Newsletter #3 - July 9, 2007
ActiveCaptain Adds Local Knowledge
ActiveCaptain Adds Local Knowledge and Account Editing
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ActiveCaptain version 1.4 (www.activecaptain.com) adds the first in a
series of Local Knowledge markers. These first markers show bridges,
locks, dams and ferries. We have primed ActiveCaptain with over 1,000
markers which will appear in blue. Future blue markers will indicate
other types of local knowledge such as West Marine locations,
navigational hazards, and attractions. So check out what's already
there, give us your corrections and updates, and contribute your own
knowledge and experience to ActiveCaptain (see some brief information
on adding and editing the local knowledge markers below). Check out the
new blue markers and add some of your own!
As promised, ActiveCaptain now allows you to change your account
information. When you log in to ActiveCaptain you will now see "Edit my
account" displayed under account statistics. By selecting this you can
change your Captain name, Home port, email address and password, and
your newsletter preference. Note that if you change your email address
or password you will need to log in to ActiveCaptain again using your
new settings.
Anchorages: Long Island Sound Challenge
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Thanks to our busy Captains, we have added hundreds of new anchorages
to the ActiveCaptain database. While some areas are well covered,
others offer a meager selection. I know we can do better! We are
challenging all of our Captains who have cruised the Long Island Sound
to enter their favorite anchorages. Tell the rest of us where to go in
a storm, to stop for a quiet evening, or simply how to avoid the high
cost of a marina.
Let's make the Long Island Sound green -- with markers, that is....
Three Things You May Not Know About ActiveCaptain
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1. Local Knowledge Markers
The new Local Knowledge markers work much like the marinas and
anchorages. To add one, select "Add a Marker" in the upper right portion
of the display. The "Add a New Marker" dialog box will appear. Select
"Local Knowledge" at the top. Select the type of local knowledge you are
entering. For now ActiveCaptain supports only "Navigational" items
(bridges, locks, ferries, and dams). Select the navigational item which
fits your entry. Enter as much information as you can. You must enter data
in all required fields in order for the "Submit" button to become enabled.
Local Knowledge markers require a name and a position. To enter the
position on the map, press and hold the mouse at the location of the item on
the map. You should consider using the satellite view which will show the
actual bridge or lock allowing you to more accurately select the location.
When you are finished adding information, click the "Submit" button.
Updating information for an existing Local Knowledge marker is done just
like marinas and anchorages - clicking on headings in the Details window.
It's easy! So check out the new blue markers. We need your help filling
in information, giving corrections, and, most importantly, adding new
Local Knowledge items!
2. ActiveCaptain Registrar
When a Captain enters new data, offers a correction, or adds a new
marker, you may notice that this new information doesn't immediately
appear but is displayed in a special area in the details window. To
ensure the integrity of the ActiveCaptain database, all new data is
checked prior to being accepted into the database. The ActiveCaptain
Registrar checks for the reasonableness of the data, obvious typos, and
consistency in naming. For example, the term "anchorage" is removed
from an anchorage name as it is redundant. On the other hand, for the
new Local Knowledge markers, descriptive names are helpful such as
Great Bridge Lock, Absecon Inlet or Alligator River Hazard. Sometimes
the ActiveCaptain Registrar may send you an email asking for
clarification or additional information about the information you have
entered. By working together we can make ActiveCaptain a useful tool for
all of us and help ensure that the information provided is accurate and
easy to understand.
3. Anchorage Details
You can add to or correct information which was previously entered about
an anchorage. If you found conditions different than described, let your
fellow Captains know. Sometimes things change, or are simply different
at a different time of year or under different conditions. Add your
experience to existing anchorages. After all, knowledge is power and
"power" can help the Captain have a better night's sleep!
Coming Soon
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Your response to the ActiveCaptain website has been fantastic! Not only
have the nearly 3,000 Captains entered thousands of new marinas and
anchorages, and provided over 50,000 updates, you have written to tell
us how ActiveCaptain has helped you in your cruising adventures and
given us ideas for new ways to use ActiveCaptain. We are now working on
the Going Mobile section of the website. This section focuses on
integration with mobile phones which will provide you with a way to
take ActiveCaptain with you wherever you go. Imagine having all of the
marker data on charts on your phone. We're working on exactly that.
Thank you for continuing to support this project. Come visit us in Maine
this summer. We still have an extra mooring in Smith's Cove:
http://www.activecaptain.com/OTW.php?lat=44.37356&lon=-68.77372&zoom=5&type=1
In the next newsletter, we'll show how to create these URL's for linking
to a place in ActiveCaptain!
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Karen and Jeffrey Siegel
aCappella
Castine, Maine
www.activecaptain.com
Content, Communications, Community
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