Development of a public website on insects

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Peter Khramov, 07.03.2016 1:14

In continuation and development of the topic Development of a common butterfly site.

At the end of last year Lepidoptera.ru/Lepidoptera.pro grew up to Insecta.pro. Accordingly, the site is now dedicated to all insects, not just butterflies. In addition, the concept of the site as a whole has changed somewhat recently.

The core of the site is a tree of taxa and a catalog of insect species. Around them are sections/services that interact closely with them. Sections can be either general (for example, a photo gallery where insect photos are uploaded by site users), or private (a service or project for a specific work of a particular person or group). Examples of the latter include qualifiers, systems for recording species in certain territories, and so on ad infinitum.

The quality of the core depends on the specialists who work with it. Therefore, the site has introduced a system for curating individual insect taxa. The curator is responsible for putting the taxon tree in order and keeping it up — to-date, plus (to a lesser extent) the catalog-within their own taxon. For some taxa, there may be several curators interacting with each other at once, while for others, there may be none (hopefully temporarily). If there is no specialist curator, then the taxon is handled to the best of my ability by a curator of a broader specialization, and if there is no such person, then I (only at the most general level).

Catalogue of insect species it is regularly updated with text and graphic information with a mandatory indication of the source. Based on this data, moderators formalize attributes, and you can select types in the catalog based on their values.
The full list of sources is collected in the updated section Literature.

The gallery collects photos of insects, which serve to illustrate species and other taxa. So far, we have illustrated only a little over 9,000 taxa, but this number is constantly growing.

Just a few days ago, we launched linking geographic data based on Google Maps. Currently, this section is working in semi-test mode (you can put markers and link only photos to them). In the near future, we will remove the restrictions, and then you can link taxa and not only, as well as make various selections by points, plus restrict access to your own points (for example, make sure that they are only visible you or only users who know the password).

Approximately this week we are launching a public exchange/salesman/gift shop of dry material for everyone who wants — again with reference to the catalog and the ability to select by a bunch of parameters.

All this is overlaid with a system of comments and (fully available in March) ratings/ratings.

So, Insecta.pro — this is a sea where you can swim everywhere, or you can concentrate on one area, but with all seriousness. For those who want to focus, you can quickly limit the output information to a single unit (at the session level, registration on the site is optional) and limit it to a taxon of any level, starting from the subgenus (at the user configuration level, only for registered users). In other words, all classification, catalog, photos, and comments will be configured for output information only, for example, about ants.

P. S. If you have an idea for an entomological project, which will not be hindered by an online presentation linked to the catalog, taxon tree, and all other data — please voice it. It is quite possible that I will make it for you and your colleagues in the framework Insecta.pro.

P.S. There is often a situation when on the Internet it seems that something is wrong and wrong and well, but you talk in person or at least on the phone — and everything is much clearer, and in general people completely agree and think in the same direction. Therefore, if you see that such a site is the right thing for you, but something you really don't like and prevents you from working with it — you can not only write and read, you can just call the phones +7 (495) 255-00-95 (Moscow), 8-800-775-60-95 (Number for free calls from the regions, including from mobile phones) and discuss everything. You can also use these numbers to ask any questions about the site and how to work with it. In the next couple of weeks, I will try to be on the phone more often, and even if I don't answer, they will switch you to me (or just call me).

P. s. S. S. And also for users Insecta.pro there is a special entomological shop, where prices are slightly lower than on the "Naturalist".

As before, I offer to participate in the development of the project, and I will also be happy to listen to all thoughts/comments on the topic of such a site and answer any questions. Plus, I attach a survey similar to the previous topic.

Past results:
3% The idea is good, but almost impossible — it was not worth starting
35% The idea is not bad, if someone succeeds, I will be happy to use
it 61% I will participate in the content and other development of such a resource myself, if it is worthy of it

Peter Khramov.
Http://insecta.pro

This post was edited by Asar-07.03.2016 01: 20

Comments

07.03.2016 12:00, Peter Khramov

The system in those taxa for which there are no curators on the site yet and will in most cases be a tin can, because without curators it is poorly controlled, but it is also a collective hodgepodge to represent as many child taxa as possible. And you need to represent this large number as much as possible, so that in the absence of curators, the situation would change at least "from below", i.e. ordinary users could add data for at least individual taxa (starting with linking photos to views).
And so, of course, for the sake of image, it is easier to blind the system only where there is a well-licked, reliable information. But then both the amount of data in other sections and the probability of competent curators arriving will decrease significantly for them.
Therefore, in this case, it is correct to go from the assembly to the correct state of individual taxa (with curators), and not gradually lay out only what has already been licked.