THE MAPROOM

[MClarkson]

ok, sorry, I wont do it again.

 

[mikegeukes]

Nick Grillo wrote:

I am all for the application thing for The Map Room (especially to any users that have made too much noise in the forum).
Nick Grillo

Here is my background in meteorology for The Map Room:

Education:
-East Kentwood High School: Diploma
-Grand Rapids Community College: Associate of Arts
-Aquinas College: Coursework in Georgraphy
-Central Michigan University: Bachelor of Science
Major: Earth Science with a concentration in Meteorology
Major: Geography
-Creighton University: Coursework in Atmospheric Sciences
-Lansing Community College: Coursework in Broadcasting
-Penn State University: Distance Course in Weather Forecasting
-Mississippi State University: Certificate in Operational Meteorology

Professional Memberships:
American Meteorological Society: Full Member
Gamma Theta Upsilon: International Geographical Honor Society
National Weather Association

Internships:
National Weather Service: Student Volunteer
WOOD-TV Grand Rapids, MI

Other:
SKYWARN Spotter

Background in Forecasting Classes in College:

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY: Received a A in this course.
METEO 101: Understanding Weather Forecasting 3 Credits
Fundamental principles of synoptic and physical meteorology, satellite and radar imagery, and data analysis in the setting of mid-latitude weather forecasting.

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY: Received all A's in these courses
Synoptic Meteorology I -Course Code: GR 4713 -Credit Hours: 3
Description: Fundamental principles behind weather forecasting. Physical processes in the atmosphere, atmospheric circulation systems, air mass analysis, frontogenesis and frontolysis.

Synoptic Meteorology II -Course Code: GR 4623 -Credit Hours: 3
Description: Advanced analysis and detailed case studies of meteorological phenomena related to weather forecasting problems. Short and long-range forecasting techniques are presented.

Weather Prediction I -Course Code: GR 4443 -Credit Hours: 3
Description: Detailed discussion of all the weather products that can be used to formulate a forecast.

Weather Prediction II -Course Code: GR 4453 -Credit Hours: 3
Description: Analysis of case studies of different weather events in various locations in different seasons.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY: Received all A's in these courses
ESC 303 - Synoptic Meteorology I 3(2-2)
A description of the structure and evolution of synoptic scale weather phenomena. Theory and use of thermodynamic diagrams. Techniques used in numerical weather prediction.

ESC 303 - Synoptic Meteorology II 3(2-2)
A description of the structure and evolution of mesoscale and cumulus scale weather systems. Mesoscale forecasting techniques and manual and computer analysis of meteorological data. Prerequisites: ESC 303.

-Won Central Michigan Synoptic Meteorology Forecasting Contest

That is my background for The Map Room, also plan on attending
graduate school somewhere in the Spring semester of 2006.

Would be interesting to see other people's background, in forecasting, including Nick's.

-Found a WIFI location
-Back to the campground for the week.
-Still looking for a place to live.

Later
Mike (EF from Chat)
http://efchasing.blogspot.com/

 

[Robert Dewey]

Mike... I am not talking about posting qualifications, I am simply stating that using an essay on the application process will cut out those who know nothing.

Heck, I barely made it through high school, yet I am very meteorologically oriented and can post decent posts in the Map Room. How do I do it? By simply following the rules. I am all for allowing access to everyone, but it seems like nobody wants to read the rules. So, there are three (or more) options:

1) Start moderating the Map Room better
2) Make the registration/application process more difficult or;
3) Keep things are the way they are, and everyone ignore it...

 

[Rob_Davis]

I've got an idea. How about if you are not personally involved in chasing this particular event, or nowcasting for somebody who is, stay out?

That way the posts are more than simple academic exercises. They have an actual chaser component point to them. After all, otherwise it is simply weather weenie talk.

Seems like those who are so bent out of shape over the "non-chasers" would love this idea, but I doubt it. :roll:

 

[rdale]

"How about if you are not personally involved in chasing this particular event, or nowcasting for somebody who is, stay out?"

If you are chasing the event, you probably don't have nearly the amount of data that those armchairing will. And why would there be a requirement be nowcasting for a specific person? Seems way off the mark. Sounds a little elite-ish to me!

 

[David Wolfson]

Please see my suggestions about this in the *** Stormtrack Changes and Recommendations Thread ***.

 

[rdale]

I guess I don't understand why having a "nowcaster recipient" would be a criteria for nowcasting... So you could have an idiot posting in the chase thread because he has a buddy chasing, but an SPC forecaster can't put his thoughts in because he's at home too far away?

It's not about chasers vs non - it's about posting stuff of value. Saying there is a Tornado Warning for some state has NO value to anyone.

 

[nickgrillo]

Originally posted by Rob_Davis
I've got an idea. How about if you are not personally involved in chasing this particular event, or nowcasting for somebody who is, stay out?

That way the posts are more than simple academic exercises. They have an actual chaser component point to them. After all, otherwise it is simply weather weenie talk.

Seems like those who are so bent out of shape over the \"non-chasers\" would love this idea, but I doubt it. :roll:

That doesn't solve the problem at all -- Its not about whether or not you're chasing the particular event, its about posting guidelines, and how numerous users have been violating them. I don't care about TORs and WWs, like I said before - and I don't care if the person is chasing that event or not, its againest the rules and its VERY high noise, and its absolutely worthless IMO.

 

[Scott Olson]

Originally posted by rdewey
Mike... I am not talking about posting qualifications, I am simply stating that using an essay on the application process will cut out those who know nothing.

Heck, I barely made it through high school, yet I am very meteorologically oriented and can post decent posts in the Map Room. How do I do it? By simply following the rules. I am all for allowing access to everyone, but it seems like nobody wants to read the rules. So, there are three (or more) options:

1) Start moderating the Map Room better
2) Make the registration/application process more difficult or;
3) Keep things are the way they are, and everyone ignore it...

I'd opt for more moderation in the map room and a little more patience on the transition from the talk format. As long as the map room is to be open to all chasers regardless of meteoroligcal experience I think the focus should be on moderation and possible removal of Map room privilages for those who continually violate the rules.

 

[Robert Edmonds]

Just moderate better, my suggestion.

P.S. Hey while all of you are trying to solve ST problems could one of you serious chasers with a background in met. go answer my question about the cap?

 

[David Wolfson]

I don't want to join in a debate about this, so this is just to explain my suggestions, not defend them.

The main problem with TA/Map Room from what I see is that it sometimes gets cluttered up with relatively useless and ill-informed posts -- most of them from kibbitzers and armchair chasers. Nothing wrong with being an "armchair chaser"! We're all that at least some of the time. However the active chasers for a given event need to suffer through all the other stuff that may not be on-point or technically sound.

A active chaser in the field posting to Map Room may not be an expert, but they're above all what ST is for. They're also not likely to waste their and everyone else's time with a really poor choice of nowcasters; and if they do they can be called out on it.

I'm not suggesting that the Map Room is "advanced" or "elite" with respect to the Classroom. Under my suggestions even the most veteran and expert should post to parallel Classroom threads if they don't meet the criteria for posting in the Map Room with respect to a given storm event. I don't think it will turn out to be a big deal if there's a relatively high noise level in the parallel Classroom thread, so long as the Map Room is kept tidy.

 

[John Diel]

I went through this very scenario last year in TA. When it boiled down to brass tacks, I was wrong and "they" were right. If I remember correctly though, we were able to discuss this a bit more calmly than what I read is happening here. The same points are getting hammered in, time and time again and the whole thing is spinning it's wheels.

I believe everyone here knows who the moderators are. I believe everyone here knows how to PM those moderators. I would suggest that first off, you try to PM the person making the "Improper" post and give them some helpful advice (and I don't mean "Hey Jerk, your not posting the right thing"!). If that produces no results, then contact a Moderator via PM and ARTICULATE your complaint. I see no value in posting this type of thing here where it gets blown out of porportion and we end up in yet another flame war.

Try to help the other person before persecuting them. Help educate them in forecasting. Help them learn to be better and make a positive contribution.

I don't articulate my forecasts well. That is an issue I am working on and striving to learn more about. There are several folks here on ST that are helping me to become more articulate in forecasting. I vowed that I would not post in TA (or Map Room as is is now known) until I could make a useful contribution and put in more than simply "TOR in Harper County, KS!"

Let's try to get away from this negative attitude and tearing down of everything. Let's make it positive again and try to help each other instead of pointing fingers and shouting.

I hate to say it, but if the negative continues, this board will go the way of WX-Chase and I would really hate to see that happen.

 

[Rob_Davis]

Originally posted by rdale
If you are chasing the event, you probably don't have nearly the amount of data that those armchairing will. And why would there be a requirement be nowcasting for a specific person? Seems way off the mark. Sounds a little elite-ish to me!

Thank you, Rob! That is my point exactly. There is always another level of elitism above the one that you (not you specifically) are espousing. So what you get are people being elitist only up to the point that they themselves may be excluded, then they suddenly start worrying about being too elitist.

More than half of the stuff in the Map Room NOBODY is chasing. And when nobody is chasing it, it is not chase related. And when it is not chase related, then it is no longer what this board is supposed to be about. Or at least, that was my understanding of what Tim said this whole reorganization was all about.

Again, it seems to me that if noise in the Map Room is what people are really up in arms about, they would welcome the elimination of simple academic discussion and people trying to impress us with their amateur forecasts when in fact they have no involvement in any active chase. Move all that discussion and suddenly you have a very streamlined Map Room, and then the high level academic discussion that the "core" wants returns to the Weather forum where it belongs.

But whether it be this suggestion or any of the other good suggestions put forth so far, as many have already noted, success does all come down to effective moderation.

 

[rdale]

"More than half of the stuff in the Map Room NOBODY is chasing."

I'm curious where that number comes from... If it's severe - I have to imagine somebody is on it. Just because they don't post doesn't mean they don't read or chase.

"Again, it seems to me that if noise in the Map Room is what people are really up in arms about, they would welcome the elimination of simple academic discussion and people trying to impress us with their amateur forecasts when in fact they have no involvement in any active chase."

No, I think the academic discussions are great. It's the one-liners that don't offer anything that my 7yr old daughter can find which are the noise problems.

- Rob

 

[Rob_Davis]

Originally posted by rdale
No, I think the academic discussions are great. It's the one-liners that don't offer anything that my 7yr old daughter can find which are the noise problems.

I agree with you, Rob. The more academic discussion here, the better. It's just that the Map Room isn't the place for it. It's not chasing. It's weather weenie talk.