[Platforms] Ship codes

[Julie Gillin]

Hi Roy !
I will bring this up with the chairs of the new Working Group on Data
and Information Management (WGDIM), and get back to you.
Kr
Julie


-----Original Message-----
From: platforms-bounces at biwebs1.nerc-liv.ac.uk
[mailto:platforms-bounces at biwebs1.nerc-liv.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Roy Lowry
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 3:19 PM
To: platforms at biwebs1.nerc-liv.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [Platforms] Ship codes

Hi Mitch,

I'm well aware of the problem of ship codes that aren't ships waiting
for us, including some in the UK list that are ferry routes.  My plan is
to bite that particular bullet in the not too distant future.

I know what it's like overhauling heavily populated databases to correct
past misadventures is like - hard work that takes a hell of a long time
to complete and very expensive in terms of resources.  We are currently
addressing many problems of this type in BODC to bring the standard of
our metadata up to scratch.  Whether it's technically feasible or the
investment is worthwhile to do something like fix problem codes in World
Ocean database is something that your management need to look at, cost
out and reach a decision.  

One cop-out I have used successfully is to implement dynamic code
substitution over the top of legacy data based on physical files.
Basically, rather than accessing the field directly all applications
access it through a function that switches bad codes for good on the
fly. New 'bad codes' can be added at any time by extending the
substitution database used by the function.

Susanne has thrown down the gauntlet asking what we should do about the
three problem codes I've identified in the UK 'newbie' list.  I have
ideas and could probably push them through to acceptance on this list,
but in doing so would set precedents that could affect many others not
on this list - which is currently restricted to BODC, USNODC and ICES.  

So, before doing anything this fundamental I suggest that we expand the
membership of this list.  I tried doing this at the last SeaDataNet TTT
meeting with the French and the Germans, but the promised nominations
for members never arrived. Julie, how about getting the joint chairs of
the ICES MDM to drum up support getting anybody who wants to be added to
the list to e-mail me and I will add them?  I think getting somebody
from DOD and SISMER is particularly important.  With more 'ears on' I'd
be far more comfortable with the value of decisions made.

Cheers, Roy.

>>> francis Mitchell <Francis.Mitchell at noaa.gov> 11/14/2006 12:55 pm >>>

Sus and Roy, et. al.

  I have added the ship MBA Sepia  as per your request and made the
editoral changes that Roy asked for; I am looking at the other requests
that Roy made. A couple of general comments:

   1. Yes, several vessel names are indeed classes, such as multiple
ships, chartered fishing vessel,  aircraft, helicopter, etc.
   2. Sometime, approximately until the late 1980's all profile data had
the vessel code encoded within the data, which is not likely to be
changed
   3. I don't know how much of the codes from the World Ocean Data base
we can change, if any.

   Regards,

-Mitch-

Francis Mitchell
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