Subsector UWPs

[RainOfSteel]

Originally posted by FlightCommanderSolitude:
[...] In some cases this seems silly - surely hi-traffic systems will have scouts passing through in a fairly constant stream on routine business, who would report any precipitous alterations to the system's profile.

I agree completely. High-traffic worlds (whatever meets that definition), and especially High-Tech, High-Pop worlds, would practically be knocking on the IISS's door in an attempt to submit an accurate survey (to encourage trade and tourism).

 

[RainOfSteel]

Speaking in broader terms, and IMTU:

The IISS does not rely on a single survey of any world or system. It requires that many surveys be made, and then cross-references them against each other. The quality and reliability of the submitted data, the degree to which it matches with other surveys (or, if it diverges, how well it explains the divergence, further depending on how follow-up missions evaluate the divergence), all in a mass-correlation system where the surveyors get rated for their reliability, and the most reliable and heavily cross-checked data is what winds up getting published.

This scheme I have in my mind for the way the IISS operates on these matters is why I'm not a fan of explaining ridiculous UWPs away based on the incompetence of the IISS. (I'm a fan of retconning the UWPs; fat-chance that'll ever happen.)

I think it is generally difficult to believe that any one survey group flying around in a 400 dTon survey ship with its limited crew could do more than a mild survey. A Type-S scout could to little better than a cursory mapping and sensor scans, plus a few landing reports. A limted crew (making a whole world-wide survey, even if it was for months) should be considered realistic and reliable for Imperium-wide publication? I think not.

 

[BetterThanLife]

System UWPs that don't work has been a problem with the OTU since its inception. Following Microslop's definitions, since it has been there, uncorrected more than a year, it is no longer a bug it is now a feature.

 

[Admiral Morgan]

Bhoins UWP (Universal World Profile) it is not a universal star system profile. A systems UWP is supposed to be the information of a systems main world. Ok the ISS is a branch of the Imperium government and as the Imperium rules space the main world in a system become where its spaceport is located. Now let's look at all of the ways we a main worlds UWP can have imposable combinations. The ISS don't have enough people to do individual platary census so they will have to rely on sensor scans or the world government to provide that information. When dealing with world governments how do they calculate their world populations? Since the individual world governments would apply their own standards to whom they would count or not count there is going to be a varying degree and swing in what a world’s actual population of sentient beings are. Other ways that planetary data can be misconstrued in a UWP are miscalibrated sensors, an incompetent survey crew, information entered incorrectly, outdated data, and data purposefully misentered

 

[FlightCommanderSolitude]

"A direct hit Admiral! We've lost power to the starboard spellchecker!"

 

[Admiral Morgan]

FlightCommanderSolitude, I was a little rushed when I first put the post up. It's edited now for spelling now.

 

[RainOfSteel]

I think the FAQ I am writing will contain a mention of good spelling, but also that the attitude toward requiring accurate spelling are much more relaxed on CotI than on some other boards.

Some people have a terrible time with keyboards, or are dyslexic, etc.

I'd hate to see people being driven away from CotI because they were affraid to post over spelling errors.

 

[kaladorn]

More importantly, and it covers both spelling and grammar, we have lots of folks for whom English is a second language. As long as they can manage to express things clearly enough that we can winkle out the meaning, I'd rather not drive out their input for SpellingCop(TM) reasons.

After all, Ye Olde Tongue ain't what she used ta' be, no half! English has changed a lot (including spellings) over the years and it will again. Maybe some of the folks with poor spelling really are just avante-garde. I mean, OED is now starting to include words like "wedgie" and a lot of linguists are defending netspeak (d00dz, WTF U ROFL about?, etc.) as being fresh and bringing something back to language that has been missing since we did much of the codification in the last couple or three centuries.

Now, one last point, we're pretty far OT (when getting into spelling, etc) on a thread talking about Subsector UWPs... (I think I am certain this violates at least one forum ettiquette proscription)...

 

[RainOfSteel]

Ow!

Mom! Kaladorn is using the forum-prod again! Make him stop!

 

[FlightCommanderSolitude]

Sorry Admiral, just making a stupid joke at your expense, I meant nothing personal. Consider me chastised. Now, onward!