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Definitive FT Article Index?

A

ArthurASCII

Gone But Not Forgotten
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Is there a current and definitive list of Articles that have appeared in Fortean Times?

Anyone publishing a searchable on-line index would be providing a great service to our community.
 
Wouldn't that be in the Fortean Studies? Are they still making those?
 
47Forteans said:
Wouldn't that be in the Fortean Studies? Are they still making those?
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No, they aren't but you're right to say that there was an index at the back of each one. A lot of Fortean Times water has passed under the bridge since then! Er, if you see what I mean.
 
gncxx said:
47Forteans said:
Wouldn't that be in the Fortean Studies? Are they still making those?
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No, they aren't but you're right to say that there was an index at the back of each one. A lot of Fortean Times water has passed under the bridge since then! Er, if you see what I mean.
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I didn't think they were the same thing, but I just wanted to be sure the two things were separate...
 
Sadly, there hasn't been a Fortean Studies since Vol 7 which was published in 1999. I've amassed a decades-worth of FT since then.
 
I was thinking about this - surely FT must maintain their own index, since articles are usually well cross-referenced to earlier issues.
 
The only other magazine I read is Video Watchdog, and they have a handy index on their website. Maybe a good idea for the FT site too?
 
IMHO Fortean Times ceased to be a serious "journal of strange phenomena" some years ago. There are plenty of glossy photos and artwork, but it sold it's soul to Dennis Publishing, and since then, there have been few in-depth serious articles.

I'm sure there must be a mountain of material languishing in Fortean Towers that either has never been published because it is too long to fit the format, or has been "butchered" to fit. Sad really - the beauty of the Fortean Studies publications was the space they provided for authors to expand their articles.

On the other hand, perhaps the "unexplained" has now mostly been explained and strange phenomena are now so familiar to us that they no longer merit serious study.

As a previous poster noted, SOMEONE must be maintaining an index. Perhaps the silence from the "powers that be" indicates that I'm expected to shell out for a complete set of DVDs in order to have the searchable index of articles that many other "serious" magazines provide free as a service to their readers.
 
FT Indexes

The very rough contents listing we use (decidedly NOT an index) is certainly not suitable for publication or public viewing. We would love to have a full index as Steve Moore, bless him, used to produce, but we simply do not have the time or resources to do it. We have extremely limited staffing, extremely limited budget and very, very tight deadlines, so this is not a project we can undertake. To quote Paul Sieveking replying to an email request a couple of years ago:

"I would love for this to happen, but all those doing FT are too overworked to find the time, and the publisher won’t provide the funding to hire anyone for the purpose (even though it would be very useful editorially and prove essential for fortean researchers). Steve Moore took the comprehensive Index to 1997 (FT105) in the first 5 Fortean Studies, Ian Simmons did a rudimentary index for FT106-129 in Studies 6-7, and I maintain a skeletal and very selective contents listing of Strange Days items since 2000 as an aide memoire. We’ll go on trying to find some crazy volunteer with the requisite skills and spare time, but don’t hold your breath..."

A few years ago, a full online index was mooted and being started by The Mighty Emperor and a couple of other FTMBers, and we were trying to provide as much help as possible, but I haven't heard any more on that for about five or six years. If anyone else would care to bite the bullet, we would be delighted, but properly indexing a decade's worth of magazines is a major project.

I'm sorry, but that's the situation.
 
Thanks for that post, Owen: I'd assumed that FT would be unhappy at the prospect of any issue index being available on the web for free but if that's not the case, then such a project certainly looks to be achievable.
 
Yuor reply is most welcome Owen. Unfortunately, I don't retire for another decade!

If only there were a Fortean out there who could tackle this worthwhile task...
 
I spent about 2 hours trying to start one a while ago, and got as far as page 15 of issue 1 (I was going to do the whole lot for completeness). So, just to let you know, you'd need years and years.
 
ArthurASCII said:
IMHO Fortean Times ceased to be a serious "journal of strange phenomena" some years ago. There are plenty of glossy photos and artwork, but it sold it's soul to Dennis Publishing, and since then, there have been few in-depth serious articles.
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I regretfully agree. Also concur with the pressing need for an index and the (unlikely) return of Fortean studeies. I wonder if an academic or charitable institution would be prepared to sponsor a full-time researcher for a year or two to build an index?
 
Bob Rickard has entered the pantheon of the Gods! (and my Christmas list)
 
FINALLY got a copy of the General Index to Issues 1-66 (hooray for eBay!) - a very impressive/immersive piece of work.
 
Really? Cheap at half the (original) price then :)

I don't have my FT collection in my new place yet - picking it up at the weekend - so I've just been browsing the 'raw' index. My favourite entry so far:
Deaths, Animal Other Parrot (dying, sold by shop) 63:12.
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'e's just pining for the fjords!
 
OK, if anyone is still looking for an FT Index... I've finally got my Features, Forum and Sidelines (Version 1) ready for sale:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/201597829746?

OK, it's not definitive but way better than nothing! Issues 67 to 339 on CD in a searchable PDF format, over a year's work has gone into it, a snip at £8.99, including postage. And, for buyers of one of the limited number available of this first version, a free update for letting me know of any potential refinements spotted. All feedback welcome - thanks!
 
gordonrutter said:
Wasn't at liberty to mention this before but can now.

Some guy called Bob Rickard is planning on doing a searchable index for every issue, full details at

http://blogs.forteana.org/blog

Gordon
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What ever happened with this effort? Also about 20 years ago, didn't FT release like a CD set of issues? I really regret not ordering that straight way. If something like that was available now I wouldn't hold back!
 
ajornlin said:
What ever happened with this effort? Also about 20 years ago, didn't FT release like a CD set of issues? I really regret not ordering that straight way. If something like that was available now I wouldn't hold back!
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There were several volumes of FT released on CD rom. Apparently they weren't the greatest user friendly thing ever made. As to Bob's index, just one of many projects he is still working away on. Nick is still selling his version on ebay and it now goes from issue 50 to 364. And online there is this website which shows the cover of every issue and has searcahble contents for some http://ft.gjovaag.com/w/Main_Page
 
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