Bfro Database

[hiflier]

Hello All,

 

Now that John Green's database in it's entirety has been opened for public viewing I would like to see the same thing done for the BFRO's database as well. Does anyone have a way to see the whole thing all at once with all the minute details of each report including a complete creature description with footprint data and anything else pertinent to each event? 

 

Sure, I can go onto the site and select some kind of parameter or usually just click on a state and see the report list and then read each report. But what I really want is the whole thing. All the reports laid out on one sheet in rows. one under the other, with columns going across that contain the various categories of criteria to study as a complete body of work. Reading each report individually is currently the only way in which to view the data in BFRO's database. IMO ALL the data for each event should be available at once and not parcelled out as only one report at a time.

 

Open up the JWG database here to see what I mean:

 

http://bigfootforums.com/index.php/topic/42193-a-gift-for-the-bff/

 

Personally? I seriously think John Green's kind of access to Sasquatch data is the best way to do research

Edited October 12, 2013 by hiflier

[MIB]

Why don't you contact BFRO and ask them?   

 

MIB

[hiflier]

Hello MIB,

OK

[BobbyO]

Why don't you contact BFRO and ask them?   

 

MIB

More chance of hell freezing over than getting help from them where this is concerned.

[hiflier]

Hello BobbyO,

That maybe true but sometimes one needs to go to the source to establish the truth of a situation. I'm a bit long in the tooth to be timid about such things. If the BFRO has a proprietary mindset about the information then I want to hear it from them. They now have a correspondence email from me. In the meantime:

 

Does anyone have a way to see the whole thing all at once with all the minute details of each report including a complete creature description with footprint data and anything else pertinent to each event?

  Edited October 12, 2013 by hiflier

[MarkGlasgow]

Good luck hiflier. I'm looking forward to hearing their response.

 

Like BobbyO however, i'll not be holding my breath that we'll be hearing anything positive from these guys.

[hiflier]

Hello MarkGlascow,

Both of you may be quite right. However...I prefer to remain positive until I hit a wall. No response from the BFRO is an easy thing to deal with. I'll just simply send them another email. No harm done there. It will be nice to know what their "official" policy is in their approach to the public's need to know. After all, if they are willing to disseminate the information a scrap at a time then what's the issue binding them from creating an access to the whole shebang at once?

[VAfooter]

As I understand it, the only people with access to the complete database are official BFRO researchers. Even then, I think I might have read something that not every researcher has total access. Anyway, Mr. Moneymaker will never open it up for outside review. It is the lifeblood of BFRO, even moreso than the expeditions.

 

In the BF world, knowledge is power (as with a lot of things). The database contains contact info, accurate data on sighting locations, geographical "hotspots", and other data that gives the owner an advantage over those who do not have that information. Also, it is my understanding that a lot of reports are simply "...saw a BF at such and such location in 1984..." with few if any details. The BFRO cannot follow-up on these and therefore keeps them private. That information provides little of value except perhaps for longterm trend analysis.

 

Best way to get access to the database....join the organization as a researcher.

[hiflier]

Hello VAFooter,

I just might consider that. Thanks for the suggestion. And yes, knowledge is power but if Sasquatch doesn't exist then one could surmise that the "power" is being utilized for the wrong reasons- only for the money. So what does that say for the ethical position of the BFRO. The flip side to that argument is that Sasquatch does indeed exist in which the "power" would be to help insure that BFRO gets to the finish line first. That I can understand. Actually, BOTH sides I can understand.

As for witness info then, yes, I can understand that too as a reason to hold data back from the standpoint of any security and identity risks. That information to me is absolutely unnecessary anyway and I would have no need for that kind of data; nor would anyone else. The largest UFO database on the planet pulls the same tactic for the same reasons. Well, we'll see if enough reason will come into play as to why the data is unavailable once I begin to remove their "good" excuses for not relinquishing it.

Thanks again for your input.

Edited October 12, 2013 by hiflier

[Guest DWA]

Well, I ducked right on into the database and pulled a report today, no hitches, first time in weeks.

[hiflier]

Hello DWA,

 

Yep. I noticed yesterday when I went to the site that I no longer had the security warnings issued on previous attempts. I too can call up a report and read it as usual. But that's ALL i can do so nothing has really changed as far as total database access except for seeing each report........ one at a time. There has to be a better, faster way to do research than that. I think that the SSR database is trying to do just that but.......well, there's issues there too

[Guest JiggyPotamus]

If the BFRO really does have a proprietary mindset regarding their data, then I have lost some of the respect that I still had for them. Not to say that I have a whole lot, but I do have some, since they are doing things that very few other groups are doing, if any, at least in certain instances. I view the act of collecting data on sasquatch and researching them in all ways as a scientific endeavour for the most part, although sometimes it is just fun and entertaining. Then there is the need to satiate the curiosity that has only grown as I've learned and seen more regarding bigfoot. 

 

And because of the mindset I have on the subject, I feel that all data should be shared with other researchers, in an effort to further the research. I admit that there is little actual "research" where sasquatch are concerned, but that is nothing that can be remedied due to the nature of the subject in general, and the state of development the subject is in at the current time. Things will likely change in the future, and actual research will rival that of more established scientific research where animals are concerned. But despite the drawbacks of attempting to research an animal that technically doesn't exist, there are still opportunities to learn new things, much of which, in my opinion, will come from correlations found within the actual hard data that we have available to us.

 

The biggest part of this data is of course the sighting record, along with footprint measurements, and anything else that can be quantified. But the qualitative stuff is more useful much of the time, in my opinion. But not knowing anything regarding the stance of the BFRO on proprietary research and the sharing of findings, I have to say that the fact they have a public database at all says something. If they didn't really want to share any of what they've discovered, they wouldn't have put up the database. As you pointed out though, there are many other pieces of data that would be useful. Whether they've got these or not I cannot say. If they do, and they won't release them, I would be disappointed and would really like to hear their reasoning.

[hiflier]

Hello JiggyPotamus,

So would I which is why I sent them an email asking just that very question. In politics there is such a thing as ignoring a request for information. So far It would seem that the BFRO has adopted that particular tactic. I'll give them through the weekend before I contact them again. The next missive will go to Mr. Moneymaker himself. I hope everyone understands that I'm not trying to be a troublemaker here. I simply think a reasonable answer to a reasonable request should not be a big deal. We're all grownups and it's not exactly a national security issue now is it. It's only Sasquatch.

Edited October 13, 2013 by hiflier

[Guest]

Why should you reap the fruits of the BFRO's labor if you aren't contributing anything to the organization?

You'd get the same answer asking a drug company to open up their research databases on drug trials.

[hiflier]

Hello BipedalCurious,

That's a really good question. I guess my first thought would be WHAT fruit? I mean if 8,000 reports haven't inched the Sasquatch community any closer to proof of Sasquatch existence then what's the difference between 8,000 reports over say, 8, then one can toss the other 7,992 reports into the trashcan. 8 or 8,000 the result has been the same. John Green worked 30 years on his database and stopped adding onto it over 40 years ago. Read his statement on his website.......It says it all, especially the altruistic nature of the last paragraph.

I just received an email from him. He said he was glad I was putting a revised version of his database online. THAT's how it should be. With his database one gets to see everything all in one place. He doesn't make anyone read ANY of his over 3,000 reports only one at a time. One gets whole lists of footprint data, creature data, and a rather complete picture of all the incident reports themselves together as a whole. For doing research it's totally unrestricted and pure heaven.

Other databases will let one filter for say a state and then a county but after that one has to select the reports to read one at a time. After I get done with the revisions one will be able to also choose a state and then a county and after that? BANG! one will see the lists of data role out- not one report at a time, you'll get everything..

Edited October 15, 2013 by hiflier