PTRACER wrote:My original motive for the database was simply to catalogue the photos we have been collecting here since 2003, and make it searchable. In the last CPdB, we literally decided to work through Openwheel Crashes, or Sportscar crashes page by page. This time we're doing it by 'theme', and so not only do our projects have a direction, but we have a desire for them to be as complete as possible. Which means perhaps 40% of the database is brand new material, never posted here before, and much of it historically significant. And that is a wonderful thing.
Well... yes, we've found new stuff since we started working on the CPDB, and, as you said, it was not the original motive for it.
I think we should pay attention not to add photos
there that aren't already
here (if I find anything, first I post it here, then I create a new entry on the database).
PTRACER wrote:But I think we must be careful not to lose sight of it being a database of photos. It would be very easy to decide that certain photos are not good enough, and the videos are better, and before long, half of our entries will simply be screenshots from a low quality YouTube video.
At least if we can agree that screenshots will only be used when NO photos exist, then I can compromise so we can call a project complete. If at least one photo already exists, even if it's quite bad quality, then I think screenshots are not needed.
That's what I usually do: I add the photos, then I link video in the "Youtube" field.
But: if no photos exist about an accident (there are some examples: the Mendes crash, the Ishikawa-Reggiani crash, etc.), we're "forced" to make screenshots, since we don't have anything else.
Especially with fatal ones.
If, later, we find a photo about that accident, we can remove the screenshots and, instead, add that photo.
There's also another thing: if the video shows something very important, that no photos show, I think it becomes necessary to include a screenshot of it.
An example: we have a lot of photos of Bonnier's accident, but nothing about the wreck.
Since a video shows it, I've added a screenshot: in my opinion, the wreck is the most important "item" in an "usual" crash (what damage it received, etc.).
PTRACER wrote:The database is going to evolve over time, and it's already beyond its original intention. I'm absolutely behind that. But even with 2000 entries down, we're still in the early stages. We need to capture what we have here on the forum primarily, which will make the last 13+ years of this site worthwhile, and THEN we can expand it in new directions.
I think you're right about it. We should first add what we already have, then look for new stuff.
I could help with new projects.