BAJR Award - HERs online

[BAJR Host]

Indeed it is.. I hope when this is over, we can make more of these resources.. highlight them more and get the message out there.

"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."
Niccolo Machiavelli

[Axeman]

quote:Originally posted by BAJR Host


There are people who want to view everything in minute detail
There are people who like to look at just one period
there are people who like to scroll over maps
there are people who like to create walks to visit sites
there are people who like to walk, then find out what they saw
there are schools who can use the information for lesson plans
there are students who want to research an area
there are local groups who need information on a particular topic
there are ..... etc

True, this does cover many of the requests that an HER (or SMR in our case) has to cover. It's a good aspirational list for a client base. However I can see a huge resource issue in tailoring the datasets to match such diverse requirements - it's bad enough that 90% of our data is entered in such a way as to make it inaccessible to non-professionals - but I'm in no position to go and alter 23000+ records just because RCAHMS don't believe in writing-up sites in plain English (who uses "transversely" instead of "across"?)

Still, I'm full of praise for *anyone* who can get their HER/SMR online with more than just a straight data-dump.

[sheep]

Axeman said "Still, I'm full of praise for *anyone* who can get their HER/SMR online with more than just a straight data-dump."

But why so derogatory of raw information? We're not talking data dumps, we're talking online databases. Or is Canmore just a straight data dump as well? And to be honest, if it's interpreted and themed information that people want to see then we're no longer talking about online HERs/SMRs, but collections of articles and local guides. Very nice, but not an online HER, and some of the candidate websites in this poll are not really online HERs in my opinion. They are HERs with an online presence - that is not the same thing.

[BAJR Host]

Hmmmm interesting... so an HER is only to be a database. which requires specilaist knowledge to interrogate?

It would also depend on how raw the info was - is an HER not to produce more refined data?

"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."
Niccolo Machiavelli

[sheep]

No I didn't mean that, and I don't think any of the sites listed fall in that category. I just meant that, in my book, an online HER is just that, not an online collection of learning resources etc. that happens to have a subset of the HER database attached to it. Of course an HER aims to contain data that's as refined and easy to understand as possible, but Axeman has already pointed out the many problems that exist with refining huge databases managed by perhaps one member of staff. It comes back once again to the reasons behind putting an HER online and the user base it is aimed at.
For my money the Norfolk model is the one that should be aspired to. I'm sure others would also wish to use their HER information in all those ways if only they had the resources to do it.

[sheep]

Oh, and a final point, in answer to an earlier question from BAJRHost. Presumably the reason for including the HER number in the search facility is so that people can be referred to/go back to specific online records. Surely an online HER is also a time-saver for HER staff who don't have to do full record printouts any more?

[BAJR Host]

Presumably the reason for including the HER number in the search facility is so that people can be referred to/go back to specific online records

That reference is a simple url... (ie, I don't tell you to go to topic 2224 page 3 I just give you the url. ) after all, this is the interweb

Though I can see you point.

I also should say, neither did I mean it is a educational tool with HER data attached, it is quite the reverse, it is the HER, which when cleverly filtered, interrogated and produced, can be an education resource as well, indeed it can be anything that a designer and developer can make of it.

WE call it mashups, where we take a lump of data, and can use it in several ways, utilising different web 2.0 technolgies. "Data does not just have to be data" I know only too well the trouble with an SMR... a nettle that has yet to be grasped firmly.. PastMap 2 anyone? or with the current system, I wanted to look at all the Hillforts in my area for a project, I can't.. simple as that... I have to do it through a pure text system, then take each grid ref, then plot it myself... now the info is there on PastMap (admitadly an National System) the grid ref, the type of site, the details... blah blah... indeed it is one of the most simple systems to make ... etc...

Info .... its all about info

"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."
Niccolo Machiavelli

[sheep]

Well I don't know that I'd want to receive a list of 20 or 30 urls to type in. :-) But anyway, talking of spatial distributions, just what you suggest on the Highland site and plot the results of a search on the map. There is a limit on the number you can display of course, and it's not much use if you're not researching in that area. I suspect the future is web map services feeding into a desktop GIS. Until then we'll have to accept that there are limitations to online maps, or contact the HER directly for a GIS export.

As for all the clever use of record sets etc. Time and money.... it's all about time and money. And SMR/HER Officers already splitting themselves in five.

[sheep]

Sorry, that should have been "you can do just what you suggest". There's something funny going on with this laptop!

[BAJR Host]

flible wurp fangle
(me too)

It is posible to utilise Google Maps as a form of GIS mapping.. (not that is specifically designed for that) but it can be done (A friend of mine has already shown it to be so in a beta version)

Providing a bespoke system for SMR/HERs may be a solution, one that slots in at little cost.

Contcating the HER for a GIS download is a valid point, though does take up time for the hard pressed officer, if it can be done online (and it can I assure you - just ask Perth and Kinross)

As a small point: you would not have to type in the urls, just copy and paste (or click them) but I can see who just the number would be useful as well, so perhaps having that would help.

"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."
Niccolo Machiavelli