An online program for maintaining a collection, and maybe even photos/literature, too...

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Peter Khramov, 15.05.2012 18:31

I have an idea to include it in the site Lepidoptera.ru new functionality for online collection management. In this topic, I want to find out if people need it and, if necessary,in what form.

UP: We need users for a pre-closed test. Read more in this post: http://molbiol.ru/forums/index.php?showtop...dpost&p=1474084.

What is good about the program itself, I think, is obvious. What's great about the online version, probably, too. And yet.
The main advantage, I think, will not even be access from any computer or the lack of need for a program on your computer, but synchronization with the database/the site's catalog, and most importantly — with other users.
At the same time, on the one hand, it will be useful to develop a certain common standard, on the other — the ability to adapt the common to the long-standing habits of a loved one.

For example, the algorithm of actions can be as follows:
Register on the site.
Loading data for the collection. At least two modes: by hand via a web form and one or more excel files based on a given template.
All types/subspecies and other taxa are automatically synchronized with the database/the site's catalog.

What does syncing with the database mean? This means that you don't need to build a taxon system, but just link it to a ready-made one. In the event that the owner of the collection sometimes does not agree with the classification on the site, he A) can always suggest changes (it is clear that the system is constantly updated) B) can set corrections specifically for himself. That is, all users will have Aglais io, and he will have Inachis io, but the program, essno, will understand both options.
What does syncing with a folder mean? This means that all objects in the collection will always have links to descriptions with photos and comments in the catalog, as well as fishing spots on the map (Google maps). At the same time, if you want, you can add your own catalog information, including photos of specific copies, but again, you don't need to build it from scratch. And of course, it will be possible to make all sorts of different selections, for example: All the scoops of the Lower Volga region (according to Sinev) that are in your collection, but are not in the collection of Comrade Ivanov I. I. (if Comrade Ivanov shared his data on you), and also unknown from Hungary. Or: exchange or sell nymphalids that are available in users ' public collections, but are not included in your collection. Or just points of catching mourning birds in the Moscow region.

The main thing: what does syncing with other users mean? This means that you can work with more than just one person. You can maintain joint collections (i.e., several people manage it, rather than just one person). You can give guest access to view data about your collection to some site users (an arbitrary list), you can — to all registered users, in general to everyone, or you can — to no one. You can put tags about instances for exchange or sale, and information about this, again, can be available to everyone or only a select few. You can make requests for confirmation of the definition or for the presence of something interesting to exchange.
In other words, you will get a kind of online network of collections with a variety of access modes-from fully closed to fully open (at the request of the collection owner), and within this network — comfortable interaction of its participants, supplemented by the main functionality of the site.

And yes, you don't need your own program on your local computer (and in general, even if you go in from your phone), but on the contrary, you need Internet access. And yes, you can not only import data automatically via an xls / csv file to the site, but also export data from the site to your computer for further transmission, saving a backup copy, printing, etc.

One more thing: it is not difficult to reach the developer (i.e. me), so all sorts of improvements and additions, including individual ones, are quite expected.

Specific functionality, templates, and so on can be discussed if my idea as such does not seem delusional. I'm not a collector myself, so I don't have to catch up on anything.

Anyone interested in the idea is waiting for comments/thoughts.

P.S. You can also add collections of photos and books/literature, not just copies.

This post was edited by Asar - 03/14/2014 15: 13

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19.05.2012 15:50, Peter Khramov

There may be some additional fields that don't occur to me...
Right now, it looks like this:
Link to a taxon
Link to photos
Link to a point on the map
Refine the taxon (form, generation, etc.)
Accuracy of detection (sure/not sure)
Fishing location (geography) plus landscape
Date / time of fishing
Tags: for sale, for exchange, possible exchange, etc.
The following tags: open for viewing by everyone, only registered users, only selected (list) users, closed for viewing by everyone except the owner.
Custom placemarks (i.e., we give birth to a certain attribute that can be used to mark instances). However, there can be several placemarks for each instance. For example, "That memorable evening near Bryansk". Or "Natural Anomalies". Or "Bred at home". Moreover, they can be shared to other users.
Note (any infa in free form).
The names of the collectors and those who defined them-by default, they match the user, but can be changed.

Who thinks it's enough for the first trial version or something else is needed?

23.12.2012 17:01, Peter Khramov

There are several people who will be the first testers of the program. Accordingly, I think that during the New Year's coma, we will discuss all the details with them and launch the program for general use. If anyone has a desire to join the pilot group-now is the time, because it is better to discuss these very details before the main programming work, and not after.
In addition, there was an idea to create an online program / catalog not only for butterfly collections, but also for literature. That is, there are separate libraries on the topic of lepidoptera users and stores/publishers, which are combined into a general catalog with the ability to search for everything and everything, and most importantly, with information about who has what, who wants to exchange what, or just who you can politely ask to scan a couple of pages. If anyone has any thoughts/suggestions in this direction-it will also be interesting to hear.

This post was edited by Asar - 23.12.2012 17: 02

23.12.2012 19:10, Bad Den

There are several people who will be the first testers of the program. Accordingly, I think that during the New Year's coma, we will discuss all the details with them and launch the program for general use. If anyone has a desire to join the pilot group-now is the time, because it is better to discuss these very details before the main programming work, and not after.
In addition, there was an idea to create an online program / catalog not only for butterfly collections, but also for literature. That is, there are separate libraries on the topic of lepidoptera users and stores/publishers, which are combined into a general catalog with the ability to search for everything and everything, and most importantly, with information about who has what, who wants to exchange what, or just who you can politely ask to scan a couple of pages. If anyone has any thoughts/suggestions in this direction-it will also be interesting to hear.

And what do you need to join this very group?

08.01.2013 21:01, Peter Khramov

Update based on a discussion with testers. The following types of data are assumed (optional)::

- Binding to a taxon (the ability to link not only to a species, but also to a subspecies, and to super-species, if the definition is only up to the genus, for example)
- Link to photos (ability to upload photos of a specific instance)
- Refinement of the taxon (form, generation, etc.)
- Accuracy of detection (sure/not sure)
— Fishing location (text geography) plus landscape
-Latitude, longitude
-Reference to a point on the map
— Date / time of fishing
-Gender (male, female, gynandromorph)
- Length of forewing
-Bred specimen (from egg, caterpillar, pupa)
- Collector's state of the instance
— Flattened/Unallocated copy

- Tags: for sale, for exchange, possible exchange, etc.
— The following tags: open for viewing by everyone, only registered, only selected (list) users, closed for viewing by everyone except the owner.
- Custom placemarks (i.e., we give birth to a certain attribute that can be used to mark instances). However, there can be several placemarks for each instance. For example, "That memorable evening near Bryansk". Or "Natural Anomalies". Or "Bred at home". Moreover, they can be shared to other users.

- Note (any information in free form).
- The names of the collectors and those who defined them are the same as the user by default, but can be changed.

Of course, attributes are used to select instances based on the appropriate parameters, both from their own collection and from others (if the owners of other collections shared this data for you).

Uploading data via a form on the site one copy at a time or in bulk from an excel file.

If anyone has any thoughts/additions, please let us know.
P.S. AGG, I haven't received any contacts from you in the BOS...

This post was edited by Asar-08.01.2013 21: 25

10.01.2013 17:45, Peter Khramov

Linking to synonymy will be mandatory.
Samples — of course.
Regarding linking to the database — there are two cases:
1. When a part of the tree in the database is outdated/inadequate due to an oversight/illiteracy. Then we just make a proposal to change it, there will be no objections in this case, respectively, the general tree changes, everyone is happy.
2. When different people have a different vision on the same issue, and not that the tree is obviously outdated. For this case, you will be able to adjust the tree for yourself personally. But this feature, as well as linking to Google Maps, will most likely appear only in the second version of the program, when people will already use the first one. And the rest should be immediately available.
P. S. And yes, the program will search by instances, not by types. And the species (or other taxon) will be one of the attributes that can be used to select these same specimens.

This post was edited by Asar - 10.01.2013 17: 48

03.02.2014 11:35, Лавр Большаков

Oh, and you have a lot of free time, if you can afford to write a whole dossier on each collector's copy.!
I have to process thousands of copies. every season, b. h. collected from all sorts of traps and poor preservation. If all this is described by the piece, then there will be no time for science and you will have to turn into a copyist of copies. Fortunately, only occasionally it is necessary to make small inventories of collections submitted to the funds of institutions, where only the Latin name of the species and label data are enough. When I completed the collections of the Museum of local lore, there in special forms it was necessary to write the specific features of each specimen,I wrote the wingspan, the condition on a 5-point scale, who determined, in the note indicated that the specimen. not straightened, the presence of a genital preparation and other special signs.

06.02.2014 23:21, Peter Khramov

Please comment on the following issue:
Do I need to hide photos of instances?
For example, a situation where a person entered data about instances with the label "do not show to anyone". Accordingly, data about these instances is not shown to anyone. However, photos of instances, if any, can be used by me or the site's moderators to illustrate views and be available in the general photo gallery (not all of them, but manually selected by moderators, usually if there are few or no illustrations for this type). At the same time, photos are always signed (and even implanted in the image itself)about the author of the image. According to the author of the picture of a dried butterfly, it can be assumed that he is also the owner of the instance, although this is not always the case (for example, I don't have dried butterflies, but there are photos of instances), but still.
Is this critical or not? Do you need 100% security in afigena or not?
p. S. You could just make it so that the curator of the collection can mark pictures that he would not like to see in the shared gallery, but then you will have to hide all the photos by default (i.e., so that they are not available on request from the shared photo folder), and some of them only unpack that there is some gimor.
P.S. I repeat, we are talking specifically about PHOTOGRAPHS of collectible specimens, and not about these specimens themselves, which, of course, can be hidden from everyone and everything if desired.

This post was edited by Asar - 06.02.2014 23: 23