sangiro 26 #1 December 21, 2003 Heya all, On January 1, 2004 Dropzone.com will launch a skydiving fatalities database. The purpose of this will be to educate and disseminate information. Though there are other databases similar to this on the web they often seem to fall behind on updates. I also felt that more could be done to gather relevant safety and educational information around each incident. A lot of effort has been made to design this in a way that will enable us to link to relevant safety resources from each incident report and to provide you with some high-level analysis. To start this education process I've posted two articles (both will be featured full time on the fatalities database main page) dealing with skydiving fatalities and the media. Both were contributed by Christy West. The first aims to educate mass media reporters on how to report on skydiving fatalities with accuracy and integrity. Skydiving Incident Reporting: For Mass Media Reporters The second gives you, the skydiver, some guidelines on how to deal with mass media reporters who will inevitably show up at the DZ after an unfortunate incident that lead to a fatality. Skydiving Incident Reporting: For Skydivers Both of these can be found in the Safety & Training section.Safe swoops Sangiro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BethUK 0 #2 December 21, 2003 Thats a really good idea...------------------------------------------------------------ "This isn't flying...it's falling with style!" Buzz Lightyear - Toystory 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gus 1 #3 December 21, 2003 Do you have some way of including the existing fatalities data in to the new database? Nice idea with the reporting articles. GusOutpatientsOnline.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greybeard 0 #4 December 21, 2003 Excellent! A much needed and appreciated effort. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skreamer 1 #5 December 21, 2003 QuoteThough there are other databases similar to this on the web they often seem to fall behind on updates. Oh really? skydivingfatalities.info seems quite up to date to me - 22 November 2003, landing incident at Deland (with safety and educational information). Did you consult with Barry and/or Craig before undertaking this? It would be a real pity if their database and all their hard work was disregarded. You've put a lot of hard work into dropzone.com, the number of active users and paying advertisers is evidence of this - please just have some respect for other people who have put in a hell of a lot of work as well (without advertising). Will Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sangiro 26 #6 December 21, 2003 Will, ...not so fast! This has nothing to do with "respect" for their work. I certainly respect what they have done. I know what it takes to maintain a web site. I just think it can be done better. Yes, I have contacted Barry several times seeing as he owns most of the data which forms the basis of Craig's database as well. We couldn't come to an agreement on how to share his data. So, yes, I did consult. I really don't think it's an obligation that I had though. It was common courtesy. I am not here to protect either of their efforts, nor do I have to. They do not have any "right to information" just because they have done this as well, just like I don't have it on Dropzone.com. Anyone is free to start a site like Dropzone.com. You build something, and people will decide where they go based on the value you add. If your value-add is low, then please don't look at me to protect you just because you were "first". If this pushes them to improve and increase the value on their sites, the users win. I think it can be done better - simple as that. If I'm wrong then people will keep going to their sites. If I'm right then skydivers will have a better resource. It's the beauty of competition. Sorry Will, their sites like mine will have to stand on its merits, not on where they were conceived in history. (BTW - There has been at least one more incident in Italy on December 6 which has not been listed on the site you mentioned at the time of this post.)Safe swoops Sangiro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunaplanet 0 #7 December 21, 2003 I use www.skydivingfatalities.info myself. It's a great site. Not much more you can want from it. Forty-two Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #8 December 22, 2003 nice very nice.. personally i like having as much information as possible in a single place i access on a regular basis, so i think the inclusion of the fatalities database here is a good thing.. a suggestion? having just read thru the article for Mass Media reporters have you thought of being proactive here and forwarding that to as many large news agencies/websites are possible? it would certainly highlight this website and its information resources as well as speed the distribution of 'proper' procedures for reporters..____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeemax 0 #9 December 22, 2003 great idea sangrio Working in the media however can i just make a quick suggestion? we are lazy, is it possible to condense the 'how to report section' to some bullet points and put them first, then all the detail. Also put these bullet points at the top of the page of the incidents.Phoenix Fly - High performance wingsuits for skydiving and BASE Performance Designs - Simply brilliant canopies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #10 December 22, 2003 Quotegreat idea sangrio Working in the media however can i just make a quick suggestion? we are lazy, is it possible to condense the 'how to report section' to some bullet points and put them first, then all the detail. Also put these bullet points at the top of the page of the incidents. I said basically the same thing in the incidents posting about this. Create a quick-list of questions for the reporter to ask, this way the correct questions are asked so the real story ends up in the paper. Also, add a line or two about keeping the name private until the family had been informed._________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cpoxon 0 #11 December 24, 2003 QuoteYes, I have contacted Barry several times seeing as he owns most of the data which forms the basis of Craig's database as well. We couldn't come to an agreement on how to share his data. Strange. You couldn't use a simple CSV export? QuoteIf this pushes them to improve and increase the value on their sites, the users win. Indeed it does. I've started to add graphing to skydivingfatalities.info. Either click in the graph on the front page (indicating overall, US and non-US fatalities) or go here. It should really be a bar graph, but I've used some existing code I had. I'll improve it later. Will also add the option to filter by other fields such as age, jumps, country, etc, but it's almost Christmas Day and I'm off to Kuala Lumpur in a few hours. Happy Holidays.Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #12 January 2, 2004 Not sure if the folks over at Gold Coast used the advice presented in the new articles, but I thought that this was an excellent article. It's a shame that it needed to be written. - Jim"Like" - The modern day comma Good bye, my friends. You are missed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
