Journal Entries
Aug 14, 2009
A Trailmap project overhaul.
I’ve just started work on a new project to revamp an old project which may become my thesis project.
I’m going to visualize data for a ski resort over the course of a season. The idea is that you’ll be able to see not just the present conditions but also those that have preceded it. What’s the point of that? Well, I’m not sure yet. It’s helpful in the short term for skiers deciding on which mountion to spend their money on. Five days of rain preceding a sunny day tells you more about the conditions then a daily snow report. But as far as a greater reason; a reason that will justify so much effort on one project; I haven’t got anything beyond, “because I want to.” With any luck I’ll be able to thesis-level justify it after the fact.
Here’s the basic plan: collect mountain data daily into a database. Use a data driven interface to display anything from most recent conditions to opening day’s conditions. I’m aiming for October 15th as the go-live date.
I’ll be posting my progress as I proceded.
Wish me luck! …and say a little prayer as I’m blindly walking into a couple of areas I know next to nothing about. ‘Cause why the hell not?
