This past week was very, very stressful. After completing my data sets and beginning to focus on the format of my project, specifically how it will be presented to the public, I found myself with more questions than answers. I decided to go see Professor Ross last week for some help, and it was a tremendous aid to the direction of my project. I have now decided to scrap the idea of building an entire website from scratch using the University provided web space, and will instead be uploading my material to a public blog site, just like this one.
The major issue I had encountered was how I would effectively communicate the data in my GIS model, given that I had built my model in geocommons and was having a difficult time getting the map embedded. Then Professor Ross introduced me to an amazing piece of software online that Vince had discovered while attempting to resolve the same issue for his project. Essentially, the program allows you to screen-shot videos on your computer screen and create voice-overs throughout them. I feel as though this will hugely simplify things for me, as well as improve the manner in which I’m attempting to communicate my findings.
Came across a couple more issues last week with my data. Unfortunately, hockeydb.com was not able to provide me with all the information I required (Specifically player salaries), and so I had to begin barking up other trees. I have been using capgeek.com and hockeyzoneplus.com together, as at times one or the other is missing financial information on a given player for a given year. I emailed both sites on Thursday of last week without response. However, I have read through the Terms of Use and do not feel as though my project will violate any of their expectations of me as a user.
Time to get back to prepping my blog, incorporating my maps and improving the context in which my data can be interpreted.
Talk again soon.
Steve Boyles Digital Humanities Blog 