Hola Dominic:
Don't throw away your cards and continue using them for the new shells
you
collect; the information in the computer is not safe. I have my
collection
annotated in paper until the number 280; then I made a program in Pascal
to put
the information and I did not use more the paper; the numbers grew to
600; but
I went sick for several years and during this time I almost did not see
my
collection and I almost did not use the computer; when I was better the
hard
disk did not work and also all my backups were bad. I lost all the
information
regarding numbers 280-600, but the information of the first 280 in the
paper
was fine; also I found some slips of paper where I write about a shell
before I
pass it to the computer; they were very useful. Now I have a crash; I
had
bought a zip and I was backuping; I had made back ups of several files
about
poetry, art, etc., but I had not pass the shell information; I lost it.
Bur
this time I have annotated it in paper; the only thing I have lost was
the time
consumed writing it in the computer and several names that I forgot to
put in
the paper, but I have all the other information about them.
 
The computer is very useful, and I use it, but the last back up must be
in
paper.
 
I use Access; it is very easy to begin with it, and also it is very easy
to
make changes; it has a trick to make a backup.
 
Saludos
Emilio.
 
 
DOMINIC RAWLINGSON PLANT escribis:
 
> My name is Dominic RAWLINGSON-PLANT.I am 57 years old and live in England.
> I have been diver and shell collector for over 30 years having started when
> I was in the military in Singapore in the mid 1960's.Then I also dived
> around Malaysia and Borneo.I have also been fortunate to spend time in
> Cyprus, Belize and New Zealand having also dived around much of Europe.More
> recently I have had 8 months in the Seychelles (Indian Ocean) instructing
> diving. This is also an excellent area to find shells.
> My main collecting interests are Cones and Cowries and I currently have
> over 100 species of each but I also have Strombidae, Cassidae, Muricidae
> and Volutidae.
> I have only recently aquired a computer and would welcome any advice on how
> to get my collection,currently held on cards, onto a database.I also need
> an abreviated form to print off the basic information onto labels for the
> specimens I have boxed.
> Look forward to communicating with you in the future.
>
> Dominic