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Can I suggest that as soon as the Sept 1st offline's notes have been published and digested, the TN section gets a sort - it's becoming a bit of a trawl now to see if a wine has been previously TN'd.

I havn't checked, but I suspect there are some multiple posts in there that could be compiled at the same time.

This process could then be repeated every month or two - if it's not too difficult...!

That way we'd have a page or two of recent reports followed by all other ones in vintage/shipper order. If an old note is added to, it jumps into the recent list.

Tom

Tom,

I will be sending Julian an updated file for the TNs which he will magically turn into a post full of links. Sorting them on the board is easier said than done,

Alex

And as those TN threads already exists, they will be included even if the data is done before the weekend. (Hint: I’m not at my computer from late Friday. Data sooner rather than later please.)

TN index updated.

Well done. Thanks.

jdaw, your work in keeping track of all the TN's is very much appreciated. It makes searching them so much easier. It is also very good to see that the database of TN's is steadily building up.

I have asked admin for the data for another sort.

I think the Creator's Assistant has gone off to the Colonies again so it may be some time before you receive your data.

Derek

Seen and I will do it tomorrow.

Received; you have email on the subject of making this easier.

I have noticed that some people add TN's of the same port to the foot of existing TN's from the same wine tasted from a different bottle at a different time. I think this is compromising the TN Index that Jdaw is maintaining for us as he can only index individual threads and is doing so against the name of the originator of the thread. An example of this is the welcome addition of some TN's from LadyR. As these have been added to existing TN threads rather than new TN threads they will never appear on the TN Index.

I am going to spend some time separating some of these out into individual TN's. I will only do this where no comparative discussion has taken place within a thread so as not to lose continuity of discussion. Where we simply have 2 TN's from different bottles of the same wine in 1 thread I will split them into two so that both appear on the Index.

I hope everyone is OK with this, especially as I will have completed the task before many of you read this

Derek

Derek,

I do prefere when people post a totally new thread on a different bottle. Bottle variation, decants are different, etc. all come into play, and at times, its hard to figure out what TN people are refering to.

I agree, but it also hides the number of separate TN's we actually have here. I think it is good to be able to look at the index and see wines that seem to be being tasted regularly. This can't be seen from the index if susequent TN's are simply tagged onto an existing post.

Incidentally, I am also tidying ip some TN Title decsriptions to follow the preferred style of Vintage, Shipper, Style

Derek

Well, we have to keep you busy doing something otherwise you might disappear off to some other part of the world and sinmply drink port all day!

And if you ever did do that, we expect tasting notes on every drop of port that passes your lips.

Alex

Recommendation:
1. start new TN thread; and also
2. post link to new thread in old thread.

jdaw1 wrote:Recommendation:
1. start new TN thread; and also
2. post link to new thread in old thread.

I don't really see the need to do 2 when we have an index which will list all instances of TN's of the same wine. Plus it's too much work for very little, if any, gain.

I think it's that time again

Derek

Admin didn’t reply to my questions last time. Please admin?

Julian,

If I also want you to include links to the 2 non-Portuguese fortified wines for which I have posted tasting notes in the "Other Wines" section, please could you let me know what you need from me to make your life easy.

Is it as simple as preparing a private message to you with the formatting and links looking to be consistent with the current format of the TN index?

Thanks,

Alex

If the universe of wines is gigantic (all possible wines?), then their names will need to be longer and fuller. If we have a limited universe (ports), then shorter names (“Graham†) will suffice.

Do we really want to go down the big-universe road?

Next, if this is a once-off, fine, PM me links and I can fudge it. But if this is going to grow, IT scalability becomes relevant and the IT folks should be able to give me a data dump.

These are matters of policy for top management.

jdaw1 wrote:These are matters of policy for top management.

Bloody Hell! Have we got any? Anybody know where we can buy some?

We must be coming on in the world...we need Top Management...

I note that, unlike Conky, Jdaw used the lower case "top managment" which I understand to collectively describe the people who exist at the top of the TPF managment ladder with no implied assessment of their suitability for holding that particular office.

For the record, I consider myself to be a blunt instrument of our top managment rather than being one of them. I cannot provide data dumps as it is beyond my remit and capability.

Derek

Jdaw,

When you complie the index do you identify and resolve discrepancies in TN descriptions to ensure wines that should appear together do appear together? For example, Tom recently posted a note on a Burmester LBV (unfiltered) - I previously posted a note on a Burmester Unfiltered LBV from a different vintage. After seeing Tom's note I amended the title on mine so that the description was consistent with Tom's.

It then ocurred to me that this must be something that you deal with each time you compile an index. If you would like to send me a note of all the amendments you have to make to pull the notes together I will edit the offending posts to ensure you do not have to repeat that exercise for the same notes over and over again.

Derek

So what I really want from you is a simple four-column table containing:

• User number (I have a private table of initials);
• Post number (the number of the first post; not the thread number);
• Unix time of that post;
• Thread title.

I delete from this all the rows with post numbers I already have. That will leave a few dozen rows. Semi-manually I make two columns of year and house. When one TN has several things in it (e.g.), those rows are duplicated and house and year appropriately varied. This is then sorted into the already cleaned data, and some Excel formulæ make the BB code which I copy-paste into the TN index.

My head hurts!

Conky wrote:My head hurts!

Is that because of the cheap Auzzie plonk you've been drinking or was it caused by the gratuitous use of the word "unix" in a public forum?

Derek

It's when you techies get on a roll...

I will send something later in my other guise

Has this happened yet?

No.

KillerB, could you please supply the data to Jdaw1 as promised.

Thanks

Derek

Be aware that I have to do the majority of the work for this. I am happy to do it once per month but it takes time for me to download the data, convert it into spreadsheet form, select the right data, do the formatting and masking, determine the reference data, and now restrict the columns and give it headings that Julian likes to use. Whereupon, he takes that data and sticks some presentation code around it.

KillreB,

If there is anything I can do to share the load of fullfilling jdaw's excessively demanding requirements please let me know.

...and I think once per month is more than adequate.

Derek

Alternative suggestion: let me do both parts. It will make the job, in total, easier and quicker.

I have now simplified my side of the procedure. I have now got direct access to the database and have written some SQL which gets me the data much more easily than before.

I can do this on a much more regular basis now.

Very pretty Excel spreadsheet now on its way to Julian.

Spreadsheet is far superior, but there is one small problem.

[url=http://www.theportforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=5293#5293]Here[/url] jdaw1 wrote:So what I really want from you is a simple four-column table containing:

• User number (I have a private table of initials);
• Post number (the number of the first post; not the thread number);
• Unix time of that post;
• Thread title.

You’ve put the thread number in your spreadsheet, not the post number. I don’t have that, I have only the post number, so I can’t cross reference between then two and delete the things I already have. Instead I’m going to have to tidy the names, all of them, by hand, again. Please could I have the post number?

Hokkay

Better, thank you.

Any chance of the UNIX time?

jdaw1 wrote:Better, thank you.

Any chance of the UNIX time?

A Unix is a single Twix, isn't it? In which case probably about 3PM with a cup of tea.

I take it that you actually mean the time field for the topic. Don't you want me to split out the year then? I've been doing that all along. It's the most annoying bit.

KillerB wrote:I take it that you actually mean the time field for the topic.

Great. Technically for the post, but they should usually be the same (unless the thread was created by moving posts).

KillerB wrote:I will also give you the poster id.

Isn’t that “topic_poster†? So I already have it.

KillerB wrote:

jdaw1 wrote:Better, thank you.

Any chance of the UNIX time?

A Unix is a single Twix, isn't it? In which case probably about 3PM with a cup of tea.

Thank you — excellent. No sugar, no milk.

No milk? You've defintiely gone native.

KillerB wrote:I take it that you actually mean the time field for the topic. Don't you want me to split out the year then? I've been doing that all along. It's the most annoying bit.

Time as in time of posting, not not vintage quoted in UNIX time. Splitting out the vintage is very helpful. Please just add another column containing the time of posting, in Snickers format.

KillerB wrote:No milk? You've defintiely gone native.

No, always been like that.

And I’ve got to go, so will resume this task in about four hours.

Do you want me to just give you the threads after the last load?

1. New spreadsheet had the time, but the old thread ID not the new first post ID! Still, I’ve been able to splice the datasets together. It’ll be easier next time, I hope. Now working on name-tidying, which won’t be done this evening.

2. Yes please. Only posts since last index are needed.

Names:

• Quinta do Bragào? Quinta do Bragão? Which?
• Poças? Pocas? Which?
• Gran Cruz? Cruz? Which?
• Vista Allegre? Quinta da Vista Allegre? Which?
• Is “Taylor Quinta do Vargellas Vinha Velha† the same as “Taylor Quinta do Vargellas†?

Pocas should have the cedilla included. The lack of a cedilla probably reflects ignorance or a lack of time to investigate which ASCII code has to be used on the keyboard to generate the ç character (135).

That was about the only bit of the exchange I understood between Al-K and jdaw1. I didn't even realise that Twixes went well with vintage port. I would have thought that they needed a tawny port or a colheita to match that caramel and shortbread.

I think I need a nice cup of Earl Grey to help soothe my nerves now...

You don’t get a new index until I get answers!

jdaw1 wrote:Names:

• Quinta do Bragào? Quinta do Bragão? Which?
• Poças? Pocas? Which?
• Gran Cruz? Cruz? Which?
• Vista Allegre? Quinta da Vista Allegre? Which?
• Is “Taylor Quinta do Vargellas Vinha Velha† the same as “Taylor Quinta do Vargellas†?

The answers don’t even have to be right, they just have to be blamable on somebody else.

I would suggest someone answers Julian. His OCD can become quite severe at this time of year!

Is “Taylor Quinta do Vargellas Vinha Velha† the same as “Taylor Quinta do Vargellas†?

No - different beast. Nothing to do with me, but I know this one. And it is 'de' not 'do'.

jdaw1 wrote:You don’t get a new index until I get answers!

jdaw1 wrote:Names:

• Quinta do Bragào? Quinta do Bragão? Which?
• Poças? Pocas? Which?
• Gran Cruz? Cruz? Which?
• Vista Allegre? Quinta da Vista Allegre? Which?
• Is “Taylor Quinta do Vargellas Vinha Velha† the same as “Taylor Quinta do Vargellas†?

The answers don’t even have to be right, they just have to be blamable on somebody else.

Quinta do Bragào
Poças
Gran Cruz
Quinta da Vista Allegre
No, it is different

Now blamable on me.