[Andreas Brekken]

Hi, guys.

I firmly believe the only way to go about this issue is to make the data available through a relational database, which references the source of the information, and I also believe that publishing it via some format is Ok, but the data then is only static...

We all know that all the time new information appear, that offers further insight and better quality of data, from an immense number of localized and centralized sources.

Of course, guys like Remi and Jim knows about the amount of work that go into creating such a database and publishing it.

I have created a database that now have been proofed by other helping hands with regards to flexibility and ability to cross-reference the kind of information we need to use in this work, and it is working without flaws.

I have also created a user interface for the database based on ASP.NET 2.0 which give a nice object-oriented way of programming views etc for the database.

My idea the whole time has been that the database should be available on the internet, but I am not willing to give the entire content of it away for free.

So I have kind of decided for a membership scheme, and the guys I have been talking to also suggest that membership would be by personal application, with references, thus you would have to have one guy I trust vouch for your integrity. (as one put it earlier here, this would be like putting your hand into the pot of honey and withdraw the good stuff... instantly...)

So my question to you guys is then:

What would be a reasonable fee for allowing access to such a source of data?

As of now, the data consist of:

All losses registered by the Genst.Gen.Qu.6.Abt. for frontline and school + other units

A serious amount of losses for 1944 where data come from the Namentliche Verlustemeldungen (numbers here are increasing all the time)

All summary loss record for frontline units (which of course give you the basic data for all losses sustained in 1944)

All available strength reports of the frontline units from March 1942 through December 1944, with additional information from other sources from the time before and after these dates for some units.

In addition, the user interface is based upon the idea that all that have access will be able to participate in the process of enhancing the data. Thus - if you for example come across a piece of information in the WASt, the BA-MA, in a local police report or whatever that will give additional information, you can add this, and we all instantly can see this.
(I have included a scheme here that allows the author to set a access level for new information, so that you can use the online database to store information that you are not willing to shae with others, for example while gathering data for a publication, so you do not HAVE to share immediately, but can wait until publication date for example)

I have also included a personnel record, aircraft record and 'war diary' in the system.

The personnel record was a result of my own need to gather information not only about aircraft losses, but also other info about a persons career in the Luftwaffe. Some information is inserted automatically, when you enter a loss where a certain person is involved, you will be able to see this in his personnel record etc etc

The aircraft record was born as a need to follow the tracks of a given aircraft from it was produced until it was destroyed. Some aircraft will appear in a lot of records, like photographs, inventory returns, operational information (He 59 XX+XX on search & rescue patrol from 09:07 to 11:56).

The war diary is where I keep my dated records, photos, extracts from KTB's, and all snippets of information.

All relevant information is of course linked and referenced, which in my opinion is very important. If you do not know where the information originally came from (book, photogrpahic interpretation, original document...) it is more or less useless.

So, hopefully you will have some comments on how to proceed with this?

Regards,
Andreas B