[Bell Historians] The ongoing evolution of Dove online

[Chris Pickford]

While there are things I’d like to see, I think it’s necessary to appreciate that “Dove” belongs to the CCCBR (the RINGERS’ organisation) and the priority for any developments will be on the ringing information side – as the CCBR President has outlined – and not in regard to the heritage data elements.

 

For me – as a long term contributor whose months and mileage can’t easily be quantified – the most important thing is to ensure that the data already assembled is safely transferred and maintained. The existing data represents a huge amount of combined effort – and Dove in its present form represents a truly impressive resource. 

 

I do have some concerns about the approach to future updating – worries that updates will be allowed that actually reduce the accuracy of what we have now – but I believe that the “Dove” team will come up with an acceptable system for data validation.

 

I can think back 50 years to a time when much of the information now accessible at the press of a few buttons simply wasn’t easily available at all. “Dove” now encapsulates the work of several generations of belfry investigators – and thanks to the public-spirited co-operation of the bellhanging and bellfounding companies a lot of details are now available that once had to be begged for.

 

So my plea is simple – FIRST, make sure we preserve what we have, SECOND make sure we have proper systems to avoid duff updates in future, and THIRD consider future needs-based enhancements in due course (probably after the ringing-focused developments have been completed)

 

Chris Pickford

E-mail pickford5040 at gmail.com 

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