New Bbc Graphics

[PB22]

I have sent a long email to the BBC about these new graphics...straight to the point but not rude or insulting.

[ballybabe12]

I can assure you that even if the reply is standard all E-mails are read as all letters are read. This is part of the BBC's complaints procedure. If you are not happy with the response you recieve you are welcome to write again. Just make sure you say that you were not happy with the first response.

I am sorry that you all feel that the BBC is Dumbing Down its forecasts but if they are so dumb then how come so many of you don't understand them?

Edited May 21, 2005 by ballybabe12

[Summer of 76]

I have sent a long email to the BBC about these new graphics...straight to the point but not rude or insulting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have done the same using the complaints section I received the following after 48 hours

"Thank you for your e-mail.

We appreciate the time you have taken to inform us of your views regarding the changes to BBC Weather output. We can assure you that BBC Weather will be keen to monitor public reaction to the new format and that your opinion will play a key role in their output decisions.

All comments are reported back into the organisation so that programme makers and senior management can be fully informed of the opinions of our audience when reviewing our programmes, services and policies.

Thank you again for contacting us.

BBC Complaints Unit

I love the e-mail address it came from - pleasedonotreply@bbc.co.uk

Chris

[Microburst]

I can assure you that even if the reply is standard all E-mails are read as all letters are read. This is part of the BBC's complaints procedure. If you are not happy with the response you recieve you are welcome to write again. Just make sure you say that you were not happy with the first response.

I am sorry that you all feel that the BBC is Dumbing Down its forecasts but if they are so dumb then how come so many of you don't understand them?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Touche!! ballybabe. I totally agree with what you say. Nice to see someone else sticking up for the Beeb for a change - although it is not easy at times!

MB

[Microburst]

I have done the same using the complaints section I received the following after 48 hours

"Thank you for your e-mail.

We appreciate the time you have taken to inform us of your views regarding the changes to BBC Weather output.  We can assure you that BBC Weather will be keen to monitor public reaction to the new format and that your opinion will play a key role in their output decisions. 

All comments are reported back into the organisation so that programme makers and senior management can be fully informed of the opinions of our audience when reviewing our programmes, services and policies.

Thank you again for contacting us.

BBC Complaints Unit

                         

I love the e-mail address it came from -  pleasedonotreply@bbc.co.uk 

Chris

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't understand why you feel so surprised you get an automated response e mail. At least it is an acknowledement which is more than some companies bother to do.

As I have said before the BBC does not have the resources the sit someone down and reply to every letter and e mail received. BBC Information is a good port of call the number I gave in this thread a few postings back.

MB

[Microburst]

Countryfile will indeed be very interesting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, Jackone, I think you and everyone interested in the new 3D graphics will find Countryfile interesting this week. For your information:

New Countryfile Weather

John Craven visits the BBC Weather Centre in London to find out how new, cutting-edge graphics are being used to put together the Countryfile forecast.

He speaks to weather centre manager Andrew Lane about the controversy surrounding the move to the 3D graphics and to meteorologist Peter Gibb as he prepares the first new-look Countryfile weather forecast.

1130 until 1200 BBC 1

Enjoy MB

Edited May 21, 2005 by Microburst

[johnholmes]

thanks for that MB, will put the tape on while I'm away hiking.

[Andy Bown]

Hey thanks Microburst

That really sounds fascinating.

Now for the SKY + to record properly tomorrow

[Summer of 76]

I don't understand why you feel so surprised you get an automated response e mail. At least it is an acknowledement which is more than some companies bother to do.

As I have said before the BBC does not have the resources the sit someone down and reply to every letter and e mail received.  BBC Information is a good port of call the number I gave in this thread a few postings back.

MB

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, I never complained about an automated response I was just making light of the fact that I received that e-mail from address. However a reply is only as good if it attempts to answer the constructive points that one puts forward.

I'm not supprised they don't have the resource and if I was a manager in BBC Complaints section I'm sure i would be having words with BBC Weather about why my work load had increased so much over the past week.

Edited May 21, 2005 by cm2 work

[Thundery wintry showers]

I am sorry that you all feel that the BBC is Dumbing Down its forecasts but if they are so dumb then how come so many of you don't understand them?

There is a big difference between the sources of confusion.

The complaints the BBC allegedly received relating to use of pressure charts etc. will have been about confusion caused by the forecast presentation being too technical and advanced for their tastes, and/or geared towards people with more of an interest in weather than them.

The current confusion is completely different: it is caused by very simple layman weather stuff (sunshine, rain, temperatures) being presented in a manner such that many people find it difficult to interpret what is happening where.

Again, I'm not trying to have a go at the BBC here, I just think that while some of the complaints have been unfair and attacking the BBC, many perfectly valid constructive points are being completely ignored, whether through being fobbed off by points that don't stand up to scrutiny, or being tarred with the same brush as various non-constructive whinging.

[dodge]

At the end of the day, we pay the TV Licence, we have every right to express our oppinions on the quality and style of output presented by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Wether, that be weather, or wether that be ballroom dancing.

I like the BBC for many of the programs it has produced over the years, but I think so far, my initial reaction is that they have scored an own goal with these new graphics, although the Jury's still out.

[dee88]

i find when you watch the weather on the bbci service on sky, its hard to see the graphics until they zoom into the map.

[Microburst]

I am sorry that you all feel that the BBC is Dumbing Down its forecasts but if they are so dumb then how come so many of you don't understand them?

There is a big difference between the sources of confusion.

The complaints the BBC allegedly received relating to use of pressure charts etc. will have been about confusion caused by the forecast presentation being too technical and advanced for their tastes, and/or geared towards people with more of an interest in weather than them.

The current confusion is completely different: it is caused by very simple layman weather stuff (sunshine, rain, temperatures) being presented in a manner such that many people find it difficult to interpret what is happening where.

Again, I'm not trying to have a go at the BBC here, I just think that while some of the complaints have been unfair and attacking the BBC, many perfectly valid constructive points are being completely ignored, whether through being fobbed off by points that don't stand up to scrutiny, or being tarred with the same brush as various non-constructive whinging.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How do you know the constructive points made are being ignored??? You don't!

So lets just wait and see how things develop.

MB

[J10]

Yes, Jackone, I think you and everyone interested in the new 3D graphics will find Countryfile interesting this week. For your information:

New Countryfile Weather 

John Craven visits the BBC Weather Centre in London to find out how new, cutting-edge graphics are being used to put together the Countryfile forecast.

He speaks to weather centre manager Andrew Lane about the controversy surrounding the move to the 3D graphics and to meteorologist Peter Gibb as he prepares the first new-look Countryfile weather forecast.

1130 until 1200  BBC 1

Enjoy  MB

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very much look forward to the forecast, hopefully It will be a long forecast and the full potential of the new system will be used.

[Andy Bown]

I am sorry but Penny Tranter has just described the sunshine on the map as 'coffee coloured' :blink: Depends how you like your coffee :blink: She must like hers milky!

And after such an exciting day of weather for many places not even a show of the radar (although mention of thunder, downpours and flash flooding) just the predicted movement of the rain now into Cornwall.

[The PIT]

I am sorry but Penny Tranter has just described the sunshine on the map as 'coffee coloured' :blink: Depends how you like your coffee :blink:   She must like hers milky!

And after such an exciting day of weather for many places not even a show of the radar (although mention of thunder, downpours and flash flooding) just the predicted movement of the rain now into Cornwall.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Today has been rather boring here. Fairly cloudy morning. Winds next to nothing a few sunny spells this afternoon and just a light shower a few minutes ago. The temp just dropped enougth now too persuade me to close the large window which has been open fully all afternoon.

Amusing that the sun has been demoted to coffee colour. Now the country file forecast now that should be interesting.

Edited May 21, 2005 by The PIT

[kold weather]

To be honest these graphics are growing on me,sometimes they do get things wrong but the rainfall radar picked out the bands off showers today very well I thought actually,and from what I've seen on the pressure charts on the BBC,I think they are OK,nothing special but it'll do me.

The only thing I still don't like is those wind arrows,I think the old style was much better.

Here's a Petition to those who want to see the forecasts changed to make them more clearer:

http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/BBC_Weather/

[PB22]

I received the automated reply from the BBC with the statement from the head of weather or whatever he was. Fair enough, but at least I know my comments and constructive suggestions will have been read. Hopefully we will see a few subtle changes made to make things a bit better. :unsure:

[Terminal Moraine]

The new graphics should be used only as an accessory to a forecast which begins with an isobaric chart and a brief description of the likely movement of fronts and pressure systems.

The rainfall radar should also be used as, the projected rainfall graphics are no substitute for what is happening in reality.

This is not likely to happen as there is not enough time allocated to the forecasts and, in my opinion, this is as much of a concern as the shortcomings of the computer graphics.

The 'white box summary' at the beginning of each forecast should be dispensed with immediately as it is meaningless. The tabloid newspapers and some radio channels have been dispensing 'cover all' forecast summaries like this for years and it's deplorable that the BBC should emulate them.

Anomalously the regional forecasts, at least in my area, have improved slightly since the new system was introduced. They are now using a simplified isobaric chart, where before there was none, and are also using an animated rainfall radar sequence. The main criticism of these forecasts is the lack of meteorological knowledge of the presenters

(I speak only of the East Midland region as I have not seen other regional forecasts since the system change)

In common with various other people on here I await the Countryfile forecast with great interest.

T.M

[mackerel sky]

I agree TM, the East Midlands Today forecast has improved somewhat since the introduction of the new graphics. It has a little on Look East too. But Sara Blizzard on East Mids Today is bit brighter than Julie on Look East who through demonstrating the new graphics and what she did before showed she has absolutely no grounding in meterology whatsoever.

I'm upset I have to watch the ITV forecasts now to get the bigger picture. Never liked them before, don't like them now, but at least you can see whats coming from the Atlantic and its closer to the old BBC format.

The new BBC forecasts are a hotch potch of reality and make believe. If you go onto the BBC weather website with regards the cloud and rainfall radar images you can go ahead in time. A strange mix of "live" data and prediction.

Its quite frankly a waste of time now the BBC forecasts if they persist with this. I don't get anything from this new format.

Its fortunate that we have resources like net-weather, but i'm miffed I have to spend even more time looking at the UKMO FAX charts online when that information was broadcast to me a couple of weeks ago, albeit not always bang upto date, but it was essentially the same.

The whole thing is depressing me.

[rixxxgolf]

To me it just looks like a Sky News cast off program.

Not a new concept, not as clear as before and just someone getting bored with the old and forcing in the new.

Not to my liking i'm afriad, since turned over.

[J10]

Just seen the first Countryside forecast, and to be honest they a fairly decent job.

Isobars were there and overall it was fairly easy to see the pattern for this week.

Pity about this week's weather though.

[Nick F]

Yes , nice to see the synoptic charts back, if only on CF, however the fronts were omitted after Monday on the animation of the synoptics. The Satelite images have improved. But I still can't warm to the shading for cloud/sun, and that poor old Scotland looks small scale compared to further south, even when they zoom in to N'ern England.

Well John Craven put the question to the BBC weather manager about the backlash of complaints over the new graphics, and told us that it'll take a few weeks to get used to. About the disappearence of the familiar symbols with shading and colour he suggested that the symbol's downfall were that they covered a large area (fair enough) and that were no boundaries if symbols next to each other denoted different weather types - but surely there's too much room for error if the BBC forecasters create boundaries between whether it'll rain or not over a particular loacation, especially if showers/T-storms are forecast which can spring up randomly if the large areas of the UK are forecast to get them - though I guess it may help with animation denoting moving areas of dry and wet intervals.

[The PIT]

Watched the Country File forecast and came away disappointed again.

Nice too see the isobars back but sadly they left of the Weather fronts. More dumbing down???

The detail on today was good and I thought "hey they're going to go into good detail" but sadly it was back to rush job and the maps flashed past while you tried to pick out the detail for you're area. A couple of times we're on the edge of rainfall but by the time I placed Sheffield the map had zoomed on.

Wind was missing again disappointingly.

Interestingly they made the point of giving more detail as the old symbols were too big. I've got one suggestion for them. Decrease the height of the rain drops as this also covers too much of an area and can overlap.

Overall any farmers watching that are going to be disappointed.

If they're going to insist on these graphics can they stick it on the web make it interactive so you can zoom in on your area and run the sequance yourself.

By the way the petetion sums up very well what is wrong with the graphics and yes I signed it.

Edited May 22, 2005 by The PIT

[dodge]

All I can say is I feel very sorry for anyone who comes from a line of Northern England upwards, who watched the forecast today. I know I'm getting old, as I'm shortly to enter my 30's, but despite a 32 inch widescreen TV, I practically had to throw myself at it, to see any detail north of Cheshire...

I enjoyed the return of the Isobars, but they still only showed the days where the rain was going to be over the mainland, so it wasn't very smooth progress throughout the week.

Looks like Thursday's the best chance to dry your washing.