After reading a few links, from a thread about favorite sighting reports, the Ancient One began pondering the need for a new classification system for Bigfoot reports. The only one that I'm aware of is the BFRO's "Class A, B, and C" ratings. The International Bigfoot Society has started a report database (incomplete at this time) which ranks reports on a five-point scale.

What I'm thinking about is more on the line of Dr. Hynek's classification of UFO reports... many became familiar with CEIII, following Steven Spielberg's classic.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS...

OF THE FIRST KIND (CEI)
A UFO in close proximity (within approx 500 feet) of the witness.

OF THE SECOND KIND (CEII)
A UFO that leaves markings on the ground, causes burns or paralysis to humans, frightens animals, interferes with car engines or TV and radio reception.

OF THE THIRD KIND (CEIII)
A CEI or CEII which have visible occupants.
There are also two more unofficial classes of Close Encounter...


OF THE FOURTH KIND (CEIV)
Abduction cases.

OF THE FIFTH KIND (CEV)
Communication occurs between a person and an alien.


Any thoughts?

Well, that's basically the same as one to five stars, but you're putting some definition around them as opposed to letting them be arbitrary.

I'm fine with BFRO's system. Makes some sense to me. What I'd really like from a database like theirs would be to search based on certain criteria. Height, color, build, sex, month, location, day/night, etc...

I have a problem with the database maintained by the BFRO. I find it frustrating to search their list of sightings.

What is needed, IMHO, is a database searchable not only by state (then county), but by time of year, by time of day... in fact, Id like to look at a Chronological listing, as in the classic Bigfoot Casebook by Janet & Colin Bord.

I'm not suggesting that there is a need for categories CEIV or CEV, but the more detail, the better, I believe.

I would like to see Reports thats been investigated seperated from the ones that havent. I dont have a real interest in reading reports that may or may not be true.
peg

ditto

What I'd like (and it looks like it would satisfy Bipto as well)
is a huge spreadsheet. You could research/index by whatever
trait/information you're interested in. Could also be useful
in graphing that same info. Bell curves anyone?

I love bell-curves!

How many of us keep files of our own, with all of the data we can find ?I know ,I've got one thats split up into categories ranging from Area sighted to possible but unlikely as far as sightings go.I suspect i'm not the only one who does this even if its a different filing system than what I use.The info is usually there somewhere.

The BFRO uses an online database type that is only searchable internally. If it were a pay for info site then you would probably get what you wish for.

Untill all collected data is standardized for database normalization, any type of system will be flawed. Everyone needs to be working off the same set of questions and those questions need to have a standard set of answers to choose from. To a database there is a big difference between a stream and a river, a toe and a digit, a scream and a yell, a warm day and 68 degrees, a wet spell and 3" of rain, Summer and July 10, a full moon and the moon was up, dusk and 6:30pm... and so on. I am sure that if you started your own database you would immediately see this big problem.

A rating system is still in it's infancy. The BFRO's has been evolving. I think the first rating system came down to us from Peter Byrne.

These types of topics are ones that could be addressed at the major conferences held around the country. A task force team could be chosen to work the issue and report back or establish a new procedure that everyone would follow... that means between groups and individuals. Organization leads to success.

Two other things I hope for are in the picture.

nice pic dda,kinda beauty and the beast like,anyway welcome aboard..

Welcome to BFF Uhhh...damn...uhhh dirtyape.

I had to edit your post. Sorry. The ladies take offense to the nudity and we have a rule around here about bare bottoms and such...LOL

For future reference... children read this forum and we want to keep it family oriented for all to read and learn from.

Thanks for posting though and we are looking forward to what you bring to the forums.

And for the rest of the guys that are sorry they missed it....I say..."oh get over it!" :rolleyes:

ummmm....Hello, DamnDirtyApe! (dig the moniker )

Welcome to the BFF, DDA. Do you happen to be an investigator for the BFRO?

Welcome damndirtyape - that's one wacky photo!

Bipto: I've used Google's advanced search option to search specific phrases and keywords on the BFRO site. You can choose to return only pages from a specific site like bfro.net.

Its not perfect, but its much easier than using the hopless navigation system they have in place, and even returns interesting articles and reports that aren't currently linked to the main pages.

Ray

Slick trick, Ray. Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to remember that.

Hey, Ray, great Google tip!

Thanks for the tip about bfro navigation, Raven. I'll have to look up advanced searching in the new book "Google Hacks," put out by the Google people. I too felt annoyed about bfro's software & its articles being unlinked to its main menu. I wondered if these were accessible only by insiders who had a special password or something. Please supply more details on what you're doing, if you feel they'd be helpful.

bipto has got himself the most powerful hosting software I've yet seen. Congratulations. (But stand by for a barrage of my nit-pickings eventually!)

Sorry about the picture being so fleshy. Didn't know it was that risque (sp). Yes I am with the BFRO. As far as I know, I thought everyone could lookup a county and see posted reports (A,B and C) plus all linked articles about goings on in said county. The only thing not accessible would be the KB linked database, training, live site web cams and internal papers. There should be some improvements soon with the mapping features and that would be accessible to the public.

So here is another picture... the host of a new TV series coming out this fall on (mostly) Bigfoot across North America, produced and directed by the same of LMS, for the OLN. Autumn Williams of Oregon. I think you will all love her!

That's Autumn Williams!?! Huh.

Hey DDA, help me out here. What's a 'KB linked database'?

Oh Good Looooorrrrrd, George would die to see that picture!!!! lol

Don't tell him DDA! Then we'd have to kill him!

Yep. That's Autumn. She's pretty cool and she's not even scared to go stomping around in a Florida swamp. And it ain't bigfoot you gotta' be worried about there, it's the damn cottonmouths.

I think Autumn will do fine.........
told ya to get her over here !



Robert

hi damned dirtyape ( I ove saying that ) welcome to bff

KB = Knowledge Base

Things like toe declination in tracks, token offerings, sounds, bone ID, tips in photography, casting, whisper mic building, home made pheremones... things like this.

Right now the film crew is shooting another episode in the Great Lakes area. Should be a fine show and yes, Autumn is a brave soul! I guess there will be a couple of Lake Monster episodes but all in all it is about the search for Bigfoot. So far most of the work has been done in the east, slowly moving to the mid west.

Can't wait...for a number of reasons.
Dis's gonna be a very cool show.

Oh c'mon Fish
Give them little cottonmouths a break he he

Well, that's what I thought KB stood for! Guess I didn't need to ask...