FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS |
Q.:
Why did you choose to do a Multimedia CD-Rom and not a book?
:
Since the beginning of the project I have been asked this question more than any other and the answer
is pretty simple. First of all I had audio and video clips that I wanted to
include and secondly, as much as I love books, they still eventually
get distressed and fragile. Digital information remains the same forever
and the main goal of this project is to preserve a part of World War
II history for generations to come. If the response to the CD is good
then maybe, somewhere down the line, there might be a book version for those without computers but
I have no concrete plans to do that at this point.
Many people I have
spoken to about the project really don't comprehend how a CD can be
used as a research tool or to archive information but I believe there
will come a time when it's going to be commonplace. Just in the time I've spent compiling the information I've noticed more and
more CD-ROMS of this type appearing on the net and in catalogs alongside
of printed media.
Q.:
Aren't CD-ROMs more expensive than books?
:
No, not at all, the projected selling price of the CD will be comparable to that of
softback books on similar subjects and will have actually have alot
more content per page. The CD is laid-out like a huge website, and using
that as the example, it can be best described as a 450-plus page fully
searchable website with hundreds of photos, videos, original music and
audio clips. All you need to view it are a computer with a browser and
a program that will play the videos, both of which are on nearly every
computer in the world. You don't even have to have a connection to the internet unless you want to go to any of the linked sites.
Right
now I am not sure how powerful of a computer will be required, but I
tested early versions on a very old system and everything worked pretty
well. It's safe to say that anyone viewing this page will be able to
access this CD-Rom. We'll know more once Beta testing is completed. I also need to check on what has to be changed for Mac users to view everything, I hate to admit it but I am pretty ignorant about the world of Macs.
Q.:
Why did you choose the 79th Fighter Squadron as the subject?
:
Two reasons, the first being all of the wartime images given to me by
Jack Ilfrey, which included photos of almost every pilot from the squadron.
The second is that, through the years I have been researching the 20th
Fighter Group, I've had more contact with former Fightin' 79th personnel
and families than any other. Early in the project I also chose to include
men from 20th. Fighter Group Headquarters on the CD because their activities
were often so intertwined with those of the 79th that they are an important
part of the rich tapestry that is the squadron's history.
I
could have easily created a CD about the 20th Fighter Group and just
touched upon a few pilots from each squadron's stories, but I chose
to do one that covered every pilot from the 79th Squadron instead. It
wasn't a choice that eliminated any work, believe me. When I started
this project I never imagined it would take almost two years to compile.
I remember telling Larry Roush, who provided the music for the CD, that
I would probably have it all finished up in a month or two. (laughs)
It took six weeks to scan the photos alone!
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