Forgot password

An update of PJR?

  • 17 Jun 2012 12:29
    Quote
    Reply # 974757 on 853529
    Anonymous member

    Jim

    It was impolite that your suggestion went without comment.  At the time I thought that it was a very important suggestion and I have since supported it within the committee.  I likened it to the excellent diagrams in Practical Boat Owner.  I am sure that you will be pleased to know that it is currently part of the thinking of those who are now actively considering how to take this forward. 

    Jonathan
  • 17 Jun 2012 11:43
    Quote
    Reply # 974744 on 974156
    Anonymous member
    Edward Hooper wrote:
    We are getting a small group together to take this project forward.


    I would like to suggest, again, that the JRA use some of it's funds to purchase the services of a professional illustrator who could produce drawings like the ones in PJR, or better. You might even consider a technical writer to edit your contributors' material.

    Jim
  • 16 Jun 2012 15:12
    Quote
    Reply # 974156 on 853529
    Deleted user
    Hi all,
    Just adding a note so this comes back to the 'top of the list of topics'.
    We are getting a small group together to take this project forward.
    This string is 27 comments long, so ideally any important contributions should be copied and pasted, by their authors (where possible) into the new PJR2.0 room.
  • 03 Apr 2012 00:17
    Quote
    Reply # 879327 on 853529
    Anonymous member

    Hi Guys

    I’ve been away from home while this thread has been developing, able to read it but without easy access to join in. There are a number of points I’d like to make, all be it a little late in the day after others have already commented.

     

    When I was pressed into the job of R&D secretary I realised the need for an update to PJR to include the latest developments with camber. Feeling that this was a project that could be of general interest I started to try to pull the information together. After a lot of effort and some 23 pages of A4, a number of things became clear. Firstly, I realised that I am not a natural writer, but secondly and more importantly, I realised that all the development work since PJR had been published had been done by a wide range of JRA members and that any one person writing about other writer’s work would please some of them but most probably offend many others. It became clear that the follow up book would have to be produced in sections, each one written by the individuals who had done the experimenting themselves.

     

    Even one person editing the writings of others could produce an undesirable bias towards one system over another. Now some 6 or 7 years further on from my efforts above, a lot more development has taken place and any published work would be out of date again. It therefore seems to me that the need is for a flexible publication or information source that can be updated on a regular basis by the individual writers involved. This is where the JRA web site is ideal. Any experimenter should be free to produce their own write up in the form of a PDF which they can update on as regular a basis as they wish. They should be able to make it available on the website if they wish for other members or even the general public to read. The only requirement would be for an index of the contents pages of the available material to help the readers find the information they require. This would make the latest information available for anyone wishing to keep fully up to date.

     

    There are people who seem unprepared to accept the web as a method of communication, so the onus would be on them to get a friend to print off the pages they require. There should be no reason to stop anyone printing off all the information and simply filing it in a ring binder or lever arch file if they had to have paper copy.

    The main initial requirement would be for those involved to agree a layout standard, for example A4 sheets to allow for decent sized diagrams with appropriate captions, and perhaps for a general consensus as to a semi standard chapter layout to help the readers easily compare similar sections from different authors.

     

    In all the above I am referring to technical articles on Junk Style rigs, and not on other social type of activities, thought these could also be collected under their own covering title.

    Cheers, Slieve.

    Last modified: 03 Apr 2012 00:20 | Anonymous member
  • 02 Apr 2012 21:22
    Quote
    Reply # 874771 on 853529
    Deleted user
    Just a quick response to Arne's, Karlis's and David's recent postings re a PJR update and the website.

    Firstly, Arne proposed and Karlis has now kind of 'seconded' a means by which a new and 'ever-changing' web-based PJR Update could be created using existing and subsequent site content, and from which printed editions could be regularly spun off.  It's a noble aim which David has already given the chance to take off.

    As David pointed out, I've offered to take over as Webmaster (if elected at the AGM) when he gets cruising again - others can of course come forward. I'm presently preparing my own boat for a cruise so time will ebb and flow.

    I'm feeling my way into and around the site by making small changes that won't disturb existing members who by now presumably mostly know their way around, and range from super IT-literate to those who manage to get by. My main focus is on improving the look and feel for the benefit of new members, in order to draw them in. Once that's done I would be looking for ways of reorganising the content, towards which some of Karlis' observations, for which thanks, are relevant.

    But this isn't something to rush into. We need to make sure the site and any PJR update suit all skill levels and access types, from hi-speed broadband to the slowest dongle, and that people who don't access it at all continue to feel that JRA membership is worthwhile.
    Last modified: 02 Apr 2012 21:27 | Deleted user
  • 02 Apr 2012 07:14
    Quote
    Reply # 874259 on 874143
    Anonymous member
    Karlis K wrote:

    Arne's suggestion is pointing toward some kind of revision control system to manage document changes.  It can be manual or automated, centralized or decentralized.  Github is a decentralized system that is quite popular these days.  Another solution is to use some kind of wiki, but some rcs allow for multiple branches to exist simultaneously that are then merged at a later date (or not).  Versions could be developed for a more polished web/pdf version, or a eventual print version.  

    What's the JRA website content management system?  Does it include wiki features or version control?

    Karlis,
    The best way for me to answer is to tell you that seem to have just volunteered to edit some PJR Update pages. The next time you login, you'll find that you have a choice of "public view" or "admin view" in the top right corner. If you click on "admin view", you will find  a PJR Update page in the menu, with two sub-pages, empty at present. I've pasted your "table of contents" onto the top page, and made one item into a link - my wingsail update article. All of Arne's items can be made into links, since they are stored in our files, so I'm giving Arne access to this page as well. Anyone else who wants to get involved in building up these pages is welcome to contact Brian or me. I see this as a place where all the information can be gathered in one place (or at least, links to the information), to act as the material from which a more formal book may be constructed.
  • 02 Apr 2012 06:53
    Quote
    Reply # 874239 on 853529
    Anonymous member
    Karlis,
    The Directories/Officers and Admins lists the folks who have access. Folks come and go, as their enthusiasm waxes and wanes. Basically, if someone volunteers to help by tidying up part of the site, they get enough access to be able to do that.
    Brian has recently come on board as assistant webmaster, and will be taking over from me at the AGM (assuming that nobody else wants the job...). He has been doing quite a lot recently to tidy things up. My attitude in the first year was to provide as much as I could imagine might be used, watch to see what pattern of usage emerged, and then start to prune those features which are under-used. There is more to be done yet.
  • 02 Apr 2012 03:08
    Quote
    Reply # 874143 on 853529
    Anonymous member
    David, who and how many people have access to adding and reorganizing pages on the website?  I do love the website but some of the pages could be reorganized, even if you know the document exists it's very confusing now where to look:  pages of information, junk knowledge archive, sailplans, documents, letters and articles, file storage?  

    Arne's suggestion is pointing toward some kind of revision control system to manage document changes.  It can be manual or automated, centralized or decentralized.  Github is a decentralized system that is quite popular these days.  Another solution is to use some kind of wiki, but some rcs allow for multiple branches to exist simultaneously that are then merged at a later date (or not).  Versions could be developed for a more polished web/pdf version, or a eventual print version.  

    What's the JRA website content management system?  Does it include wiki features or version control?

    Arne, I still think a print version is a good idea, even if it is out of date when it's printed. PJR is 32(?) years out of date and it's still the reference of choice.  Besides "Publish early, revise often" is totally possible with current print-on-demand services and a RCS as described above, with a new revised addition available yearly with the year in the title, "Modern Junk Developer: 2014 edition".  Why print?  I think it pushes rigorous and concise editing, and what will we provide to the young Annie Hills, the Allen Farrells, those who voyage or live simply without batteries, generators or computers?  The junk rig appeals to those who love simplicity, which includes a lot of people who live beyond the internet.


  • 01 Apr 2012 20:20
    Quote
    Reply # 873969 on 873800
    Anonymous member
    Arne Kverneland wrote:

                                                               Stavanger, Sunday

                         ..PJR-2, a pure web book...


    Arne,
    Well, now the project is turning into what I always hoped the "Ask the Junkmaster" section would be - a number of pages of links pointing towards a stored body of knowledge. It still could be, but I haven't had time to do anything about it. 
    There is nothing easier than adding pages to this website. I can very easily set up a PJR-2 page of contents, and a sub-menu of pages containing links. Very simple, and that's how "Ask the Junkmaster" could be. Retitle it if you wish, but it would be doing the same job.
    Producing a free-standing book from that material is much more of a challenge, though, whether it's to be a printed book or an e-book.
  • 01 Apr 2012 15:39
    Quote
    Reply # 873800 on 853529
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

                                                               Stavanger, Sunday

                         ..PJR-2, a pure web book...

    Until now I haven’t been too keen on having a PJR-2 written because of the demands that would put on those who make diagrams to fit the paper format, and also because its contents is frozen the moment it has been printed.

    I definitely think that PJR-2 should be a web book. With "web book" I don’t mean a straight page 1- 300 book-like thing. With the web there are new features that we should make use of:

    @ Updating chapters can be done any time

    @ Adding articles can be done any time, little work for the editors ("PJR-2-masters")

    @ The PJR-2 should be searchable on single words or strings. This last feature puts a real web book into another league than paper books.

    In other words, PJR-2 would be something else and better than a just a book.

    It could be organised like this:

    Two-three members could be given the task as main editors or PJR-2 masters. In addition they could "source out" jobs as proof reading to other members.

    The first big task for the PJR-2 masters would be to design the structure of the book.

    @ Any articles they want to use should be imported and stored outside reach, even by their authors.

    @ When members click on PJR-2 they will meet the PJR-2 Home page. This will have a nice introduction, spanning over anything from a half page to 3-4 pages.

    @ Then there will be access to not one, but several lists of contents: One may be organised by subjects, one may be chronological, one may be organised by the name of the authors, etc - and last but not least - one should have a search facility. The list of contents will of course actually be links to the articles or chapters.

    This way the reader will have quick access to chapters or articles of interest and these will be small enough to be opened quickly without delay.

    Most members would not download more than half of PJR-2 and of that maybe only the half would be printed on paper.

    As new articles will find their way into PJR-2, this book will soon turn into a massive bank of knowledge and best of all, they will be easy to get to.

    Cheers,

    Arne

    PS: On all the pages downloaded from PJR-2 there should be a little footnote saying "a PJR-2 article" or something like that.
       " ...there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in junk-rigged boats" 
                                                               - the Chinese Water Rat

                                                              Site contents © the Junk Rig Association and/or individual authors

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software