I don't have much to say. Nothing has changed since my last blog post. However, there's something interesting about the digital formats of the files I received. They're viewable in Microsoft Snapshot Viewer, and here's what Wikipedia has to say about it. (Of course Wikipedia is the most reliable source I can think of.):
"The Microsoft Snapshot file format provides a way of storing a static snapshot of reports from Microsoft Access versions 97 through 2007. It enabled Windows users without Microsoft Access to view an electronic version of an Access report. The viewer, which is free but proprietary, is available from Microsoft."
Assuming Wikipedia is not lying (and I feel confident in making this assumption because when I downloaded Snapshot Viewer it said it was part of Access), there is a database somewhere that houses all of the crime reports. So, if that's the case, our work is basically done. We don't have to worry about transcribing and all of that fun stuff. We just have to take this database and put it online. So, the question now is ... WHERE IS THIS DATABASE? No one seems to be able to tell me. Maybe I'm not asking the right questions. Here's what Bob High, The News Reporter crime reporter told me when he sent the files.
They came from the sheriff's office, not the police department. I guess I just assumed those were the same things because I've only talked to Edna at the police department. Is the sheriff's office something different? The files were forwarded from a lady named Barbara Milligan. I suppose I should try to figure out who she is too.
If we can somehow get access to this database, all we will have to do is create a crime map straight from the database. We'll also have to figure out some way to create a search engine from the file, but I assume that won't be too hard. Then, the ultimate goal, will be to figure out a way to automatically update the website when the database is updated. And that's another question ... How often is the database updated? I have reports from as recent as the day before I received them, so I have to assume it's updated daily.
That's all I have for crime reports for today. My other, more pressing, concern is about my grade in this class. We have one month left, and I have an F. I'm trying to graduate in a month, and without this class, I can't. I know I have to make more prototypes. But as for my other grades, I really don't know what to do. I'm concerned.
Chelsea-
ReplyDeleteAs for your comment about grades, I have the same concern-- I'm sure we all do (although mine doesn't tamper with graduating on time!)I don't think you should be concerned about failing; at least, based on the amount of work I know you've put into it I certainly don't think you deserve close to a failing grade. I was just looking at blackboard, and here's what I've found:
Statement of Economic interest- I have a 0, but we definitely turned that in (you remember us chatting about it back when it was due), so hopefully that grade will change soon. Prototypes should help once those start going in, as you mentioned.
Service: I'm down for 12 of 30 hours. This is an issue, since I know we are required to have 30 for the course. What do you think about this? Do you think we will/ are supposed to take another trip to Whiteville before the end of the semester? (The data I'm focusing on now was all found online, so I don't need to go there for that purpose.) Do you think our time spent making phone calss, contacts etc. counts as service, or is this only time spent in Whiteville? (Does sleeping at the Best Western count??) We should get some more information on this in class.
As for online discussion participation... well.. here it is!
I only have 10 out of 30, which would mean I would need to make two more trips to get my full amount of points. I was just interviewing in that area of the state today, and I thought about stopping by Whiteville ... But I saw no purpose in it since I don't actually need anything there. It's definitely something we should bring up in class. It's mid-November, and the likelihood of squeezing in two more trips is low. If we don't need to go to gather data, then I don't see why we would go at all. It's a mystery ...
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