IRC log for #brlcad on 20081115

01:55.23 *** join/#brlcad cad30 (n=4bba7587@bz.bzflag.bz)
02:38.12 starseeker ooo, NSA history
02:38.31 starseeker loves it when more interesting public domain stuff appears
02:40.12 starseeker chuckles evilly at the idea of uploading scanned historical army stuff from National Archives onto bz, assuming he can find it :-)
02:54.05 ``Erik heh
02:54.34 ``Erik we've been challenged for form-1's on material that was public release before form-1's existed
02:54.58 ``Erik and have damaged historical sites to comply with new directives. :(
02:56.29 ``Erik like having to remove bldg or rm # if both are in the same area... cuz, y'know, if some arbitrary (but not published) building 403 exists, that's ok, if there's a room 101 somewhere, that's ok... but the fact that there is a bld 403 that has a room 101, woops, then the tarrst win
02:56.53 ``Erik excuse the http pun
03:11.28 starseeker heh
03:11.51 starseeker Drool...: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=4094706&CATLN=6&FullDetails=False
03:12.17 starseeker http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=4959163&CATLN=6&Highlight=%2CMARK%2CIV&accessmethod=0
03:13.37 starseeker Now, how to get my grubby little hands on the tank plans...
03:15.31 ``Erik talk to our libraries
03:15.34 ``Erik librarians
03:15.48 ``Erik they can work miracles and are excited when someone notices them
03:16.16 ``Erik back door into 330, they'll be sitting on the right and confused that someone walked in
03:16.18 ``Erik :D
03:18.22 starseeker heh - I might just try it
03:18.34 starseeker not chance I can get to the UK to try in person
03:19.08 starseeker er no chance
03:20.18 starseeker If I ask for the tank stuff it's modeling related :-)
03:22.27 starseeker REALLY wishes they would be more specific about what's in the doggone collection - asking for copies of the "plans of British Tanks" part would probably mean requesting a bookshelf full of stuff
03:22.48 starseeker and the sad part is it's STILL a lot better than the National Archives
03:22.50 starseeker in the US
03:23.47 archivist british archives rule :)
03:24.19 starseeker I stuck in a search for tanks and actually got immediately to relevant tank related records
03:24.22 starseeker about fainted
03:24.34 archivist hides his nick in case he gets found out
03:24.37 starseeker heh
03:24.47 starseeker do you work there?
03:25.04 archivist I volunteer in a local archive
03:25.08 starseeker Ah
03:25.43 starseeker knows exactly why it's hard to find stuff - indexing it all is probably the work of a hundred lifetimes (not factoring shortened lifespans due to boredom)
03:25.45 archivist one day all brit archives will be available online
03:26.01 ``Erik um, ww1 UK stuff may be obtainable, but that'd get involved with foreign companies and gov'ts, atm
03:26.08 archivist yup Im doing the database bit for ours
03:26.10 ``Erik and the paperwork gets a wee bit trickier
03:26.33 starseeker ``Erik: In other words, bad idea?
03:26.38 ``Erik (assuming it's not already open source (in the gov't sense))
03:26.42 starseeker archivist: cool!
03:27.05 archivist I want details of the first tank experiments (Major Baguley worked on it)
03:27.05 ``Erik um, wouldn't say that, but if you have interest in going there, grok that it bumps the beaurocracy up an order of magnitude or more
03:27.14 starseeker ``Erik: If I'm parsing this correctly, the collection is labeled public records and as a result (by now) it should be clear
03:27.37 ``Erik heh, "uh uh uh, can't say it's an armored vehicle, uh, lets call it, uh, a water mover! a tank, y'know, for water!"
03:27.48 starseeker pretty much :-)
03:28.37 ``Erik 'cept once this monstrosity was slowly clanking over trenches with small ship cannons and machineguns blasting, uh, cover was blown... name stuck, though
03:28.42 starseeker ``Erik: paperwork as in "involve more people and answer more questions about why the **** I'm wanting design drawings for a nearly hundered year old piece of junk" or just "more pieces of paper to fill out"?
03:28.54 archivist first tank tests were at a car company in the local town (Burton)
03:29.08 starseeker archivist: Oh, so it's local history for you?
03:29.12 ``Erik just more pieces of paper
03:29.13 archivist yes
03:29.19 starseeker AWESOME :-)
03:29.26 archivist I want moooore
03:29.38 archivist Im doing a book on the car company
03:29.57 starseeker The national archives might have some of that
03:30.27 ``Erik now if the uk were to, y'know, just OS that info in the spirit of remembering important history, problem solved... but that takes effort with no 'immediate and obvious' benefit for the idjits
03:30.31 starseeker ``Erik: That's OK. I just have visions of trying to explain who's going to care about a CAD model of the museum's Mark IV :-)
03:30.36 ``Erik and, uh, sorry, the US isn't the only country with idjits
03:30.36 archivist well the army part is at a University that I need to get at
03:31.09 archivist I have two pictures so far
03:31.10 starseeker archivist: that can be entertaining
03:31.30 starseeker ``Erik: You looking at the 30 year FOI turnaround notation?
03:32.15 ``Erik can't do that, company confidential is not suspect to FOIA
03:33.05 starseeker no, I ment on the website
03:33.26 starseeker thinks all this stuff is just public record in UK, no restrictions
03:33.33 starseeker just no one bothered to scan it
03:33.41 archivist yet
03:33.47 starseeker or if they did, they put it in books and made $$ selling them
03:34.00 starseeker archivist: :-)
03:34.17 ``Erik hrm, does it have to be a british citizen to request information? is there a 'distribution fee'?
03:34.25 archivist Bullock Creeping Grip was brought over here
03:34.27 starseeker tries to find out
03:35.37 archivist we have to identify to get stuff at major archive
03:36.21 starseeker wonder how they react to tourists
03:36.25 archivist my public records card is out of date now
03:37.07 ``Erik "public records card" already makes things sound far more complex :D
03:37.16 archivist :)
03:37.32 ``Erik once data in the US goes open source, it's out there... I don't know if citizenship is even looked at for a FOIA letter
03:38.01 archivist first major scanning effort the PRO has done is census records
03:38.23 starseeker ``Erik: The US national archives issue IDs too for people wanting access to certain stuff
03:38.43 archivist then the bar stewards charge on the intarwebs for copies
03:39.55 archivist cameras are banned in some archives but they dont care in others
03:40.23 ``Erik 'k, I d'no about national archives, foia shtuff is supposedly distribution unlimited (unless I misunderstand), but uhm, "reproduction" fees are common
03:40.48 starseeker Um - they want ID to prove identify and address - doesn't seem to say if proving an overseas address counts
03:41.53 ``Erik (sorry, not glued to the convo, got punker being ... insane)
03:41.54 archivist which tank are you after
03:42.09 ``Erik british MK-IV from ww1
03:42.34 ``Erik http://www.peachmountain.com/5Star/US_Army_Ordnance_Museum_Mark_IV_tank.aspx
03:43.58 archivist I want details of the embarrassing fail pre mark I
03:43.58 starseeker Hmm - looks like for anything under Crown Copyright you need permission from the Image Library
03:44.07 starseeker Little Whillie or whatever it was?
03:44.38 starseeker Oh that's cute - so the records themselves may not be restricted but what you can do with them is per the controllers of the records
03:44.51 starseeker or rather, what you can do with copies
03:44.54 archivist no, that is known as the first but there was an earlier experimental one
03:45.25 archivist more Bullock than tank
03:46.21 archivist A few were relieved of their duties over it as far as I can see
03:47.47 starseeker jeez - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/imagelibrary/price.htm
03:48.56 ``Erik ayup, reproduction fees
03:49.04 ``Erik don't worry, the us gov't does it, too...
03:49.59 ``Erik I mean, ya gotta pay for internet access to certain classes of laws
03:50.02 ``Erik eh? O.o
03:50.18 archivist I need to cough up for the two pics I want to use
03:50.19 starseeker This isn't just reproduction fees - it looks to be perminent usage restrictions
03:50.38 ``Erik court cases always have reproduction fees, cd's full of court case results cost thousands of dollars with a 'no redistribution' clause
03:50.47 archivist I believe one needs to negotiate
03:51.19 starseeker ``Erik: Those restrictions are usually due to the commercial company who packages the court cases and the legality of them is questionable
03:51.30 ``Erik (they call it a 'reproduction fee', but it's really a license and you're bound by copyright law)
03:51.59 starseeker ``Erik: check public.resource.org
03:52.12 ``Erik if that were the case, I'm sure alturists would've put them out public... there was a slashdot article about teh dude in cali suing to have legal statue made freely avaialble not long ago
03:52.18 starseeker reproduction fee means you pay to copy it and you're done
03:52.34 ``Erik and cali claiming that the law is protected under copyright and subject to license and fees
03:52.44 starseeker ``Erik: The odds are they're going to lose that one
03:52.49 starseeker the state I mean
03:53.04 ``Erik yeah, ... that's what it's supposed to mean, but they CALL it reproduction fee, and have all sorts of copyright constraint on it (cuz if they called it license, they'd get in trouble)
03:53.30 starseeker or, maybe it's more subtle - state goverments might be able to assert copyright, but the Federal government doesn't except on stuff that's had copyright assigned to it
03:54.50 starseeker ``Erik: I think this is it: http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F3/293/293.F3d.791.99-40632.html
03:55.06 starseeker archivist: Do they negociate for unrestricted use?
03:55.13 starseeker rather doubts it
03:55.22 starseeker even if they did, it'd probably cost a mint
03:58.59 starseeker Then there's probably no point in requesting the docs - the point was to have available source materials available online as part of the documentation of (and opportunity for students to follow along with) the modeling process
03:59.04 archivist dunno have not tried yet
03:59.46 starseeker Even incorporate them into some hypothetical published "Modeling with BRL-CAD" book or some such
04:01.01 starseeker wonders if he can get someone, somehow, to scan the MarkVIII and make a good point cloud...
04:03.39 starseeker is saddened by the restritions on the UK archives
04:07.09 starseeker archivist: Let us know how it goes when you have to deal with them
04:07.11 archivist ah found look here http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/cats/stern/st30-01.shtml were the mil stuff is
04:08.21 archivist ref STERN: 1/3/1 1915 Jun see burton upon trent, the real no one!
04:08.52 starseeker awesomeness
04:09.10 archivist thats what I have to go and look at and beg
04:09.11 starseeker what are the usage restrictions on those records?
04:09.18 archivist no idea
04:10.05 archivist just know I found a few months ago on a google search, just repeated the search now
04:10.18 starseeker that's cool
04:10.55 archivist research takes a "while"
04:11.00 starseeker nods
04:13.03 archivist another guy has written up the company covering only the railway equipment, Im doing the rest and anything else car/motorbike related in Burton
04:17.45 starseeker Sweet
04:18.10 starseeker is getting REALLY confused now: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/legal/pdf/copyright_full.pdf
04:20.45 archivist they may conveniantly ignore the age of the docs, as they are out of copyright
04:21.09 starseeker These two parts are getting me:
04:21.12 starseeker While no Crown copyright royalty fees will be levied for the use of unpublished Crown copyright material among the records, the custodians of the records remain at liberty to levy supply fees where appropriate (see section 8).
04:21.34 starseeker 8.2 TNA Image Library supplies copies for use in publications and for commercial purposes. Permission for their reproduction must be obtained from the Image Library (see 12.2), which may charge a fee. This permission and reproduction fee are distinct from any permission which may be required from a copyright owner, who may also charge a fee. For the use of Crown copyright works see section 6; for other copyright works see section 9.
04:22.04 starseeker Is that just for reproductions THEY make?
04:22.20 starseeker i.e. if you go in with a camera yourself and make your own copies you're good?
04:24.30 archivist yes but you wont get though the door with a camera in that sort of archive after moneyz
04:24.56 archivist you go in on their terms :(((
04:25.19 archivist nasty trick
04:25.49 archivist so they could sue under contract not copyright
04:30.44 starseeker ah - I see it now: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/photopolicy.pdf
04:32.22 starseeker Boy they make sure to slam all the doors don't they
04:33.09 archivist yup Lichfield archive allows that, I go in and a few hundred pics and type up at my leisure
04:35.21 archivist I shall give the typed info back later, then they can add it to the online search for the archive
04:36.09 starseeker OK, so they really do have the power to negociate access terms - they MIGHT conceivably allow unlimited use terms, although practically speaking they won't
04:36.27 starseeker archivist: that's a good way to go
04:36.40 starseeker and a powerful argument for letting people do what they want with historical data
04:36.46 archivist :)
04:36.59 starseeker not that the UK national archives are likely to be impressed
04:37.28 archivist national no, but the locals are more helpful
04:43.49 archivist escapes home as its 4:45 AM
04:48.29 Ralith hehe
04:50.41 starseeker ?
04:50.51 Ralith [20:43:57] * archivist escapes home as its 4:45 AM
04:50.55 starseeker ah :-)
04:51.08 starseeker scowls at the National Archives UK
05:13.59 starseeker needs to get ahold of this: http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0415129
05:14.13 starseeker looks like I'll bug the library on Monday after all
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13:26.21 archivist starseeker, when you get models from picture I will get interested :)
14:04.41 starseeker sneakily wonders if the US National archives might have copies of some of the earlier british tank info as part of the workup for the Mark VIII program
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14:39.55 brlcad yawns
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16:00.17 starseeker brlcad: So how was the movie?
16:29.36 starseeker Hrm. http://www.landships.freeservers.com/jpegs/newpics_05_2005/mk4_cutout.JPG
16:30.34 starseeker Or, actually more useful dimensionally: http://www.landships.freeservers.com/jpegs/mk4_interior_plan.JPG
16:47.27 archivist notes we had comfy bench seats long before 50's v8 yank cars :)
16:49.02 brlcad starseeker: it was pretty good, a follow-on to the first one though so you have to watch them in order
16:49.28 brlcad a few of the action scenes were cut a bit too quickly, but otherwise it was pretty good
16:49.36 brlcad not as good as casino, but still goo
16:49.38 brlcad good
17:14.24 starseeker after a morning of stubborn hammering at the US national archives site, I think I might have found a few starting points
17:14.57 starseeker brlcad: Any problem if I put in some extra hours tomorrow and during the week so I can run down to College Park on Friday?
17:15.51 yukonbob morning, cadheads
17:15.56 starseeker morning
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21:44.10 starseeker jots notes on bugs
21:46.24 ``Erik wow, you must have a tiny little pen
21:46.48 starseeker the doggone suckers wiggle too
21:47.18 ``Erik <-- still in awe at the notion of people writing on rice
21:47.24 starseeker ``Erik: How hard would it be to get the OK to photograph the Liberty tank?
21:48.05 ``Erik liberty tank? the spider/skeleton one, or what?
21:48.18 starseeker no, not at the ordinance museum
21:48.22 starseeker over behind the gate
21:48.54 ``Erik um, anyone with a valid photo pass can take a picture of it using a gov't camera, then it's a normal form-1
21:50.12 ``Erik I think there're a couple people in the office and a camera in one, I'd imagine the difficult part would be finding a viable reason to exactly mark A on the form-a
21:50.14 ``Erik form-1
21:50.25 ``Erik for,uh, reasons we can discuss on monday
21:50.26 ``Erik :)
21:50.53 ``Erik don't bother bringing your personal camera, it cannot be used
21:51.00 starseeker I know
21:51.32 starseeker ``Erik: does difficult ~= impossible?
21:51.42 ``Erik I don't think so
21:52.16 ``Erik (assuming you mean 'roughly equal to', not 'congruent' or 'set to the inverse')
21:52.16 ``Erik :D
21:52.31 ``Erik or a horrible perl monstrosity *shudder*
21:52.46 ``Erik $_ ~= s/ohmygodmybrainismelting/;
21:52.53 starseeker yes roughly equal to
21:53.29 starseeker doesn't want to step into quicksand, but unlike the Mark IV the Liberty does have US documentation that is public domain
21:53.51 starseeker that I can get at
21:53.52 archivist bleh if out doors just use the google map pics
21:53.55 ``Erik the obvious issues are going to be "why" and "how does this benefit us?"
21:54.15 ``Erik archivist: our entire compound is insanely blurred in google maps and google earth
21:54.22 archivist aw
21:54.35 ``Erik the entire post, even, including the parts that are publically available and even have location pics
21:54.47 starseeker ``Erik: Isn't that the issue with ANY form1 or are photos special?
21:55.13 ``Erik there're 3 irl photos of the museum and the museum is still a big blur
21:55.21 starseeker heh
21:55.37 ``Erik um, any form-1, but we produce mountains of text, and images are sometimes used to support text... small minds, etc, ...
21:56.12 alex_joni this one? http://www.militaryimages.net/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/24478
21:56.31 starseeker ``Erik: If I do what I want to with them, they WILL support text
21:56.53 ``Erik ok, then collect the photographs and treat them as fouo for now, it's all good
21:57.00 starseeker right
21:57.09 ``Erik that does look like a male mark
21:57.49 ``Erik if you have someone with a camera pass, grab the one from ed's office and go :) it may be wise to not wear baggy clothing and have your identification obvious on a lanyard
21:57.50 starseeker that's actually why that particular tank is interesting - because I have documentation of some of the guts that I know is public domain, I can actually do a model as opposed to just a surface gloss
21:58.09 starseeker ``Erik: right
21:58.29 starseeker never did quite understand why that particular bad boy wasn't at the museum to begin with...
21:59.13 starseeker would really prefer to get a point cloud too and have all three types of info on one source, but that would involve convincing Lee it's worthwhile
21:59.15 ``Erik I'd kinda like to see our t62 model pushed for OS, or at least the pickup truck... if someone grabbed a used m35 and updated the demo model with a high def version, that'd be awesome
21:59.31 starseeker suspects picking up the tank and moving it might be simpler...
21:59.54 ``Erik heh, it'd probably crumble
22:00.35 ``Erik amusingly, google image search for liberty tank pulls up a lot of images of blonde girls
22:00.51 alex_joni heh
22:00.52 archivist Ive seen the ones sunk in the channel (france), a LOT remains,
22:01.11 ``Erik artifacts keep MUCH longer underwater than on land
22:01.24 ``Erik the oxidation avenue is much slower and less UV and heat abuse
22:01.25 starseeker Not the Liberty - that's the Mark VIII
22:01.34 starseeker apparently they never went to combat
22:01.54 ``Erik there're 7's and 8's listed
22:01.54 archivist Im talking the WWII sinkers
22:01.56 starseeker wikipedia only knows about the one here and a modified one down at Fort Meade
22:01.59 starseeker ah
22:02.26 starseeker yeah, lot of hardware got put into play off the french coast
22:02.35 starseeker needs to get moving - bbl
22:02.43 ``Erik hasta manure
22:02.53 ``Erik or manana or something
22:04.17 archivist they had a silly idea tanks could float into land with the addition of a skirt, rough sees did not help
22:19.19 ``Erik heh, yes, yet amphibious armored vehicles were eventually realized :)
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