[mythtv] mythweather-revamp

[Rich West]

Rich West wrote:
> Martin Long wrote:
>   
>>> I was wondering when mythweather-revamp would replace the current
>>> mythweather.  I submitted some updates to mythweather-revamp, but I
>>> don't think they made it in to svn (a new NWS-Stations.xml and animaps.pl).
>>>
>>> I realize that it is missing the ability to gather weather data from
>>> other countries, but that is solved by creating scripts to do that
>>> work.  The best way to get those scripts created is via contributions. :)
>>>
>>> The current implementation of mythweather is nearly useless in the US as
>>> the data is very typically plain wrong or out of date.  I've been using
>>> mythweather-revamp since November with good success.
>>>       
>> In my opinion it shouldn't be replaced until all territories covered in the
>> original are cover by the revamp. The current functionality may not be great
>> for everyone, but it wouldn't be acceptable to leave us in the UK, for
>> example, with nothing. There are a LOT of users outside the US (4 people in
>> my office of 170 for example). See how many of the users posting on these
>> lists are from the UK or Oz, or Europe. 
>>     
>
> Somehow, I just knew I would get an answer like that.. :(
>
> I started to write a message to clarify what I was asking for, but then
> I realized the futility of it.  The key feature of the
> mythweather-revamp plugin is also its key problem: it relies on plugins
> (scripts) to get its weather data, and those plugins are localized to
> the end user.
>
> In other words, for a user in the US with mythweather-revamp installed,
> they would have to use scripts geared towards the US, and for users in
> other parts of the globe, they would have to use scripts geared towards
> their locale.
>
> The US-based scripts exist primarily because the author is in the US
> (necessity is the mother of invention, after all).  I guess the only way
> other scripts will come about is if others decide to make them, and, if
> those outside of the US are happy with MythWeather as it is, then the
> need just isn't there...
>
> Unfortunately, because of the inaccuracy and instability of the data
> source for the current Mythweather implementation, US users very
> frequently get bogus data, making it useless and, hence, not worth the
> disk space it resides on.
>
> It is a shame, too.. Mythweather-revamp's plugin feature allows for some
> neat customizations for greater accuracy and more information.  For
> example, I get my local weather from the Yahoo, forecasts from NWS, and
> I get my Doppler radar (animated, of course!) from accuweather.com.  You
> can't get that from mythweather. :)

Oh.. and when it comes to weather information, it is binary: it is
either useful or it is not.  There is no real middle ground.

-Rich