NationStates Jolt Archive

Anyone else seen the new graphics yet? I thought they were pretty impressive, although we haven't obviously seen all of the new features yet. What are your thoughts? Better than the predecessor, or not? This time, I found an article:

The new graphics (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3572562.stm)

I hate them. The little cloud and sun icons were far better.

But don't you think they were a little too general? If you were somewhere in between a sun-cloud and a rain-cloud, what were you supposed to have? There was no way to tell. At least with the new system you can find where you are and see exactly what the weather is.

But don't you think they were a little too general? If you were somewhere in between a sun-cloud and a rain-cloud, what were you supposed to have? There was no way to tell. At least with the new system you can find where you are and see exactly what the weather is.

Funnily enough, I got by, and forecasts are hardly perfect predictions.

the weather is too complicated already - all they should say is "in the south, bing an umbrella, in the north, wrap up warm" and so on ;)

the weather is too complicated already - all they should say is "in the south, bing an umbrella, in the north, wrap up warm" and so on ;)

"Someone get this kid a TV!"

- Jay Leno, on The Simpsons.

the weather is too complicated already - all they should say is "in the south, bing an umbrella, in the north, wrap up warm" and so on ;)

Did you see Newsnight the week they replaced Business News with the Weather? Jeremy Paxman was hilarious on it, for doing pretty much what you're saying:

"Well, it's going to be rainy in the North-East, especially around Newcastle, same in the North-West, but with a bit of sun... oh, you can see the map, look for yourself."

Or are you already quoting him? In which case, kudos.

Did you see Newsnight the week they replaced Business News with the Weather? Jeremy Paxman was hilarious on it, for doing pretty much what you're saying:

"Well, it's going to be rainy in the North-East, especially around Newcastle, same in the North-West, but with a bit of sun... oh, you can see the map, look for yourself."

Or are you already quoting him? In which case, kudos.
nah wasn't quoting him (not awake enough to use my brain yet...) but i did see him. he was awesome! :p

Anyone else seen the new graphics yet? I thought they were pretty impressive, although we haven't obviously seen all of the new features yet. What are your thoughts? Better than the predecessor, or not? This time, I found an article:

The new graphics (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3572562.stm)Having not checked out the given link yet (which may explain the full range of colours) or having experieinced the depiction of many weather-types yet, I'm a bit unsure about the 'light desert yellow/brown' colour of default land "not being rained upon". I'd prefer a more green shade (though, for practical reasons, probably not as green as the symbol-background).

It's interesting to see the 'nebuluous blue-tinted blobs' of rainy patches travel down the country (and there does appear to be extra detail indicating heavier rain, though I think it should be more obvious) but I haven't (from the two views I got of it) managed to work out what was sunlit and what wasn't and what 'is partly' (i.e. sun and clouds with or without partial-sun symbols in the old system). Maybe that detail got lost in the ground-texture (to my unaccustomed eye).

Roll on snow and sleet and hail and tornados and Mist and 'GOF' and the like, so we can see how they are represented... ;)

I can't believe people are actually interested in that! I was taking the mick out of the BBC people for going on about their new graphics for the past week and now I realise the general public are doing it too! Maybe weather graphics are more fascinating than I imagined . . . :confused:

I can't believe people are actually interested in that! I was taking the mick out of the BBC people for going on about their new graphics for the past week and now I realise the general public are doing it too! Maybe weather graphics are more fascinating than I imagined . . . :confused:I could say 'bring back the little flags system', but that would be going too far.

To tell the truth, I rarely watch the weather forecast (at this time of year, at least), and the very first time I found out that they were changing the system was by accidentally catching the very last one featuring the 'symbol' system, early this morning (around 2:15 BST, I think, they did say "Goodbye") and so made a special effort to get up in time to see one of the first displays of weather under the new system (7:00 BST, because little more than 3.5 hours sleep to catch the 6:00 preview wasn't my idea of fun and I hadn't thought to set the video... ;))

Don't forget that the old system was a 'brand' that people got to know and love and interpret. Some might consider the new system more accurate (gives you an idea of how 'blobs' of rain might pass through their area) but others that it's 'dumbing down' (the viewer is restricted to an absolute view, rather than interpreting the more coarse and 'discrete' view of before and factoring in their tried-and-tested "they're usually around as wrong as $blah" factor in deciding what to believe...

well the BBC has been dumbing down for years, imo, but this new weather system - if it is indeed more accurate - doesn't seem to fit that description

but apart from anything else they're running it off just a few standard desktop PCs now, which will save them a lot of time and money... maybe the TV licencing fee can come down? ;)

I can't believe people are actually interested in that! I was taking the mick out of the BBC people for going on about their new graphics for the past week and now I realise the general public are doing it too! Maybe weather graphics are more fascinating than I imagined . . . :confused:

Accurate digital representations excite me. ;)

I think they are good and anybody who doesn't like them is just an old stick in the mud!


:sniper: