Portfolio: Whitley's Guide
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English
This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 5.11.
Whether you’re perusing one of the extravagant ship showrooms in Prime, or bargaining in the back room of a secondhand dealer in Hadrian, there’s one thing that is almost universal no matter where you’re shopping in the Empire — Whitley’s Guide. Considered by many to be the ultimate source for impartial and accurate information and reviews for the thousands of various ships, weapons and components that can be found throughout the UEE, it is often the first stop many make when trying to decide if a particular item is right for them. With the guide’s ratings near ubiquitous today, it can be surprising to remember that it was less than a hundred years ago that Sal Whitley first started publishing his guide.
A Guide to Whitley
Darby Keilich was once quoted as saying that if you were to spend a day hanging around the repair shop that he and Sal Whitley used to own together, your first impression might be that Sal hated ships. The mechanic was well known for cussing at broken parts and ranting about “idiotically” designed spacecraft, but as Darby explains it, “If Sal always seemed angry, it was only because of how much he loved the things. After working as a mechanic for close to forty years, he understood how ships worked better than almost anyone else, so it really pained him to see cut corners or shoddy craftsmanship.”
The vessels that the pair serviced in their shop, located in Odin, were hard flown since the rough local conditions meant that parts were prone to extreme wear and tear. After ten years working as a mechanic and seeing certain brands and models fail again and again, Whitley cultivated very strong opinions about which ships and components their clients should buy and use. Often, customers would consult with Whitley before buying a new piece of equipment, to see if it met his standards. It wasn’t long before word got out and people he had never met were filling his comms with requests for recommendations. It got so bad that Sal threatened to close up shop and move away just to get people to leave him alone, but Darby had a different idea. If people wanted to know what Sal thought so badly, why not write it all down and charge them for it?
A Word to the Wise
The first version took three months for Whitley to compile, in between shifts at the repair shop; it covered spacecraft, power plants and cooling systems. Released on June 21, 2856, it didn’t have any images or even a formal title, but gearheads across the ’verse were drawn to Whitley’s matter-of-fact writing style. Methodical and detailed orientated, Whitley not only meticulously broke down all the stats of each item, but concisely summarized the ship or part’s overall performance. To the surprise of both Sal and Darby, the first month of sales outperformed the repair shop itself.
By the time 2859 rolled around, Whitley had published two more versions and had begun to focus full time on writing and reviewing. The popularity of “Whitley’s Guide” had grown to the point where manufacturers had begun to offer Sal free items with the hopes of being included, but without fail, he would refuse them all. It was important to him that he stay as independent as possible so that nobody could accuse him of being a shill. Instead, he sought out secondhand items, preferring to evaluate well used versions over fresh-from-the-factory models. “Who cares what something is like when it’s brand new? What’s important is how it’s going to be running six months, a year, five years down the way,” explained Whitley in a 2876 interview with Long Haul Quarterly.
As the guide continued to grow, manufacturers weren’t the only businesses to come knocking on Darby and Sal’s door. In 2860, Svetlana Gallivan of Gallivan Publishing approached the pair with an offer to buy the publishing rights to the guide, envisioning a bound volume with pictures, layouts and diagrams. Whitley agreed to sign a five-volume contract under the condition that he would have editorial control over all the content. Darby however, decided that the time had come for him to move on and chose instead to accept a buyout. “I had really started to miss just being a mechanic,” explained Darby. “But it does feel pretty nice to know I helped create something special.”
The Future’s in Store
The relationship with Gallivan Publishing has lasted well more than five volumes. By the end of his career, Whitley had overseen close to a hundred editions of the Guide that bore his name. Not only would the core guide expand to cover pretty much every part of a ship, including weapons and missiles, Gallivan began to produce special editions that focused on just one individual part in extreme detail. The 2865 Whitley’s Guide: Energy Weapons was the highest selling publication that year. In order to keep up with the volume, Whitley hired a staff of writers, though he reviewed all their work personally to ensure he agreed with the results. “If I’m going to have my name on something, you can be sure I’m going to read every single thing that goes in it,” said Whitley in an interview.
Though Svetlana supported Sal in his insistence on overseeing each edition personally, even though it limited the number of guides they could publish, there was another topic that almost drove a divide between the two. Companies approached Gallivan Publishing wanting to use the Whitley’s Guide rating that their product received in advertisements. Sal opposed the move, worried that the marketing would make it look like the guide favored that product. However, Svetlana stood her ground, arguing that the companies would only be sharing information that the public could find in the guide anyway. The first ad to specifically reference Whitley’s Guide was in 2867 for a Tarsus Expedition Quantum Drive. From there, the practice expanded. In 2872, component resale chain Dumper’s Depot began including the Whitley’s Guide rating for every item they sold, with one store owner stating, “Might as well save everyone some time, since they’re all standing there looking it up anyway.” By 2880, Whitley’s Guide had confirmed its place in the public’s mind as the impartial trusted resource for all things spaceships.
A Change in the Ratings
Even with the passing of Sal Whitley in 2886, the guide has continued to be an integral resource for people across the Empire — though without its creator at the helm, there have been some bumps along the way. With Sal gone, the guide for the first time began to accept test samples from manufacturers, as well as to review items before they were released publicly. While the new editors tried to maintain the standards put in place by the publication’s founder, an exposé in 2895 that analyzed the ratings of the past decade showed a trend that favored items and ships manufactured by Terran companies. This lead to accusations of impropriety, since Gallivan Publishing is also located on Terra. Whitley’s Guide claimed that it was just a case of correlation without causation, but to make it clear that they were truly independent, they reverted to Sal’s original policies.
However, despite this hiccup, trust has remained high in the publication and some of the recent changes made to the guide have met with even more success. It has continued to expand in new directions and in 2910, Whitley’s Guide released their first personal armor and weapons volume. They’ve even experimented briefly with reviewing restaurants, though that was limited to only a single special edition. The addition of a monthly magazine as a supplement to the larger guides has also been quite popular. For nearly a century, Whitley’s Guide has continued to be an instrumental resource for consumers, thanks to the wealth of information they provide. It is hard to imagine what shopping would be like in the UEE today without their guidance.
Whether you’re perusing one of the extravagant ship showrooms in Prime, or bargaining in the back room of a secondhand dealer in Hadrian, there’s one thing that is almost universal no matter where you’re shopping in the Empire — Whitley’s Guide. Considered by many to be the ultimate source for impartial and accurate information and reviews for the thousands of various ships, weapons and components that can be found throughout the UEE, it is often the first stop many make when trying to decide if a particular item is right for them. With the guide’s ratings near ubiquitous today, it can be surprising to remember that it was less than a hundred years ago that Sal Whitley first started publishing his guide.
A Guide to Whitley
Darby Keilich was once quoted as saying that if you were to spend a day hanging around the repair shop that he and Sal Whitley used to own together, your first impression might be that Sal hated ships. The mechanic was well known for cussing at broken parts and ranting about “idiotically” designed spacecraft, but as Darby explains it, “If Sal always seemed angry, it was only because of how much he loved the things. After working as a mechanic for close to forty years, he understood how ships worked better than almost anyone else, so it really pained him to see cut corners or shoddy craftsmanship.”
The vessels that the pair serviced in their shop, located in Odin, were hard flown since the rough local conditions meant that parts were prone to extreme wear and tear. After ten years working as a mechanic and seeing certain brands and models fail again and again, Whitley cultivated very strong opinions about which ships and components their clients should buy and use. Often, customers would consult with Whitley before buying a new piece of equipment, to see if it met his standards. It wasn’t long before word got out and people he had never met were filling his comms with requests for recommendations. It got so bad that Sal threatened to close up shop and move away just to get people to leave him alone, but Darby had a different idea. If people wanted to know what Sal thought so badly, why not write it all down and charge them for it?
A Word to the Wise
The first version took three months for Whitley to compile, in between shifts at the repair shop; it covered spacecraft, power plants and cooling systems. Released on June 21, 2856, it didn’t have any images or even a formal title, but gearheads across the ’verse were drawn to Whitley’s matter-of-fact writing style. Methodical and detailed orientated, Whitley not only meticulously broke down all the stats of each item, but concisely summarized the ship or part’s overall performance. To the surprise of both Sal and Darby, the first month of sales outperformed the repair shop itself.
By the time 2859 rolled around, Whitley had published two more versions and had begun to focus full time on writing and reviewing. The popularity of “Whitley’s Guide” had grown to the point where manufacturers had begun to offer Sal free items with the hopes of being included, but without fail, he would refuse them all. It was important to him that he stay as independent as possible so that nobody could accuse him of being a shill. Instead, he sought out secondhand items, preferring to evaluate well used versions over fresh-from-the-factory models. “Who cares what something is like when it’s brand new? What’s important is how it’s going to be running six months, a year, five years down the way,” explained Whitley in a 2876 interview with Long Haul Quarterly.
As the guide continued to grow, manufacturers weren’t the only businesses to come knocking on Darby and Sal’s door. In 2860, Svetlana Gallivan of Gallivan Publishing approached the pair with an offer to buy the publishing rights to the guide, envisioning a bound volume with pictures, layouts and diagrams. Whitley agreed to sign a five-volume contract under the condition that he would have editorial control over all the content. Darby however, decided that the time had come for him to move on and chose instead to accept a buyout. “I had really started to miss just being a mechanic,” explained Darby. “But it does feel pretty nice to know I helped create something special.”
The Future’s in Store
The relationship with Gallivan Publishing has lasted well more than five volumes. By the end of his career, Whitley had overseen close to a hundred editions of the Guide that bore his name. Not only would the core guide expand to cover pretty much every part of a ship, including weapons and missiles, Gallivan began to produce special editions that focused on just one individual part in extreme detail. The 2865 Whitley’s Guide: Energy Weapons was the highest selling publication that year. In order to keep up with the volume, Whitley hired a staff of writers, though he reviewed all their work personally to ensure he agreed with the results. “If I’m going to have my name on something, you can be sure I’m going to read every single thing that goes in it,” said Whitley in an interview.
Though Svetlana supported Sal in his insistence on overseeing each edition personally, even though it limited the number of guides they could publish, there was another topic that almost drove a divide between the two. Companies approached Gallivan Publishing wanting to use the Whitley’s Guide rating that their product received in advertisements. Sal opposed the move, worried that the marketing would make it look like the guide favored that product. However, Svetlana stood her ground, arguing that the companies would only be sharing information that the public could find in the guide anyway. The first ad to specifically reference Whitley’s Guide was in 2867 for a Tarsus Expedition Quantum Drive. From there, the practice expanded. In 2872, component resale chain Dumper’s Depot began including the Whitley’s Guide rating for every item they sold, with one store owner stating, “Might as well save everyone some time, since they’re all standing there looking it up anyway.” By 2880, Whitley’s Guide had confirmed its place in the public’s mind as the impartial trusted resource for all things spaceships.
A Change in the Ratings
Even with the passing of Sal Whitley in 2886, the guide has continued to be an integral resource for people across the Empire — though without its creator at the helm, there have been some bumps along the way. With Sal gone, the guide for the first time began to accept test samples from manufacturers, as well as to review items before they were released publicly. While the new editors tried to maintain the standards put in place by the publication’s founder, an exposé in 2895 that analyzed the ratings of the past decade showed a trend that favored items and ships manufactured by Terran companies. This lead to accusations of impropriety, since Gallivan Publishing is also located on Terra. Whitley’s Guide claimed that it was just a case of correlation without causation, but to make it clear that they were truly independent, they reverted to Sal’s original policies.
However, despite this hiccup, trust has remained high in the publication and some of the recent changes made to the guide have met with even more success. It has continued to expand in new directions and in 2910, Whitley’s Guide released their first personal armor and weapons volume. They’ve even experimented briefly with reviewing restaurants, though that was limited to only a single special edition. The addition of a monthly magazine as a supplement to the larger guides has also been quite popular. For nearly a century, Whitley’s Guide has continued to be an instrumental resource for consumers, thanks to the wealth of information they provide. It is hard to imagine what shopping would be like in the UEE today without their guidance.
German
Dieses Portfolio erschien ursprünglich in Jump Point 5.11.
Egal, ob Sie einen der extravaganten Schiffsshowrooms in Prime besuchen oder im Hinterzimmer eines Altwarenhändlers in Hadrian verhandeln, es gibt eine Sache, die fast universell ist, egal wo Sie im Empire einkaufen - Whitley's Guide. Von vielen als die ultimative Quelle für unparteiische und genaue Informationen und Bewertungen für die Tausende von verschiedenen Schiffen, Waffen und Komponenten angesehen, die in der gesamten UEE zu finden sind, ist es oft der erste Halt, den viele machen, wenn sie versuchen zu entscheiden, ob ein bestimmter Gegenstand für sie der richtige ist. Da die Bewertungen des Reiseleiters heute fast allgegenwärtig sind, kann es überraschend sein, sich daran zu erinnern, dass es weniger als hundert Jahre her ist, dass Sal Whitley zum ersten Mal damit begann, seinen Reiseleiter zu veröffentlichen.
Ein Leitfaden für Whitley
Darby Keilich wurde einmal zitiert, als er sagte, dass, wenn man einen Tag in der Werkstatt verbringen würde, die er und Sal Whitley zusammen besaßen, der erste Eindruck sein könnte, dass Sal Schiffe hasst. Der Mechaniker war dafür bekannt, gebrochene Teile zu beschimpfen und über "idiotisch" konstruierte Raumschiffe zu reden, aber wie Darby es erklärt: "Wenn Sal immer wütend schien, dann nur, weil er die Dinge so sehr liebte. Nachdem er fast vierzig Jahre lang als Mechaniker gearbeitet hatte, verstand er, wie Schiffe besser funktionierten als fast jeder andere, so dass es ihn wirklich schmerzte, Ausschnitte oder kitschiges Handwerk zu sehen."
Die Schiffe, die das Paar in seiner Werkstatt in Odin betreute, waren hart geflogen, da die rauen örtlichen Bedingungen dazu führten, dass Teile extrem verschleißanfällig waren. Nach zehn Jahren als Mechaniker und dem wiederholten Scheitern bestimmter Marken und Modelle hat Whitley sehr starke Meinungen darüber entwickelt, welche Schiffe und Komponenten ihre Kunden kaufen und verwenden sollten. Häufig konsultierten Kunden Whitley, bevor sie ein neues Gerät kauften, um zu sehen, ob es seinen Standards entsprach. Es dauerte nicht lange, bis sich die Nachricht herumsprach und Leute, die er nie getroffen hatte, seine Kommentare mit Anfragen nach Empfehlungen füllten. Es wurde so schlimm, dass Sal drohte, den Laden zu schließen und wegzugehen, nur um die Leute dazu zu bringen, ihn in Ruhe zu lassen, aber Darby hatte eine andere Idee. Wenn die Leute wissen wollten, was Sal so sehr dachte, warum schreiben sie es nicht alles auf und berechnen es ihnen?
Ein Wort an die Weisen
Die erste Version dauerte drei Monate, bis Whitley zwischen den Schichten in der Werkstatt die erste Version erstellt hatte; sie umfasste Raumfahrzeuge, Kraftwerke und Kühlsysteme. Veröffentlicht am 21. Juni 2856, hatte es keine Bilder oder gar einen formalen Titel, aber die Getriebe über den Vers hinweg wurden von Whitleys sachlichem Schreibstil angezogen. Methodisch und detailliert orientiert, hat Whitley nicht nur alle Statistiken der einzelnen Elemente sorgfältig aufgeschlüsselt, sondern auch die Gesamtleistung des Schiffes oder Teils präzise zusammengefasst. Zur Überraschung von Sal und Darby übertraf der erste Monat des Verkaufs die Werkstatt selbst.
Als sich 2859 herumsprach, hatte Whitley zwei weitere Versionen veröffentlicht und begonnen, sich vollzeitlich auf das Schreiben und Überprüfen zu konzentrieren. Die Popularität von "Whitley's Guide" war so weit gestiegen, dass die Hersteller begonnen hatten, Sal Gratisartikel anzubieten, in der Hoffnung, aufgenommen zu werden, aber ohne Zweifel würde er sie alle ablehnen. Es war ihm wichtig, dass er so unabhängig wie möglich bleibt, damit ihm niemand vorwerfen kann, er sei ein Schreiber. Stattdessen suchte er nach Secondhand-Artikeln und zog es vor, gut genutzte Versionen gegenüber fabrikneuen Modellen zu bewerten. "Wen interessiert es, wie etwas ist, wenn es brandneu ist? Wichtig ist, wie es sechs Monate, ein Jahr und fünf Jahre später laufen wird", erklärte Whitley in einem Interview mit Long Haul Quarterly im Jahr 2876.
Als der Leitfaden weiter wuchs, waren die Hersteller nicht die einzigen Unternehmen, die an Darby und Sal's Tür klopften. Im Jahr 2860 wandte sich Svetlana Gallivan von Gallivan Publishing mit einem Angebot an das Paar, die Veröffentlichungsrechte für den Führer zu kaufen, und stellte sich einen gebundenen Band mit Bildern, Layouts und Diagrammen vor. Whitley stimmte zu, einen fünfbändigen Vertrag zu unterzeichnen, unter der Bedingung, dass er die redaktionelle Kontrolle über alle Inhalte hat. Darby entschied jedoch, dass die Zeit für ihn gekommen war, weiterzumachen, und entschied sich stattdessen, einen Buyout zu akzeptieren. "Ich hatte wirklich angefangen, es zu vermissen, nur Mechaniker zu sein", erklärte Darby. "Aber es fühlt sich ziemlich gut an, zu wissen, dass ich geholfen habe, etwas Besonderes zu schaffen."
Die Zukunft ist im Kommen
Die Beziehung zu Gallivan Publishing hat weit mehr als fünf Bände gedauert. Am Ende seiner Karriere hatte Whitley fast hundert Ausgaben des Führers betreut, der seinen Namen trug. Nicht nur, dass sich der Kernführer erweitern würde, um so ziemlich jeden Teil eines Schiffes, einschließlich Waffen und Raketen, abzudecken, Gallivan begann auch Sonderausgaben zu produzieren, die sich auf nur ein einzelnes Teil im Detail konzentrierten. Der 2865 Whitley's Guide: Energy Weapons war in diesem Jahr die meistverkaufte Publikation. Um mit dem Volumen Schritt zu halten, stellte Whitley einen Stab von Schriftstellern ein, obwohl er alle ihre Arbeiten persönlich überprüfte, um sicherzustellen, dass er mit den Ergebnissen einverstanden war. "Wenn ich meinen Namen auf etwas habe, kannst du sicher sein, dass ich jedes einzelne Ding lesen werde, das da reingeht", sagte Whitley in einem Interview.
Obwohl Svetlana Sal in seinem Drängen unterstützte, jede Ausgabe persönlich zu beaufsichtigen, obwohl sie die Anzahl der Leitfäden, die sie veröffentlichen konnten, begrenzte, gab es ein weiteres Thema, das fast eine Kluft zwischen den beiden verursachte. Unternehmen wandten sich an Gallivan Publishing und wollten die Whitley's Guide Bewertung verwenden, die ihr Produkt in der Werbung erhielt. Sal widersetzte sich dem Schritt und befürchtete, dass das Marketing es so aussehen lassen würde, als ob der Führer dieses Produkt bevorzugte. Svetlana hielt sich jedoch stand und argumentierte, dass die Unternehmen nur Informationen weitergeben würden, die die Öffentlichkeit ohnehin im Leitfaden finden könnte. Die erste Anzeige, die sich speziell auf Whitley's Guide bezog, war 2867 für einen Tarsus Expedition Quantum Drive. Von dort aus erweiterte sich die Praxis. 2872 begann die Komponenten-Wiederverkaufskette Dumper's Depot mit der Bewertung des Whitley's Guide für jeden verkauften Artikel, wobei ein Ladenbesitzer erklärte: "Könnte genauso gut jeden einige Zeit sparen, da er sowieso alle dort steht und nachsieht." Um 2880 hatte Whitley's Guide seinen Platz in der Öffentlichkeit als unparteiische, vertrauenswürdige Ressource für alle Dinge, die Raumschiffe betreffen, bestätigt.
Eine Änderung der Ratings
Selbst mit dem Tod von Sal Whitley im Jahr 2886 ist der Führer weiterhin eine integrale Ressource für die Menschen im ganzen Reich - obwohl es ohne seinen Schöpfer am Ruder einige Unebenheiten auf dem Weg gab. Mit Sal gone begann der Guide zum ersten Mal, Testmuster von Herstellern anzunehmen und Artikel zu überprüfen, bevor sie öffentlich freigegeben wurden. Während die neuen Redakteure versuchten, die vom Gründer der Publikation festgelegten Standards einzuhalten, zeigte ein Exposé im Jahr 2895, das die Bewertungen der letzten zehn Jahre analysierte, einen Trend, der Artikel und Schiffe von Terranern bevorzugte. Dies führte zu Vorwürfen der Unangemessenheit, da Gallivan Publishing ebenfalls auf Terra ansässig ist. Whitley's Guide behauptete, dass es sich nur um einen Fall von Korrelation ohne Kausalität handelte, aber um deutlich zu machen, dass sie wirklich unabhängig waren, kehrten sie zu Sal's ursprünglichen Richtlinien zurück.
Trotz dieses Schluckaufs ist das Vertrauen in die Veröffentlichung jedoch hoch geblieben, und einige der jüngsten Änderungen am Leitfaden sind noch erfolgreicher. Es hat sich weiter in neue Richtungen entwickelt und 2910 veröffentlichte Whitley's Guide seinen ersten persönlichen Rüstungs- und Waffenband. Sie haben sogar kurz mit der Überprüfung von Restaurants experimentiert, obwohl diese auf eine einzige Sonderedition beschränkt war. Auch die Hinzufügung eines monatlichen Magazins als Ergänzung zu den größeren Führern ist sehr beliebt. Seit fast einem Jahrhundert ist Whitley's Guide dank der Fülle an Informationen, die sie zur Verfügung stellen, weiterhin eine wichtige Ressource für die Verbraucher. Es ist schwer vorstellbar, wie das Einkaufen in der UEE heute ohne ihre Anleitung aussehen würde.
Egal, ob Sie einen der extravaganten Schiffsshowrooms in Prime besuchen oder im Hinterzimmer eines Altwarenhändlers in Hadrian verhandeln, es gibt eine Sache, die fast universell ist, egal wo Sie im Empire einkaufen - Whitley's Guide. Von vielen als die ultimative Quelle für unparteiische und genaue Informationen und Bewertungen für die Tausende von verschiedenen Schiffen, Waffen und Komponenten angesehen, die in der gesamten UEE zu finden sind, ist es oft der erste Halt, den viele machen, wenn sie versuchen zu entscheiden, ob ein bestimmter Gegenstand für sie der richtige ist. Da die Bewertungen des Reiseleiters heute fast allgegenwärtig sind, kann es überraschend sein, sich daran zu erinnern, dass es weniger als hundert Jahre her ist, dass Sal Whitley zum ersten Mal damit begann, seinen Reiseleiter zu veröffentlichen.
Ein Leitfaden für Whitley
Darby Keilich wurde einmal zitiert, als er sagte, dass, wenn man einen Tag in der Werkstatt verbringen würde, die er und Sal Whitley zusammen besaßen, der erste Eindruck sein könnte, dass Sal Schiffe hasst. Der Mechaniker war dafür bekannt, gebrochene Teile zu beschimpfen und über "idiotisch" konstruierte Raumschiffe zu reden, aber wie Darby es erklärt: "Wenn Sal immer wütend schien, dann nur, weil er die Dinge so sehr liebte. Nachdem er fast vierzig Jahre lang als Mechaniker gearbeitet hatte, verstand er, wie Schiffe besser funktionierten als fast jeder andere, so dass es ihn wirklich schmerzte, Ausschnitte oder kitschiges Handwerk zu sehen."
Die Schiffe, die das Paar in seiner Werkstatt in Odin betreute, waren hart geflogen, da die rauen örtlichen Bedingungen dazu führten, dass Teile extrem verschleißanfällig waren. Nach zehn Jahren als Mechaniker und dem wiederholten Scheitern bestimmter Marken und Modelle hat Whitley sehr starke Meinungen darüber entwickelt, welche Schiffe und Komponenten ihre Kunden kaufen und verwenden sollten. Häufig konsultierten Kunden Whitley, bevor sie ein neues Gerät kauften, um zu sehen, ob es seinen Standards entsprach. Es dauerte nicht lange, bis sich die Nachricht herumsprach und Leute, die er nie getroffen hatte, seine Kommentare mit Anfragen nach Empfehlungen füllten. Es wurde so schlimm, dass Sal drohte, den Laden zu schließen und wegzugehen, nur um die Leute dazu zu bringen, ihn in Ruhe zu lassen, aber Darby hatte eine andere Idee. Wenn die Leute wissen wollten, was Sal so sehr dachte, warum schreiben sie es nicht alles auf und berechnen es ihnen?
Ein Wort an die Weisen
Die erste Version dauerte drei Monate, bis Whitley zwischen den Schichten in der Werkstatt die erste Version erstellt hatte; sie umfasste Raumfahrzeuge, Kraftwerke und Kühlsysteme. Veröffentlicht am 21. Juni 2856, hatte es keine Bilder oder gar einen formalen Titel, aber die Getriebe über den Vers hinweg wurden von Whitleys sachlichem Schreibstil angezogen. Methodisch und detailliert orientiert, hat Whitley nicht nur alle Statistiken der einzelnen Elemente sorgfältig aufgeschlüsselt, sondern auch die Gesamtleistung des Schiffes oder Teils präzise zusammengefasst. Zur Überraschung von Sal und Darby übertraf der erste Monat des Verkaufs die Werkstatt selbst.
Als sich 2859 herumsprach, hatte Whitley zwei weitere Versionen veröffentlicht und begonnen, sich vollzeitlich auf das Schreiben und Überprüfen zu konzentrieren. Die Popularität von "Whitley's Guide" war so weit gestiegen, dass die Hersteller begonnen hatten, Sal Gratisartikel anzubieten, in der Hoffnung, aufgenommen zu werden, aber ohne Zweifel würde er sie alle ablehnen. Es war ihm wichtig, dass er so unabhängig wie möglich bleibt, damit ihm niemand vorwerfen kann, er sei ein Schreiber. Stattdessen suchte er nach Secondhand-Artikeln und zog es vor, gut genutzte Versionen gegenüber fabrikneuen Modellen zu bewerten. "Wen interessiert es, wie etwas ist, wenn es brandneu ist? Wichtig ist, wie es sechs Monate, ein Jahr und fünf Jahre später laufen wird", erklärte Whitley in einem Interview mit Long Haul Quarterly im Jahr 2876.
Als der Leitfaden weiter wuchs, waren die Hersteller nicht die einzigen Unternehmen, die an Darby und Sal's Tür klopften. Im Jahr 2860 wandte sich Svetlana Gallivan von Gallivan Publishing mit einem Angebot an das Paar, die Veröffentlichungsrechte für den Führer zu kaufen, und stellte sich einen gebundenen Band mit Bildern, Layouts und Diagrammen vor. Whitley stimmte zu, einen fünfbändigen Vertrag zu unterzeichnen, unter der Bedingung, dass er die redaktionelle Kontrolle über alle Inhalte hat. Darby entschied jedoch, dass die Zeit für ihn gekommen war, weiterzumachen, und entschied sich stattdessen, einen Buyout zu akzeptieren. "Ich hatte wirklich angefangen, es zu vermissen, nur Mechaniker zu sein", erklärte Darby. "Aber es fühlt sich ziemlich gut an, zu wissen, dass ich geholfen habe, etwas Besonderes zu schaffen."
Die Zukunft ist im Kommen
Die Beziehung zu Gallivan Publishing hat weit mehr als fünf Bände gedauert. Am Ende seiner Karriere hatte Whitley fast hundert Ausgaben des Führers betreut, der seinen Namen trug. Nicht nur, dass sich der Kernführer erweitern würde, um so ziemlich jeden Teil eines Schiffes, einschließlich Waffen und Raketen, abzudecken, Gallivan begann auch Sonderausgaben zu produzieren, die sich auf nur ein einzelnes Teil im Detail konzentrierten. Der 2865 Whitley's Guide: Energy Weapons war in diesem Jahr die meistverkaufte Publikation. Um mit dem Volumen Schritt zu halten, stellte Whitley einen Stab von Schriftstellern ein, obwohl er alle ihre Arbeiten persönlich überprüfte, um sicherzustellen, dass er mit den Ergebnissen einverstanden war. "Wenn ich meinen Namen auf etwas habe, kannst du sicher sein, dass ich jedes einzelne Ding lesen werde, das da reingeht", sagte Whitley in einem Interview.
Obwohl Svetlana Sal in seinem Drängen unterstützte, jede Ausgabe persönlich zu beaufsichtigen, obwohl sie die Anzahl der Leitfäden, die sie veröffentlichen konnten, begrenzte, gab es ein weiteres Thema, das fast eine Kluft zwischen den beiden verursachte. Unternehmen wandten sich an Gallivan Publishing und wollten die Whitley's Guide Bewertung verwenden, die ihr Produkt in der Werbung erhielt. Sal widersetzte sich dem Schritt und befürchtete, dass das Marketing es so aussehen lassen würde, als ob der Führer dieses Produkt bevorzugte. Svetlana hielt sich jedoch stand und argumentierte, dass die Unternehmen nur Informationen weitergeben würden, die die Öffentlichkeit ohnehin im Leitfaden finden könnte. Die erste Anzeige, die sich speziell auf Whitley's Guide bezog, war 2867 für einen Tarsus Expedition Quantum Drive. Von dort aus erweiterte sich die Praxis. 2872 begann die Komponenten-Wiederverkaufskette Dumper's Depot mit der Bewertung des Whitley's Guide für jeden verkauften Artikel, wobei ein Ladenbesitzer erklärte: "Könnte genauso gut jeden einige Zeit sparen, da er sowieso alle dort steht und nachsieht." Um 2880 hatte Whitley's Guide seinen Platz in der Öffentlichkeit als unparteiische, vertrauenswürdige Ressource für alle Dinge, die Raumschiffe betreffen, bestätigt.
Eine Änderung der Ratings
Selbst mit dem Tod von Sal Whitley im Jahr 2886 ist der Führer weiterhin eine integrale Ressource für die Menschen im ganzen Reich - obwohl es ohne seinen Schöpfer am Ruder einige Unebenheiten auf dem Weg gab. Mit Sal gone begann der Guide zum ersten Mal, Testmuster von Herstellern anzunehmen und Artikel zu überprüfen, bevor sie öffentlich freigegeben wurden. Während die neuen Redakteure versuchten, die vom Gründer der Publikation festgelegten Standards einzuhalten, zeigte ein Exposé im Jahr 2895, das die Bewertungen der letzten zehn Jahre analysierte, einen Trend, der Artikel und Schiffe von Terranern bevorzugte. Dies führte zu Vorwürfen der Unangemessenheit, da Gallivan Publishing ebenfalls auf Terra ansässig ist. Whitley's Guide behauptete, dass es sich nur um einen Fall von Korrelation ohne Kausalität handelte, aber um deutlich zu machen, dass sie wirklich unabhängig waren, kehrten sie zu Sal's ursprünglichen Richtlinien zurück.
Trotz dieses Schluckaufs ist das Vertrauen in die Veröffentlichung jedoch hoch geblieben, und einige der jüngsten Änderungen am Leitfaden sind noch erfolgreicher. Es hat sich weiter in neue Richtungen entwickelt und 2910 veröffentlichte Whitley's Guide seinen ersten persönlichen Rüstungs- und Waffenband. Sie haben sogar kurz mit der Überprüfung von Restaurants experimentiert, obwohl diese auf eine einzige Sonderedition beschränkt war. Auch die Hinzufügung eines monatlichen Magazins als Ergänzung zu den größeren Führern ist sehr beliebt. Seit fast einem Jahrhundert ist Whitley's Guide dank der Fülle an Informationen, die sie zur Verfügung stellen, weiterhin eine wichtige Ressource für die Verbraucher. Es ist schwer vorstellbar, wie das Einkaufen in der UEE heute ohne ihre Anleitung aussehen würde.
Chinese
This portfolio originally appeared in Jump Point 5.11.
Whether you’re perusing one of the extravagant ship showrooms in Prime, or bargaining in the back room of a secondhand dealer in Hadrian, there’s one thing that is almost universal no matter where you’re shopping in the Empire — Whitley’s Guide. Considered by many to be the ultimate source for impartial and accurate information and reviews for the thousands of various ships, weapons and components that can be found throughout the UEE, it is often the first stop many make when trying to decide if a particular item is right for them. With the guide’s ratings near ubiquitous today, it can be surprising to remember that it was less than a hundred years ago that Sal Whitley first started publishing his guide.
A Guide to Whitley
Darby Keilich was once quoted as saying that if you were to spend a day hanging around the repair shop that he and Sal Whitley used to own together, your first impression might be that Sal hated ships. The mechanic was well known for cussing at broken parts and ranting about “idiotically” designed spacecraft, but as Darby explains it, “If Sal always seemed angry, it was only because of how much he loved the things. After working as a mechanic for close to forty years, he understood how ships worked better than almost anyone else, so it really pained him to see cut corners or shoddy craftsmanship.”
The vessels that the pair serviced in their shop, located in Odin, were hard flown since the rough local conditions meant that parts were prone to extreme wear and tear. After ten years working as a mechanic and seeing certain brands and models fail again and again, Whitley cultivated very strong opinions about which ships and components their clients should buy and use. Often, customers would consult with Whitley before buying a new piece of equipment, to see if it met his standards. It wasn’t long before word got out and people he had never met were filling his comms with requests for recommendations. It got so bad that Sal threatened to close up shop and move away just to get people to leave him alone, but Darby had a different idea. If people wanted to know what Sal thought so badly, why not write it all down and charge them for it?
A Word to the Wise
The first version took three months for Whitley to compile, in between shifts at the repair shop; it covered spacecraft, power plants and cooling systems. Released on June 21, 2856, it didn’t have any images or even a formal title, but gearheads across the ’verse were drawn to Whitley’s matter-of-fact writing style. Methodical and detailed orientated, Whitley not only meticulously broke down all the stats of each item, but concisely summarized the ship or part’s overall performance. To the surprise of both Sal and Darby, the first month of sales outperformed the repair shop itself.
By the time 2859 rolled around, Whitley had published two more versions and had begun to focus full time on writing and reviewing. The popularity of “Whitley’s Guide” had grown to the point where manufacturers had begun to offer Sal free items with the hopes of being included, but without fail, he would refuse them all. It was important to him that he stay as independent as possible so that nobody could accuse him of being a shill. Instead, he sought out secondhand items, preferring to evaluate well used versions over fresh-from-the-factory models. “Who cares what something is like when it’s brand new? What’s important is how it’s going to be running six months, a year, five years down the way,” explained Whitley in a 2876 interview with Long Haul Quarterly.
As the guide continued to grow, manufacturers weren’t the only businesses to come knocking on Darby and Sal’s door. In 2860, Svetlana Gallivan of Gallivan Publishing approached the pair with an offer to buy the publishing rights to the guide, envisioning a bound volume with pictures, layouts and diagrams. Whitley agreed to sign a five-volume contract under the condition that he would have editorial control over all the content. Darby however, decided that the time had come for him to move on and chose instead to accept a buyout. “I had really started to miss just being a mechanic,” explained Darby. “But it does feel pretty nice to know I helped create something special.”
The Future’s in Store
The relationship with Gallivan Publishing has lasted well more than five volumes. By the end of his career, Whitley had overseen close to a hundred editions of the Guide that bore his name. Not only would the core guide expand to cover pretty much every part of a ship, including weapons and missiles, Gallivan began to produce special editions that focused on just one individual part in extreme detail. The 2865 Whitley’s Guide: Energy Weapons was the highest selling publication that year. In order to keep up with the volume, Whitley hired a staff of writers, though he reviewed all their work personally to ensure he agreed with the results. “If I’m going to have my name on something, you can be sure I’m going to read every single thing that goes in it,” said Whitley in an interview.
Though Svetlana supported Sal in his insistence on overseeing each edition personally, even though it limited the number of guides they could publish, there was another topic that almost drove a divide between the two. Companies approached Gallivan Publishing wanting to use the Whitley’s Guide rating that their product received in advertisements. Sal opposed the move, worried that the marketing would make it look like the guide favored that product. However, Svetlana stood her ground, arguing that the companies would only be sharing information that the public could find in the guide anyway. The first ad to specifically reference Whitley’s Guide was in 2867 for a Tarsus Expedition Quantum Drive. From there, the practice expanded. In 2872, component resale chain Dumper’s Depot began including the Whitley’s Guide rating for every item they sold, with one store owner stating, “Might as well save everyone some time, since they’re all standing there looking it up anyway.” By 2880, Whitley’s Guide had confirmed its place in the public’s mind as the impartial trusted resource for all things spaceships.
A Change in the Ratings
Even with the passing of Sal Whitley in 2886, the guide has continued to be an integral resource for people across the Empire — though without its creator at the helm, there have been some bumps along the way. With Sal gone, the guide for the first time began to accept test samples from manufacturers, as well as to review items before they were released publicly. While the new editors tried to maintain the standards put in place by the publication’s founder, an exposé in 2895 that analyzed the ratings of the past decade showed a trend that favored items and ships manufactured by Terran companies. This lead to accusations of impropriety, since Gallivan Publishing is also located on Terra. Whitley’s Guide claimed that it was just a case of correlation without causation, but to make it clear that they were truly independent, they reverted to Sal’s original policies.
However, despite this hiccup, trust has remained high in the publication and some of the recent changes made to the guide have met with even more success. It has continued to expand in new directions and in 2910, Whitley’s Guide released their first personal armor and weapons volume. They’ve even experimented briefly with reviewing restaurants, though that was limited to only a single special edition. The addition of a monthly magazine as a supplement to the larger guides has also been quite popular. For nearly a century, Whitley’s Guide has continued to be an instrumental resource for consumers, thanks to the wealth of information they provide. It is hard to imagine what shopping would be like in the UEE today without their guidance.
Whether you’re perusing one of the extravagant ship showrooms in Prime, or bargaining in the back room of a secondhand dealer in Hadrian, there’s one thing that is almost universal no matter where you’re shopping in the Empire — Whitley’s Guide. Considered by many to be the ultimate source for impartial and accurate information and reviews for the thousands of various ships, weapons and components that can be found throughout the UEE, it is often the first stop many make when trying to decide if a particular item is right for them. With the guide’s ratings near ubiquitous today, it can be surprising to remember that it was less than a hundred years ago that Sal Whitley first started publishing his guide.
A Guide to Whitley
Darby Keilich was once quoted as saying that if you were to spend a day hanging around the repair shop that he and Sal Whitley used to own together, your first impression might be that Sal hated ships. The mechanic was well known for cussing at broken parts and ranting about “idiotically” designed spacecraft, but as Darby explains it, “If Sal always seemed angry, it was only because of how much he loved the things. After working as a mechanic for close to forty years, he understood how ships worked better than almost anyone else, so it really pained him to see cut corners or shoddy craftsmanship.”
The vessels that the pair serviced in their shop, located in Odin, were hard flown since the rough local conditions meant that parts were prone to extreme wear and tear. After ten years working as a mechanic and seeing certain brands and models fail again and again, Whitley cultivated very strong opinions about which ships and components their clients should buy and use. Often, customers would consult with Whitley before buying a new piece of equipment, to see if it met his standards. It wasn’t long before word got out and people he had never met were filling his comms with requests for recommendations. It got so bad that Sal threatened to close up shop and move away just to get people to leave him alone, but Darby had a different idea. If people wanted to know what Sal thought so badly, why not write it all down and charge them for it?
A Word to the Wise
The first version took three months for Whitley to compile, in between shifts at the repair shop; it covered spacecraft, power plants and cooling systems. Released on June 21, 2856, it didn’t have any images or even a formal title, but gearheads across the ’verse were drawn to Whitley’s matter-of-fact writing style. Methodical and detailed orientated, Whitley not only meticulously broke down all the stats of each item, but concisely summarized the ship or part’s overall performance. To the surprise of both Sal and Darby, the first month of sales outperformed the repair shop itself.
By the time 2859 rolled around, Whitley had published two more versions and had begun to focus full time on writing and reviewing. The popularity of “Whitley’s Guide” had grown to the point where manufacturers had begun to offer Sal free items with the hopes of being included, but without fail, he would refuse them all. It was important to him that he stay as independent as possible so that nobody could accuse him of being a shill. Instead, he sought out secondhand items, preferring to evaluate well used versions over fresh-from-the-factory models. “Who cares what something is like when it’s brand new? What’s important is how it’s going to be running six months, a year, five years down the way,” explained Whitley in a 2876 interview with Long Haul Quarterly.
As the guide continued to grow, manufacturers weren’t the only businesses to come knocking on Darby and Sal’s door. In 2860, Svetlana Gallivan of Gallivan Publishing approached the pair with an offer to buy the publishing rights to the guide, envisioning a bound volume with pictures, layouts and diagrams. Whitley agreed to sign a five-volume contract under the condition that he would have editorial control over all the content. Darby however, decided that the time had come for him to move on and chose instead to accept a buyout. “I had really started to miss just being a mechanic,” explained Darby. “But it does feel pretty nice to know I helped create something special.”
The Future’s in Store
The relationship with Gallivan Publishing has lasted well more than five volumes. By the end of his career, Whitley had overseen close to a hundred editions of the Guide that bore his name. Not only would the core guide expand to cover pretty much every part of a ship, including weapons and missiles, Gallivan began to produce special editions that focused on just one individual part in extreme detail. The 2865 Whitley’s Guide: Energy Weapons was the highest selling publication that year. In order to keep up with the volume, Whitley hired a staff of writers, though he reviewed all their work personally to ensure he agreed with the results. “If I’m going to have my name on something, you can be sure I’m going to read every single thing that goes in it,” said Whitley in an interview.
Though Svetlana supported Sal in his insistence on overseeing each edition personally, even though it limited the number of guides they could publish, there was another topic that almost drove a divide between the two. Companies approached Gallivan Publishing wanting to use the Whitley’s Guide rating that their product received in advertisements. Sal opposed the move, worried that the marketing would make it look like the guide favored that product. However, Svetlana stood her ground, arguing that the companies would only be sharing information that the public could find in the guide anyway. The first ad to specifically reference Whitley’s Guide was in 2867 for a Tarsus Expedition Quantum Drive. From there, the practice expanded. In 2872, component resale chain Dumper’s Depot began including the Whitley’s Guide rating for every item they sold, with one store owner stating, “Might as well save everyone some time, since they’re all standing there looking it up anyway.” By 2880, Whitley’s Guide had confirmed its place in the public’s mind as the impartial trusted resource for all things spaceships.
A Change in the Ratings
Even with the passing of Sal Whitley in 2886, the guide has continued to be an integral resource for people across the Empire — though without its creator at the helm, there have been some bumps along the way. With Sal gone, the guide for the first time began to accept test samples from manufacturers, as well as to review items before they were released publicly. While the new editors tried to maintain the standards put in place by the publication’s founder, an exposé in 2895 that analyzed the ratings of the past decade showed a trend that favored items and ships manufactured by Terran companies. This lead to accusations of impropriety, since Gallivan Publishing is also located on Terra. Whitley’s Guide claimed that it was just a case of correlation without causation, but to make it clear that they were truly independent, they reverted to Sal’s original policies.
However, despite this hiccup, trust has remained high in the publication and some of the recent changes made to the guide have met with even more success. It has continued to expand in new directions and in 2910, Whitley’s Guide released their first personal armor and weapons volume. They’ve even experimented briefly with reviewing restaurants, though that was limited to only a single special edition. The addition of a monthly magazine as a supplement to the larger guides has also been quite popular. For nearly a century, Whitley’s Guide has continued to be an instrumental resource for consumers, thanks to the wealth of information they provide. It is hard to imagine what shopping would be like in the UEE today without their guidance.
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- 17372
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- Undefined
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- Portfolio
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- Published
- 6 years ago (2019-12-03T00:00:00+00:00)