Participating in the Eventlog
The Eventlog serves as the digital equivalent to the scientist's daily logbook. It is used by shipboard and shore-side cruise participants to log real-time observations on a variety of topics. The Eventlog is simply a recorded, time-stamped chat room that allows all participating researchers to add observations. During ROV operations, there is also an automated entry into the Eventlog that contains in situ information from the vehicles. This page outlines recommended practices when contributing to the Eventlog to maximize its usefulness.
Overview
Days, months, and years after a cruise finishes, it will be of the highest importance to be able to reconstruct the events as they occurred. Data, imagery, and video from the Okeanos all include the date/time they were collected, but that information provides small comfort to the scientists and graduate students who must sift through thousands of files to locate a single piece of data.
The purpose of the Eventlog is to provide a series of shortcuts that will give users a way to narrow down the number of files they must search through. The more frequent and consistent the Eventlog entries, the more accurate and useful the shortcuts.
Prerequisites
Before users can participate in the Eventlog, they must connect to the Eventlog. This requires that the participating user have a valid EX account, an instant messaging (IM) client connected to the EX IM Service, and an IM client connected to the Eventlog chat room.
For more information about meeting these prerequisites, please refer to the following documentation:
- Obtaining a User Account to the EX Collaboration Tools
- Connecting to the IM Server using Pidgin (Windows)
- Using the Pidgin Instant Messaging Client (Windows)
- Connecting to the Eventlog using Pidgin (Windows)
- Accessing Real-time Data Streams (NavData) Using Pidgin (Windows)
- Connecting to the IM Server using Adium (Mac)
- Using the Adium Instant Messaging Client (Mac)
- Connecting to the Eventlog using Adium (Mac)
- Accessing Real-time Data Streams (NavData) Using Adium (Mac)
When to Record
Events should be recorded as soon as they occur. The quicker events are documented, the better their timestamps will with correlate with the data and the more accurate the Eventlog will be.
Since events can be entered by all cruise participants connected to the Eventlog, it is likely that multiple people will log the same event. This will result in multiple copies of the same event being recorded in the Eventlog. Although not ideal, this is a better scenario than no one logging the event. It is recommended that unless someone has been tasked with logging events of a certain type that all participants add their observations as they see fit. Multiple entries in the Eventlogs can always be cleaned up post-process.
It is better to log too much than too little.
What to Log
The Eventlog is meant to record all types of "observational" data. It can also be used for posting subjective information, but this should be done with great discretion as it may mislead those searching the Eventlog post-cruise. The types of events to record include, but are not limited to, the items listed below.
Daily Operations:
- Watch change: Include who is leaving and who coming on
- Media events: Ship-to-shore interviews, live events, etc.
- Weather changes: Sunrise/sunset, rain, wind, changes in cloud cover, etc.
- Technical issues with the vessel : Problems with propulsion, steerage, power, etc.
- Hourly updates: Copy/paste the hourly status update sent over the intercom to the Eventlog
CTD/XBT Operations:
- Start of cast: Include cast name, target depth, type (XBT/CTD)
- Bottle fires: Include cast name, bottle number and depth (CTD only)
- Rosette at bottom of cast (CTD only): Include cast name, target depth
- Rosette returning to surface (CTD only): Include cast name
- End of cast: Include cast name
- Technical issues with the CTD: Problems with CTD equipment, CTD winch, data collection, etc.
- Science-related observations: Spikes in data, points of interests, etc .
Multibeam Operations:
- Start of survey: Include survey name, target area
- Start of line: Include survey name, line number
- End of line: Include survey name, line number
- End of survey: Include survey name
- Technical issues with the multibeam: Problems with bottom lock, data holidays, etc.
- Science-related observations: Expected and unexpected features, points of interests, etc.
ROV Operations:
- Start of dive: Include dive name, this event occurs at the start of the launch
- Start of decent: Include dive name, this event occurs when the vehicles begin their decent
- On bottom: Include dive name, this event occurs when the vehicle detects the ocean bottom
- Off bottom: Include dive name, this event occurs when the vehicle leaves the bottom for recovery
- Vehicles on surface: Include dive name, this event occurs when the vehicle reaches the surface
- End of dive: Include dive name, this event occurs when both vehicles are secured on deck
- Technical issues with the ROV: Problems with ROV equipment (camera, lights, sensors), traction winch, data collection, navigation, etc.
- Science-related observations: Where possible, these events should start with a TAXA code
- During ROV operations, at five-minute intervals, there will be an automated entry from “NavData” that will include some position information from the vehicles and readouts from the onboard CTD.
What Not to Log
It is important only log things objectively not speculatively... save that for the publications.
The Eventlog should not be used for discussion amongst cruise participants. These discussions are a distraction to the other users and should be conducted in a separate chat room or one-to-one chat. For more information on starting a separate chat room or one-to-one chat, please refer to: Using the Pidgin Instant Messaging Client (Windows).
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