian

Posted: 22-10-2003 19:27 Post subject:

I get the impression that Bob would rather it was a bit more erudite Wink

Posted: 23-10-2003 15:15 Post subject: Erudite about breasts

Posted: 18-07-2004 16:37 Post subject:

So where are the New York and London clubhouses? Where is the library stocked with dusty old tomes of occult lore? Where is the drawing room with its high backed leather seats and cigar lounge where one can discuss the arcane and pass the port? Where can one get a CFI tie, pocket watch and a central meeting place for all eminent Forteans on both sides of the pond?
Let's get this done, people. Anyone know an eccentric billionaire?