Stories and Tips

Within a month of starting EMRR, I had initiated Guest Experiences (February 1998). This was a collection of comments about various rockets and experiences in rocketry. The introduction of this feature on EMRR was simply a text-based page that folks could read, as is.

In November 1998, Mike Kent said he’d help with a project of separating the Guest Experiences into two separate databases: Guest Stories and Hints/Tips. This allowed EMRR to introduced the Hints/Tips database by the end of November 1998. EMRR has no knowledge of where Mike is or what he is up to, but his initial separating work has lasted more than 10 years on EMRR.

hint (hint) an indirect, covert, or helpful suggestion;

tip (tip) a useful hint or idea; a basic, practical

By April 1999, EMRR had flipped the text files into databases and implemented searching and a form that allowed EMRR guests to submit input into the Stories and Tips databases.

The next set of updates came in 2002 when EMRR had amassed 256 Stories and 253 Hints/Tips. Starting in March, EMRR further split the growing Hints/Tips database into generic Tips and Rocket Specific Tips. These Rocket Specific Tips were then placed at the bottom of each of the dynamically built review pages. In April, just for some visual content, EMRR collected a bunch of pictures for the various story categories and added a random picture selection to the Stories display pages. (I regret not asking for pictures from the very beginning.)

Specific Rocket Tips are observations, hints, tips and even some modifications that guests have made to specific rocket kits. Guests share their advice and this is shown along with the review, so that when folks are reading the review or building the same rocket they can have some extra guidance from others that have experience with the kit. These have been a real success and we continue to see growth.



The next evolution in Stories and Tips came in December 2004 and January 2006, respectively. At these times, EMRR introduced the first Featured Story and Featured Tip. What makes them featured? More content and a series of pictures.

fea-tured (fee'chuhrd) made a feature or highlight; given prominence

There are presently 29 Featured Stories. The most recent additions are stories that support a Youth Participation/Outreach Contest that EMRR held in 2008.

In June 2007, EMRR updated the Featured Tips page to present similar tips from the database at the bottom of the Featured Tip being displayed. In addition, there were a number of scratch articles that were really tips, so EMRR moved them over to the tips database. Presently there are 57 Featured Tips.

All-in-all, Stories and Hints/Tip (especially Rocket Specific Tips) have been a great added feature of EMRR.

Next Up: Flight Logs