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This page last updated:
28 April 2009


Site Refit


The Carrier Project is currently undergoing a complete refit and overhaul. As a result, many pages exist only as outlines. This page will update the status of the refit as it progresses. Click here to see the current status of the refit.

Why Refit?


Why a refit? The site had become static, old. I had not had time to properly update the information, the presentation was bland, and the HTML specification was being revised. In addition, I moved across town, resulting in an opportunity (actually, a requirement) to reorganise my library. I decided that a reorganisation and update of the website was in order.

What Changed?


First, I rewrote the site to take advantage of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). This is a method of specifying colors, fonts, backgrounds and locations of various elements of a website page. This allowed me to refresh the look of the website, and to update the navigation menus.

Then I stripped the website of most of the data presented. The Carrier Project had grown in a hit-or-miss fashion over the years, and the data was not properly attributed or cross-referenced. Rather than try to go back and recreate my research, I decided to "clear the deck" and start over from the beginning.

A few pages, such as the technical comparison of carrier classes and the description of the Battle Off Samar, were in good shape, so they were retained, with minor modifications. Other pages were dumped in their entirety and replaced with blank format/outline pages.

Now What?


Now I will go back and re-build all of the pages. This is going to take a while. I am starting with the general-subject pages, such as the pages listed in the menu under "Task Forces", "Special Missions", "Related Information" and "References". Then I will rewrite the pages describing the various eras of carrier operations - Early, World War II, Post-War/Jet Age and Modern/Nuclear, plus the section on Amphibious Assault Ships. At the same time, I will rewrite the pages on each carrier class and each individual ship and I will add other sidebar pages, such as the Battles section, and update the pages already rewritten. Finally, I will verify all links and crosslinks. Then I will go back through the entire site and expand on the information presented. As I said earlier, this will take some time. Doing the basic data for a single ship takes two to three hours of steady work; creating a new page takes somewhat longer.

For each page or set of pages, I will choose one or two primary references that will supply enough information to create a basic text. For example, the Space Program page is based on information available from the Kennedy Space Center website. Ship class and individual ship pages will be based on the "official" U. S. Navy online "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships" at the Naval Historical Center website, plus two primary print references - Chesneau's "Aircraft Carriers of the World" and Friedman's "U. S. Aircraft Carriers". And so forth.

Needless to say, this will be a long, slow process. It may take as long to rebuild this site as it takes Newport News to build a real carrier. I ask only that you have patience.

What is the current status of the refit?


2009


April:
March:
January:

2008


September-October:
20-21 May:
February-April:
January:


About The Carrier Project
General Site Organization Page Layout Technology
Site Conventions General Information The Site Refit
Images Ship Class Data The Site Refit (Older Notes)
Glossary: Words and Abbreviations Individual Ship Data List of Page Dedications

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