Each evening the computer from the float gets hooked up to the internet and gets synchronised with the database on the server which is the one feeding the website. At the same time the collector software used to register the stories on the float gets updated whenever Dorian has a new version.
All this remote updating works a treat but it does not replace going down and checking how things work live. The response to the project has been very strong and we are collecting a huge amount of stories. The tireless invigilators on the float are doing a fantastic job communicating the project and capturing the stories. The week point at the moment are the 'add-on signs' which break very easily. They either snap (which is easy to fix) or the jack simply comes apart (which is not easy to fix at all). Ones broken we have to register a new 'add on' in the database, transfer the sticker and merge the different sets of data in order not to get too much confusion. This is actually rather high maintenance as it entails getting the broken signs to London, fixing them and getting them back. In the meantime important signs might be missing on site and temporary signs are used which is further confusing the data...... Anyway we live and learn.
Saturday Dorian and I went down early to have a good few hours before the float goes out at 10am and check the system, repair signs and spend time with the float on site to see how everything works when it is live. It was very helpful as we noticed little problems that caused confusion which we could only understand properly when seeing the mapping in action.






