"Thomas E. Eichhorst" wrote:
.....at the Louisville COA convention, Jeff Schroeder demonstrated
> a database he is building named SeaBase.  One of his ideas was to eventually
> use this database or something similar to catalog as many species as
> possible, with images, and all available on the Internet for general use.
> This is just a natural extension of Poppe's work and that of Eddie Hardy.
> If Jeff's project ever comes to fruition, it could serve as a central
> repository where list members could enter data and images on shells.  Yeah,
> I know, we would need some serious review process -- but that also can be
> done.

Tom, and all,

I stand somewhat with Paul Callomon on this subject, old-school
traditional with experience-based knowledge being my standard. But I'm
not one to shout down a great new idea, and the internet has made many
things possible we could have sworn were impossible a few short years
ago! Furthermore, I don't think it is very profitable to look at the
finished product as the only end. The amount we will learn in doing is
always a big dividend. As is the cohesiveness, cooperation and sense of
accomplishment. And so we only get through the ten most collectible
families of gastropods! Or only the Muricacea? Who's to say that isn't
worthwhile? Jeez! If we only did turrids, think what a contribution! In
that vein I would like to say a little more about a possible vehicle:

I know that Jeff Schroeder (Bardstown, KY) is serious about this very
sophisticated data base (called SeaBase at the moment) that he is
producing and he really does envision it being used for somewhat the
sort of thing you are all kicking around. He is not a shell
collector...his wife Lori is the family shell nut...but he designed this
data base first off for her collection. I have a copy of it on my
computer. It is absolutely super. Smooth. Beautiful. Fully relational
and with exciting features including a very versatile label-making
ability, and it even has a feature for pronouncing shell names and one
for picturing your specimens. He has incorporated fossils and is working
on specialized information for fossil data entry, last I heard.

I am going on about the plusses of his data base to make a point...I am
convinced that he is quite capable of adapting the thing to any such
needs we might show him. Believe me, he's quite good at this and loves
doing it! Also he has been talking for a while about making a
contribution to all collectors by crafting something like you are
talking about ...interactive and accessible to the many. As I said, he
really loves working with data bases and welcomes and actively solicits
suggestions and ideas (since he is not a collector, Jeff is not always
aware first hand of some of our needs) and I suspect this kind of
project would be a direction he would like to go.

Jeff, why not get into the data base aspect of this discussion yourself?

Lynn Scheu
Louisville KY
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