Querying Mitford Files for Predictive Visualization Tool: First Steps

[ebeshero]

Here's a space where we can keep track of our development work for our project, what I'm thinking of as building a "Predictive Visualization Tool" for the Mitford project. ( @ezimmer you may wish to give this a new name.)

A little orientation: With Issues in GitHub, we can open them (in the web interface) as a way to "ping" each other when there's something important we need to think about together. GitHub will help us keep track of our issues, and organize them as "open" (unresolved) or "closed" (when we think we've solved something). We reopen closed issues as needed, and search them for content, as well as by Labels and Milestones we've assigned. For an example of how this works on an active project, check out the Issues board on my Amadis-in-Translation repository here: https://github.com/ebeshero/Amadis-in-Translation/issues . And go click on the Closed Issues to see some of the lengthy early stuff we posted as we were working on this project, and transitioning from e-mailing each other over to Git!

Git Issues and the Wiki and Readme.md files support Markdown, so you can quickly and easily format headers, tables, lists, insert images. Read how to do that in the "Markdown supported" link on the top right of your input box here.

I'd like to see our project here work like the Amadis-in-Translation project: We open and discuss issues in the Issues area (which you can always access from the main page of the repository from the circular icon with the exclamation point. When we decide on a policy or something we sort of want to "carve in stone" for ourselves, we develop a Wiki page (accessible from the book icon). We can link back and forth between Issues and Wikis here, and that will help us stay organized without having to hunt through massive piles of email! (GitHub will "ping" us by e-mail whenever there is an update, and you can change how its alerts are sent to you, but it'll be really helpful to archive our work and our discussions on the project here!)

[ebeshero]

@ezimmer: You are here as a collaborator now, and that means you can push files (or new directories of files) directly here. I think I'd like us to work together in an existing directory called "data-viz" here. When you clone the mitford repository, look for it.

I'll start a new directory inside data-viz called Predictive-Tool-Dev or something like that.

[ebeshero]

@ezimmer: You may want an orientation to GitHub's desktop client, and some information on how to sync and push commits to repositories. Here's a great starting point that we've been using in the Pitt DH-courses this past year: http://dh.obdurodon.org/github.xhtml

Important Note About Mindful File Management

Always, always remember to sync your local machine with our repository when you begin work and when you complete work. In order to sync your changes to the files here, you need to write a commit message (and only the summary line is required).

[ebeshero]

@ezimmer @mollyodonnell
I'm leaving us a note here in Issues. Let's try to schedule a long Skype session for three purposes:

1. To get everyone comfortable working here in GitHub on local computers and syncing to the cloud;
2. To work out what each of us will contribute to the presentation in Lyon, and to the continued development of the Querying/Annotation tool
3. To work on XPath and XQuery to, first of all:

• find the "siblings" of Miss James, that is, the persNames, placeNames, and bibl elements and their reference entries in the site index.
• calculate the most frequently referenced 3 (or 6, or 9), and have a look at our lists.

That'll be enough for now. We'll then work on drawing the results with the triangular/pyramidal forms once we know we're getting the text and number results we need first of all. We'll be able to write XQuery to build and shape (and/or color and shade) those triangular shapes based on the frequency numbers we generate for the top reference points.

I imagine that what we will produce a little XQuery program that draws triangles in SVG of distinct shapes based on frequency counts--that we can run and apply to any given Named Entity we place at the center (whoever we want to stand in for Miss James).

[mollyodonnell]

@ezimmer, @ebeshero, tomorrow I teach pretty much all day till 7pm pac time. I could conceivably skype Tuesday morning or Wednesday afternoon. Thursday I'm out of town through Sunday.

[ebeshero]

@mollyodonnell @ezimmer I might be able to Skype a bit if I've got a good network connection on Tues. AM: I'm dropping off my friends at the airport in the morning early, and am going into the city for lunch, but will be there good and early. That could be a good moment for us to try a GitHub orientation, anyway. @ezimmer: Erica, are you perhaps free next Saturday for XQuery stuff even if Molly isn't?

[ezimmer]

Hi, @ebeshero and @mollyodonnell--an orientation on Tuesday morning sounds great, and yes, I can do Saturday. (I get back from North Carolina very late Friday night, but any time after 10 a.m. should be good!) Will also try to work out a possible approach/questions involving XQuery before then (sorry to have lost the one I was working on yesterday!). Looking forward to both.

[mollyodonnell]

@ebeshero and @ezimmer, did we decide on a time for tomorrow? I'm checking because it will likely be very early for me if it's morning there, so I want to be up and awake. Also, Skype or Google hangout? Would prefer the latter if there's no preference. I have an email in because despite having taken down firewalls, anti-Virus, etc. I'm having issues cloning. (Yes, Elisa, my dreaded PC strikes again.) Wondering if there's a way I can push from my copied repository on GitHub itself vs. desktop application. ttys.

[ezimmer]

Any time that works well for you guys works for me. (Also, Google Hangout is fine, too--I use that less but will test before tomorrow morning in case.) Looking forward!

[ebeshero]

@mollyodonnell @ezimmer Sorry--I don't think I can schedule this for tomorrow!

[ebeshero]

@mollyodonnell @ezimmer OK--let me rephrase that: Not tomorrow morning! But what about an hour-long meeting around Noon my time (EST)?

[mollyodonnell]

@ebeshero and @ezimmer, sorry. I teach from 1 on and again at 4 my time. Feel free to meet without me if that's a good time for you both. As stated, I'm happy to just be assigned tasks, too.

[ebeshero]

@mollyodonnell The timing should work for you! Noon MY time would be 9am YOUR time (Pacific Time): Will that work?

@ezimmer

[mollyodonnell]

@ebeshero and @ezimmer, yes, that's great. Sorry. Monday's my long teaching day (still in progress). Brain fatigue.

[ezimmer]

Hi, @ebeshero and @mollyodonnell--right now, I have something from 12-1, but a) will try to reschedule and b) if we're still planning on a long-ish session, I could also jump in at 1 (even if it's brief from that point) and catch up on Saturday with what was

[ezimmer]

missed, if that works? (Sorry--on a train and hit wrong button.) I hope that works!

[ebeshero]

OK! Good--Let's plan for tomorrow (Tues) a 12 - 1:30pm EST (9 - 10:30am Molly's time) Orientation to GitHub, and Taking Stock of Tasks Ahead. Erica and I will continue on Saturday with XQuery. Molly, we can decide if you'd like an orientation to XQuery too, but it is most pressing for Erica just now!

Molly, I wonder if we will have to do a command line connection from you machine, but I am holding out hope that we'll clone and push files successfully direct from the website tomorrow!

@mollyodonnell
@ezimmer

[ebeshero]

Lately I am preferring Skype to Google Plus--desktop sharing seems easier in Skype lately...Shall we try starting there? And if it doesn't wok out we can switch over?
I am ebbondar on Skype.

@ezimmer
@mollyodonnell

[ezimmer]

This sounds great--so far, I haven't been able to reschedule, but 30 mins should let us talk a bit as a group! (I'm athenerica2003 on Skype, if that's what we use--will check this page again re: that.)

Also, will try to post a few more code bits and stats before then, not so much for discussion as for reference. Thanks, and see you both tomorrow! @ebeshero @mollyodonnell

[mollyodonnell]

@ebeshero @ezimmer, I'm modonnell36..."see" you then.

[mollyodonnell]

@ebeshero, Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Owner\Documents\GitHub\mitford [master]> git status
On branch master
Your branch and 'origin/master' have diverged,
and have 1 and 1 different commit each, respectively.
(use "git pull" to merge the remote branch into yours)

nothing to commit, working directory clean
C:\Users\Owner\Documents\GitHub\mitford [master]>

[ebeshero]

Okay--I'm going to embed @mollyodonnell's image here:

Here's a comment I made on Molly's image:

[mollyodonnell]

@ebeshero, huzzah, all github issues fixed. Was able to push that pdf into correct folder. babysteps. update on 1819 letters forthcoming.

[ebeshero]

Yay! 👍

[ezimmer]

Hello, @ebeshero and @mollyodonnell--just wanted to follow up about conference participation. It looks like the early registration discount has been extended until 30 September, which helps!

Shall I respond to the e-mail to confirm we will be presenting? (Now that we know at least two will be there, I think all we'll have to confirm is that fact.) Any abstract changes would be made separately via the ConfTool. Will look at that again today, too.

@ebeshero, would 10:30 or 11 a.m. tomorrow work well for a work session? (Looking forward!)

[ebeshero]

@mollyodonnell @ezimmer I'll be on Skype at 10:45am. In the meantime, here's the accomodation page: http://tei2015.huma-num.fr/en/accomodation/

I'm staying with my friend Stacey Triplette in the center of town, and I can ask her how big her place is, and whether she might accommodate a couple of additional guests for the week! I'm not sure how much space she has, but it's worth asking!

[ezimmer]

Hi @ebeshero--thank you for all comments! I'm having to move to school due to a bad connection at home and don't want to waste your time, if this train is a little slow. Could we start a bit closer to 11? (Sorry abt that.)

Also, I think there might be multiple ways of approaching the problem/the way a tool could address it. What I'd envisioned was a little different, but I think it's worth trying your way first. If we have time today, I'll explain what I was thinking--they might bring us to the same or similar places, though. It will take trying to see!

Thanks again. I look forward to Skyping soon!

[athenerica2003]

I should be on Skype in under 5.

On Saturday, September 19, 2015, Erica Zimmer notifications@github.com
wrote:

Hi @ebeshero--thank you for all comments! I'm having to move to school due
to a bad connection at home and don't want to waste your time, if this
train is a little slow. Could we start a bit closer to 11? (Sorry abt that.)

Also, I think there might be multiple ways of approaching the problem/the
way a tool could address it. What I'd envisioned was a little different,
but I think it's worth trying your way first. If we have time today, I'll
explain what I was thinking--they might bring us to the same or similar
places, though. It will take trying to see!

Thanks again. I look forward to Skyping soon!

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#2 (comment).

[ebeshero]

@ezimmer Thanks for the marathon meeting yesterday! We did a lot of coding and we worked out some major concepts to do with annotation and visualization. So, @mollyodonnell, I think we're no longer actually drawing triangles, but more something like spokes on a dial radiating from Miss James. And I'll try a first mock-up of this as one of my tasks this week. See the Tasks List that Erica drafted, and make sure everything makes sense here. I'm about to write to the whole Mitford team this morning to tell them what we're working on, to share the MySQL page with editor assignments, and try to motivate us all onward!

I've just heard from Stacey in Lyon: their digs are sort of small with just one tiny bathroom with 19th-c plumbing, so it would be kind of crowded for you to pile in there. They'd love to have you both over for dinner there during the conference week, though--but you'll be a lot more comfortable in a room / rooms of your own!

[ezimmer]

Thank you for making the time, @ebeshero! That was terrific. (I also love that you've said "spokes" and "dial" together--it brought the image together for me, and I can already envision further possibilities!)

@mollyodonnell Definitely echoing Elisa on what's been drafted re: tasks...also, if sharing a place would end up being convenient for Lyon, let me know! I'd love to do that, if it ends up working for you.

[mollyodonnell]

Much appreciated.
On Sep 19, 2015 2:15 AM, "Elisa Beshero-Bondar" notifications@github.com
wrote:

@mollyodonnell https://github.com/mollyodonnell @ezimmer
https://github.com/ezimmer I'll be on Skype at 10:45am. In the
meantime, here's the accomodation page:
http://tei2015.huma-num.fr/en/accomodation/

I'm staying with my friend Stacey Triplette in the center of town, and I
can ask her how big her place is, and whether she might accommodate a
couple of additional guests for the week! I'm not sure how much space she
has, but it's worth asking!

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#2 (comment).

[mollyodonnell]

@ebeshero & @ezimmer just wanted to say thanks for all the hard work over the weekend. I'm up to speed & looking wrap my letter updates/assessments from task list early this week.