Ideas and Input on Creating a Case Reference Library

Muzikman

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I still owe you a link to the person that indicated CA was mad at KC for "dumping" Caylee on her during her vacation week....Now I am not sure if it was CA or LA, or maybe even SP-But I will keep my ears open as I listen to old interviews and post as soon as I find it.

FWIW, I remember that line too, but also don't remember who/where from.

What we need is a searchable database, with all transcripts and documents entered in, cross-referencing SA page numbers, doc dump date, etc. Any techies have the time and know-how to put one together? :)
 
FWIW, I remember that line too, but also don't remember who/where from.

What we need is a searchable database, with all transcripts and documents entered in, cross-referencing SA page numbers, doc dump date, etc. Any techies have the time and know-how to put one together? :)


Hey Muzikman,

I'm up for anything, volunteering wise. Just give me an assignment and some general instructions. As for the comment about Cindy being annoyed, I believe came from the grandmothers emails.

Reading these depositions are going to force me to take up drinking and smoking before it ever ends, I swear. Was George's Grand Jury testimony released yet?

One last thing. From reading George's deposition, there could be some negotations in place for a movie or book. I would really like to see a massive petition against any corporation or publishing company that would make it very clearly what we as the public feel about anyone doing business with this family and our determination to boycott against them.

Novice Seeker
 
Hey Muzikman,

I'm up for anything, volunteering wise. Just give me an assignment and some general instructions.

<snip>

Novice Seeker

Can't really instruct you, as I don't know how to create a good database.

But something that all documents could be entered into as PDF's somehow (or maybe converted to Word?) and searchable would be great...
 
Can't really instruct you, as I don't know how to create a good database.

But something that all documents could be entered into as PDF's somehow (or maybe converted to Word?) and searchable would be great...

I know when I have gone on that illusive "search" for a doc in a pdf format, I would have loved to have not only the date it was released, but the date the interview or depo was taken. They are so out of chronological order. I thank Patty G for starting it, and it was great in the beginning months, but I find now I actually have to go there to Patty G's first, cross reference what the daily news thread have and go back and forth between the two until I find what doc I am searching for.

The other issue I have is purely self-inflicted. When I d/l a specific doc I change the title name so I know what I am looking for in my computer. Lately I have been including the media outlet and their number in my title. It does make it easier to go back and re-read a specific one.

By the way, MM .... on my MBP I cannot convert a pdf into a word doc. I tried, Lord knows but it wouldn't do it for me. If you did it, please let me know your secret. Thanks. cz
 
I know when I have gone on that illusive "search" for a doc in a pdf format, I would have loved to have not only the date it was released, but the date the interview or depo was taken. They are so out of chronological order. I thank Patty G for starting it, and it was great in the beginning months, but I find now I actually have to go there to Patty G's first, cross reference what the daily news thread have and go back and forth between the two until I find what doc I am searching for.

The other issue I have is purely self-inflicted. When I d/l a specific doc I change the title name so I know what I am looking for in my computer. Lately I have been including the media outlet and their number in my title. It does make it easier to go back and re-read a specific one.

By the way, MM .... on my MBP I cannot convert a pdf into a word doc. I tried, Lord knows but it wouldn't do it for me. If you did it, please let me know your secret. Thanks. cz

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/productivity_tools/deskunpdfpdfconverter.html

Agree that date released, date statement taken, SA Page #'s etc would be really helpful.

I have downloaded a shareware Mac program called Docs that might be able to do what I want it to search-wise, but haven't had time to play with it yet....
 
Can't really instruct you, as I don't know how to create a good database.

But something that all documents could be entered into as PDF's somehow (or maybe converted to Word?) and searchable would be great...

Tell me what you want and I'll be happy to create the database for you and pass it along. I have a few ideas, I'll throw one together tomorrow, you can check it out and decide what more you'd like.

I take it we want a MAC version?
 
ThoughtElf - are you thinking of putting it together in Excel? If so, you could assign columns to various things like date, media outlet, type of document, etc. and we could alpha sort them by sub-heading that way. Is that what you had in mind?
 
Tell me what you want and I'll be happy to create the database for you and pass it along. I have a few ideas, I'll throw one together tomorrow, you can check it out and decide what more you'd like.

I take it we want a MAC version?

Mac would be nice, I could deal with Windoze if I HAD too, I have Bootcamp... :)

That would be great, and could make finding detailed info easier and faster for everyone, leaving time for more Sleuthing... :dance:
 
Mac would be nice, I could deal with Windoze if I HAD too, I have Bootcamp... :)

That would be great, and could make finding detailed info easier and faster for everyone, leaving time for more Sleuthing... :dance:

I did a bit of research. It would be much easier for me to stick with sql than to fart around with FilemakerPro. I can get a head start by simply bastardizing a media library template in Access.

So get out Bootcamp. :)
 
I want some of ya'al's techno/techie (like Elfie says) brains :biggrin:

Im only good at the enter button and refresh....but...i am able to now give some cute little smily guys with out going to advanced and looking them up......like...:floorlaugh:
 
ThoughtElf - are you thinking of putting it together in Excel? If so, you could assign columns to various things like date, media outlet, type of document, etc. and we could alpha sort them by sub-heading that way. Is that what you had in mind?

Hi CecyBeans,

I could do that very easily, but that wasn't what I actually had in mind. I was thinking of just taking an Access db template for a media library and making it our own. The reasons why I was thinking of doing it that way is because I can easily repurpose already existing elements/tables like this:

  • 'Genre' - will be changed to 'Subject' - i.e. motion hearings, interviews, depositions, etc.
  • Media Type - like cd, book, dvd would be altered to reflect - print, video, audio, online blog, etc.
  • Say I wanted to document a depo. By bastardizing the template for say an 'album' (renamed by genre), I can then use the fields for 'song', 'author', 'length', etc. to actually record the keynotes, speaker and page/lines.
  • As well, we can store video/audio clips in it
Probably sounds like Greek to many, but it is actually pretty easy to swap field labels out in an entire access/sql database and not recreate the wheel from scratch, yet still end up able to really use the inherant search capabilities and already functioning reports.


That's where I was heading. Leave it with me for a day or two and I'll drop a sample on you guys. Alternately, I could whip an excel workbook/DB together faster than you can go gather all the links you want. :D

End-user's choice. To you guys, it will just look like a nifty little program, nothing techie.
 
Hi CecyBeans,

I could do that very easily, but that wasn't what I actually had in mind. I was thinking of just taking an Access db template for a media library and making it our own. The reasons why I was thinking of doing it that way is because I can easily repurpose already existing elements/tables like this:

  • 'Genre' - will be changed to 'Subject' - i.e. motion hearings, interviews, depositions, etc.
  • Media Type - like cd, book, dvd would be altered to reflect - print, video, audio, online blog, etc.
  • Say I wanted to document a depo. By bastardizing the template for say an 'album' (renamed by genre), I can then use the fields for 'song', 'author', 'length', etc. to actually record the keynotes, speaker and page/lines.
  • As well, we can store video/audio clips in it
Probably sounds like Greek to many, but it is actually pretty easy to swap field labels out in an entire access/sql database and not recreate the wheel from scratch, yet still end up able to really use the inherant search capabilities and already functioning reports.


That's where I was heading. Leave it with me for a day or two and I'll drop a sample on you guys. Alternately, I could whip an excel workbook/DB together faster than you can go gather all the links you want. :D

End-user's choice. To you guys, it will just look like a nifty little program, nothing techie.
You techies really impress me!!:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown:
Sounds awesome!
 
The Access db sounds really interesting! Seems like the search capabilities would be better.

You're right about Access having better search capabilities. It may be harder to download and manipulate in a web-based situation than Excel (that's been my experience). But we can certainly play around with it to see what works.

What is cool is that if you come up with a good template for the types of categories that need catalogued for searching, Tricia can use it going forward for any case that needs to archive and search docs.
 
You're right about Access having better search capabilities. It may be harder to download and manipulate in a web-based situation than Excel (that's been my experience). But we can certainly play around with it to see what works.

What is cool is that if you come up with a good template for the types of categories that need catalogued for searching, Tricia can use it going forward for any case that needs to archive and search docs.

Ok, first kick at the can - critique & suggest at will - keeping in mind this was a .5 hour job so far and I need to fix/edit a bunch more because I just worked off an existing db. If I do it in Access and compile as an executable, it would be useful on more cases going forward, as people could use it themselves for any case, as they see fit. Our very own WS Case Reference Library App. (I'd better get a free mug.) :D

2afbqdf.jpg


We can move this to a different thread for discussion and input, if you guys think that is appropriate.
 
Ok, first kick at the can - critique & suggest at will - keeping in mind this was a .5 hour job so far and I need to fix/edit a bunch more If I do it in Access and compile as an executable, it would be useful on more cases going forward. Our very own WS Case Reference Library App. (I'd better get a free mug.) :D

2afbqdf.jpg
So will there be an administrator for entries to keep them accurate?
 
I did a bit of research. It would be much easier for me to stick with sql than to fart around with FilemakerPro. I can get a head start by simply bastardizing a media library template in Access.

So get out Bootcamp. :)

Such foul language! :slap: :tsktsk:

:laugh: :blowkiss: :thumb:

(back to lurking)
 
So will there be an administrator for entries to keep them accurate?

Dunno. For the purposes of Casey's trial, perhaps. Volunteering? :D

IMO, there is so much already released in this case that I'd like to see a bunch of people populate it to get it up & running, then perhaps hand it off to a central Librarian (vs. Administrator). Laying it solely on one person right now seems to be asking a lot.

Long-term goal is that WS Members could choose to either download themselves to keep their own notes/references, or as cases progress a specific person might take on the task of having an administrator, much like AngelWhoCares puts in much time and effort in updating media threads.
 

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