Fair Head Bouldering Guide

[Dave Flanagan]

I would agree with Brendan. I would like to see people continue to submit any new/undocumented problems to the database on this site. I'm always gathering information for the next edition of the guide and if anyone wants to send me a topo I will put it up on theshortspan and or merge it with the ebook. The only tricky bit of 27crags is the grade voting other information doesn't reallly 'need' to go there.

To be honest i think an Irish guide would be pretty low on their list but anyway.

[Stephen McMullan]

Leaving aside the commercial angle for a moment. I am a big fan of centralisation of information when it comes to guides. When routes / problem descriptions gets spread over several sites it gets fragmented and it becomes a "job" in itself to produce the definitive version. So I'd support Dave in his request that all new descriptions go to the ShortSpan.

I believe that so much that years ago when it became apparent that Geoff Somerville would do a much better job of keeping the Fair Head info that I removed all the FH info off climbing.ie and linked to his site instead. Likewise for Colmcille Climbers when it comes to the Donegal descriptions.

Fragmentation of information is a disaster.

The argument about using the name/grade voting system only on 27crags and keep the description info to a minimum is a good one and my opinion for what its worth is to suggest folks go along with that compromise.

[Barry]

Fragmentation of information is a disaster.  However, I think that, in addition to 27crags, this would also apply to any fb pages that might be set up.

I will use the facilities offered by 27crags, I will also submit here.  I would also hope that in deciding on consensus grades for problems, information on 27crags would be used.

[Dave Flanagan]

It's not great but I don't think it's the end of the world. Better the information is out there in some form than not at all.

[chris rooney]

the pros of 27crags outweigh the likelihood of them profiting from the data IMHO. l will keep sticking photos etc up there as it looks good - i like clicking on a problem and seeing grade opinions/photos/comments etc and currently no where else offers a facility like this that anyone can contribute to. if they tried to produce a guide with the info they collect it would be a piece of shit so i think it's rather alarmist to worry about it. Also an easy way to mitigate this would be if Dave actually updated the digital edition with new routes. how hard would that be now its all digital? It would also ensure the shortspan stays the defacto place to record new routes.

re: facebook fairhead bouldering guide - i'm not sure i get its purpose? is it for publishing info? for new routes? an ad for a physical guide to be published? or just a nice gallery of fairhead photos?

[Dave Flanagan]

That was the original plan for the eguide Chris. And I started into it and to be honest it's a lot of work. To add a problem invovles changing problems in the text and the topo, updating problem counts, adding pages etc. Plus most of the new problems are pretty minor. It makes more sense to do it in one big job rather than a bit at a time. The vast majority of people don't bother their bollox recording their new problems anywhere so where they don't do it is pretty academic anway.

[Kevin_Griffin]

Why do majorities always have to be vast?

[brendan]

 Cos the vast majority of times they're vast

Anyyyway, I agree that the chances of 27c creating a guide from our content is slim and the chances of the guide being any good and thus attracting money that may go to more deserving parties is even slimmer. It is though worth bearing in mind that once you embed a pic on their site they have the right to use it. A judiciously placed watermark would solve that issue without detracting and links to vimeo vids pose no such problems.

Definitely in favour of 27c. It might even prove useful (even with copyright restrictions)in creating the 2nd edition dave?

[Dave Flanagan]

It might even prove useful (even with copyright restrictions)in creating the 2nd edition dave?

It definitely will. The more information the better. Happy to get as many opinions as possible.