Question About The "Historic Funfair Reports (Pre 2000)" Forum

[Trojanhorse11]

Do you need to know all the rides that attended the fair, or can you do a report even if you don't know ALL the rides that attended?

[Matt Goodenough]

I would say a full report would be better because then anybody looking back can say they have seen the full line up from that fair in that year, Which would answer questions like 'where was Joe Blogg's Dodgem in 1997?', by looking at this report it was open during that year.

[Mike Willis]

Do you need to know all the rides that attended the fair, or can you do a report even if you don't know ALL the rides that attended?

If you post what you're sure of someone else may be able to fill the gaps of those you're not sure of.

[Lee Harwood]

Seeing as these older reports are being put up and seemingly receiving a positive response, I've thought of something else.

I could put up a few reports of some of my local fairs from before I joined the forum, and which haven't already been listed. However these wouldn't be classed as "historic" as these would be after 2000. Is there a way I can do these - logically it would make sense to allow us to post in the relevant archive year i.e. Reports 2007.

There's also at least one report I can think of which a member has written and actually has incorrect information, which I have always wanted to change since I joined. Is there a way I could do that as well or am I opening a whole new can of worms? I would also love to go back to edit my own reports and make a few changes but I can imagine that would really be making things difficult.

In some ways it probably seems pointless putting up reports which aren't particularly old but my hard drive failure this year made me realise how close I came to losing all of my concrete evidence forever. Although I would still have the memories I think it's important to get the information out there for others to read while I can.

[Bill Edwards]

As I've said before, it's our forum and we can include what we want.

Subject to suggestions from others can I suggest the following:-

1) If you wish to post a report that isn't "current" and isn't "historic" then post it in the "Current" reports forum, but make it very clear in the title that it is an older report (Perhaps start the title with the year?). Make sure you use the template and then we can move it to the relevant forum.

2) If there are inaccuracies in our reports, please click the "Report" button and add the amended information. A Moderator will then update the original report. Allowing members to edit archived reports would, I suspect, create more problems than it would cure!

If we have reports that are wrong, we have a duty to edit them - it is unfair on the Showmen who have inaccurate information recorded about them (and probably breaches data protection!). There is also no point in having an archive if it is wrong.

Regards

Bill

[Lee Harwood]

I have to admit i've never used the Report button before, so I have no idea what happens?!

It's a shame I can't just post my report straight into the relevant year archive, as it would save a Moderator from having to then do it himself. But i'll take what I can get.

I can think of one report where a machine has been included which wasn't there whilst completely leaving another out. There's also a report which was thrown together based on what was seen in the background on the local news and is missing some machines. I've always wanted to sort both of those ones out, but don't get me wrong i'm pleased those fairs got reported in the first place.

The only reason I wanted to edit my own reports was to add and update support attractions. These are of little to no interest to most members so I just wanted to quietly update them, but I can live without doing that.

[Bill Edwards]

I have to admit i've never used the Report button before, so I have no idea what happens?!

It's a shame I can't just post my report straight into the relevant year archive, as it would save a Moderator from having to then do it himself. But i'll take what I can get.

I can think of one report where a machine has been included which wasn't there whilst completely leaving another out. There's also a report which was thrown together based on what was seen in the background on the local news and is missing some machines. I've always wanted to sort both of those ones out, but don't get me wrong i'm pleased those fairs got reported in the first place.

The only reason I wanted to edit my own reports was to add and update support attractions. These are of little to no interest to most members so I just wanted to quietly update them, but I can live without doing that.

When a member hits the report button it is flagged up to the Moderator Team. The first available Moderator can then action whatever is needed. The word "Report" is a little misleading - it tends to suggest that you are reporting a wrong-doing, but that isn't necessarily the case. Its just a method of bringing the post to the attention of the Moderator Team.

I will explain the reason why reports go into the "Current" reports and not directly to the archive by the member:-

We have a large database going back a long way. Trawling through the reports is tedious, but the forum has a good search facility. However, searching is only as good as the information we have stored. If you look through the raw, unedited reports you will see many different data styles - some don't use the template, some record the information in different ways. ANY deviation from our standard makes the search less useful. To ensure a common data standard reports are edited and corrected before they enter the archive. If we could persuade EVERY member doing reports to use the same standard it wouldn't be necessary, but we have all different levels of computer literacy - we have to cater for all!

Previous experience on the forum has shown that a small number of members have, on occasion, misused the edit facility. For that reason the length of time a report remains editable is limited. Whilst I would have no problem with some members having unlimited edit ability, it is an "all or nothing" tool. I either open up editing for all or we leave it limited. On balance I think we have it about right (although I accept our "one size fits all" isn't perfect!)

If you are aware of a report that was compiled from a news report, we should be made aware - reports (other than historic) should only be made from personal knowledge. To post such a report is a breach of forum rules!

I appreciate the situation isn't perfect, but I hope I've explained the reasoning behind the decision.

Regards

Bill

[Lee Harwood]

Thanks for the explanation Bill. I will have a go at putting up some old reports tomorrow when I get home from work.

If I press the Report button, does a box come up where I can input the correct information etc?

To be fair, it did actually say at the bottom of the report that it was done from what he could see on Anglia News! The rides listed were definitely there and the predictions of what else was probably there was also bang one except for one machine which was definitely not there.

[Tom Gorman]

As I just found out, this is what you ger when you press report :-)

[GeorginaBailliesNumber1Fan]

The Historic Fun Fairs Reports Section was a great idea whom ever it was suggested it. He deserves a lot of credit and thanks.I cant praise him enough.

[Lee Harwood]

Just a thought but now that mine and Adam's old reports have been moved to the corresponding archives could the year not be removed from the start of the name now? I think it looks silly seeing them right at the top together when they could be in alphabetical order like usual.

[Tim Holmes]

Sorry about that Lee,I transferred them without checking (I knew they would be OK from you and Adam)

Sorted