Post by fred on Jun 9, 2011 15:09:08 GMT
Hi all,
I have now begun work on a new cage calculator. I feel a bit strange about this, having got my first goos only six weeks ago and now starting such a project. However, I feel that a new, up to date cage calculator is quite urgently needed because there are serious problems with the three that are currently available (this is not do diminish the work of those who developed these three!).
Why do we need a new calculator? I think most members here will agree that the degutopia calculator is simply outdated and that it is not necessary to discuss this any further. With the Swiss (http://www.octodons.ch/rechner/test/, based on cage volume) and German (http://degu.ldka.de/rechner.php, based on area of all full levels) calculators the issue is that they are terribly inflexible when the value for one dimension is too small. Let's just look at the results of a hypothetical cage. If we use L 300 cm, H 200 cm and D 49 cm, both calculators say that the cage is too small to keep any degus in it. If depth is increased to 50 cm, the cage is suddenly suitable for 12 degus respectively.
Now it's easy to see that this is not meaningful. However, the same problem arises with more realistic cases where owners are really interested whether their cages are suitable for degus. Here are two examples (to make you aware why the returns from these calculators are so problematic and where the new calculator needs to provide the user with more helpful information). Both Amie's and my cage are home to two degus and I don't think anyone here will argue that they are not suitable for this.
Amie's cage is L 94 cm H142 cm D 60 cm. degu.ldka.de says the cage is to small for keeping degus because length is 6 cm too short. octodons.ch says the cage is suitable for 2 to 5 degus but if depth were decreased to 53 cm, which still would leave a great cage, it would no longer be suitable to keep any degus. My cage is L 140 cm H 70 cm D 60 cm. octodons.ch says the cage is too small to keep any degus because height is 10 cm too short (difficult to see what practical effect the 10 cm would have since for most cages that wouldn't mean an additional level). degu.ldka.de doesn't like my cage because the second level is not a full one. When you get such results you either feel bad about your cage or laugh at the cage calculator. Neither is helpful.
I am hopeful you are with me so far that we do need a new calculator. Then there are two reasons why this should include the widest possible community participation. The first is very obvious – I don't have enough hands-on experience. The second is that the calculator should be acceptable to as many forum members as possible. If the discussions on the German-speaking forums are anything to go by, there may be very different views amongst you what the parameters for the calculator should be. Ideally we should try to find a consensus for the calculator before it goes online.
I am proposing to do this in four stages:
Stage 1 – defining the absolute minimum requirements and a potential “grace margin” where cages can be somewhat below those minimum requirements and suggestions are made how the situation can be improved. I will get this under way in a separate thread later today.
Stage 2 - defining the recommended lower values for length, depth height. This is were the new calculator must be much more flexible and provide suggestions how the shortfall in one dimension can be compensated for in the cage. I think we should not start this before stage 1 is completed.
Stage 3 – testing a trial version. I will put a basic trial version on a web site which member can use for their own cages or any fantasy degu huts or palaces. Feedback that points to weaknesses of the calculator will have to be seriously considered.
Stage 4 - Final quality control. deguconvert has kindly agreed to give the finished product a thorough reading to ensure that I haven't made any factual mistakes and that the emphasis is very much on helping and advising degu owners rather than (implicitly) criticising them.
I have now begun work on a new cage calculator. I feel a bit strange about this, having got my first goos only six weeks ago and now starting such a project. However, I feel that a new, up to date cage calculator is quite urgently needed because there are serious problems with the three that are currently available (this is not do diminish the work of those who developed these three!).
Why do we need a new calculator? I think most members here will agree that the degutopia calculator is simply outdated and that it is not necessary to discuss this any further. With the Swiss (http://www.octodons.ch/rechner/test/, based on cage volume) and German (http://degu.ldka.de/rechner.php, based on area of all full levels) calculators the issue is that they are terribly inflexible when the value for one dimension is too small. Let's just look at the results of a hypothetical cage. If we use L 300 cm, H 200 cm and D 49 cm, both calculators say that the cage is too small to keep any degus in it. If depth is increased to 50 cm, the cage is suddenly suitable for 12 degus respectively.
Now it's easy to see that this is not meaningful. However, the same problem arises with more realistic cases where owners are really interested whether their cages are suitable for degus. Here are two examples (to make you aware why the returns from these calculators are so problematic and where the new calculator needs to provide the user with more helpful information). Both Amie's and my cage are home to two degus and I don't think anyone here will argue that they are not suitable for this.
Amie's cage is L 94 cm H142 cm D 60 cm. degu.ldka.de says the cage is to small for keeping degus because length is 6 cm too short. octodons.ch says the cage is suitable for 2 to 5 degus but if depth were decreased to 53 cm, which still would leave a great cage, it would no longer be suitable to keep any degus. My cage is L 140 cm H 70 cm D 60 cm. octodons.ch says the cage is too small to keep any degus because height is 10 cm too short (difficult to see what practical effect the 10 cm would have since for most cages that wouldn't mean an additional level). degu.ldka.de doesn't like my cage because the second level is not a full one. When you get such results you either feel bad about your cage or laugh at the cage calculator. Neither is helpful.
I am hopeful you are with me so far that we do need a new calculator. Then there are two reasons why this should include the widest possible community participation. The first is very obvious – I don't have enough hands-on experience. The second is that the calculator should be acceptable to as many forum members as possible. If the discussions on the German-speaking forums are anything to go by, there may be very different views amongst you what the parameters for the calculator should be. Ideally we should try to find a consensus for the calculator before it goes online.
I am proposing to do this in four stages:
Stage 1 – defining the absolute minimum requirements and a potential “grace margin” where cages can be somewhat below those minimum requirements and suggestions are made how the situation can be improved. I will get this under way in a separate thread later today.
Stage 2 - defining the recommended lower values for length, depth height. This is were the new calculator must be much more flexible and provide suggestions how the shortfall in one dimension can be compensated for in the cage. I think we should not start this before stage 1 is completed.
Stage 3 – testing a trial version. I will put a basic trial version on a web site which member can use for their own cages or any fantasy degu huts or palaces. Feedback that points to weaknesses of the calculator will have to be seriously considered.
Stage 4 - Final quality control. deguconvert has kindly agreed to give the finished product a thorough reading to ensure that I haven't made any factual mistakes and that the emphasis is very much on helping and advising degu owners rather than (implicitly) criticising them.