gCaptain - Latest Comments in Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

John — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:05:27 -0000

Thanks Don,

We are trying to make gCaptain the one small place wiht in the maritime community where common sense prevails.

We don't expect it to be easy so wish us luck ;)

Copyrighted voyage plans, wow. Unfortunately I'm willing to guess at lest a dozen 2/m's are reading your comments and going straight to google with credit cards in hand.

-John

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

Don — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 07:31:15 -0000

John,

Well done! What a pleasure to see people who are prepared to accept that in all inocence they have overlooked something or made an error. You have my professional respect! FYI, today I was aboard a ship where the passage plan actually had a copyright notice on it dated 1997! When I quizzed the second mate about it - much to the captain's amusemnent, the 2/0 explained that it was derived from a Filipino navigator who some years ago set up a significant database of waypoints and passage plans. It would seem that this is one of several that are available at a price......
Anyway kkep up the good work. One way or other we will drag the international shipping standards up to where they belong!

Best regards...

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

John — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 07:14:31 -0000

Don,

A problem I had not thought about...!

I'm removing the feature right now until we have the time to give this more thought but I would like to say it seems absolutely crazy to take waypoints from online resources and plug them in without verification. If you are a second mate PLEASE don't do this... if we offer this feature in the future please note it is only intended as a guide to enable you to see the various routes and ideas other mates have used in the past.

Anyway, it might be a moot point since we have yet to find a wiki editor willing to tackle this project.

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

Don — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 06:07:02 -0000

Frank,
The new gCaptain wiki will offer a place for mate’s to share voyage plans, - it is already a recognised phenomena that the lower standards of bridge officer training when combined with electronic charting systems has resulted in published lists of way points which the navigator simply pumps into the ECDIS to create the proposed voyage plan. He does not even need to view the plan on the chart, simply punch in the numbers. Additionally, the practical manifestation is that several ships will all converge on the same waypoint coincidentally and furthermore may do so automatically if an integrated navigation system is available. Often, the tracks and course alteration points are adhered to religiously oblivious to the effect on surrounding traffic etc. the advent of an online source as described will simply exacerbate this already very real safety problem.

Regards,

Don
(Pilot, Port of London)

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

Frank — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 04:21:51 -0000

Don. what is your complaint exactly? I don't understand.

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

Don — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:13:13 -0000

Oh great! the promotion of waypoint navigation - just what we do not need!

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

Tim Flanagan — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:04:20 -0000

As a former encyclopedia editor myself, I resent your tone, sir! :-)

Just kiddin'. Let's Wiki!

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

Joey — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:50:02 -0000

Yesterday I spent 2 hours on that god awful website Homeport. Was the worst experience I've had on the web in years.

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

admin — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:41:21 -0000

HA... good one Nick!

Re: Enjoy Ships? Fluent in Wiki? Help us launch a new feature.

Nick — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:33:03 -0000

What? The TSA TWIC site doesn't have the information you need?