[mythtv] mythweather-revamp

[Rich West]

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 the data is very typically plain wrong or out of date.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. :)

-Rich