OA Databased Timeline - Input Needed

[Drashner1]

Hello all,

As part of the ongoing upgrade/redesign of the OA project we're looking at generating our timelines from a centralized database (which already exists and supports the scrollable timeline) rather than as manually created text. This would have various advantages including allowing us to update the timeline pages centrally and generate filtered sub-timelines for more specialized pages.

It's actually on the subject of such filters that I'm posting here and asking for your thoughts.

Currently, it's been suggested that the following filters might be good features to have on the timeline function.

a) Filter by date range (show all events from Date X to Date Y)

b) Filter by major Topic (Galactography, Technology, etc.) so that we could rapidly generate things like the Tech Timeline for example.

My question to the group is:

Are there any other filters beyond these two that folks think it would be good to have as part of the timeline tool?

Please note that Trond has indicated that it is not practical to create a tool with the full range of 'build your own search functionality out of multiple inputs on an ad hoc basis' that advanced use of Excel allows. But some degree of filtering is possible and in some cases Trond may be able to help us create a customized timeline for a particular page or the like. But initially we are looking at filters. So what ideas do folks have?

Please have suggestions for filters posted by this time next week.

Thanks!

Todd

[Rynn]

I can't really think of anything that wouldn't be very specific those two should give people enough flexibility that they can find what they want.

[stevebowers]

Several categories seem significant;
1/ Galactography - this one can include the dates that various worlds and star systems were first reached or colonised.
2/ Technology - this can include the first use of a particular device, spacecraft drive, weapon or completed megastructure
3/ Sophontology - rather than including this in Technology, records the first development of a new clade or significant class of sophont, biont, aioid or virtual. Can also be used for aliens.
4/Biography - we need to get more biographies on the site - significant people and sophont entities of all kinds.
5/Other history - significant events such as warfare or the emergence of religions