Re: Iris encyclopedia - some suggested changes
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: Iris encyclopedia - some suggested changes
  • From: R* P* <r*@embarqmail.com>
  • Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 08:37:46 -0400 (EDT)
Paul I wish to clarify the Encyclopedia for you and others. It was never meant to be JUST the official information. It is a collaborative platform on which many people can add information to an entry. Perhaps this has been lost on many becauses it is so vast. But every entry has a box at the bottom for comments. I had dreams of people adding Bud counts, branching, Purple based foliage, in otherwords every parameter that the Register does not include. The Iris Register IS only the official information.

Because even though there have been many annotations, perhaps they have not been noticed because of the immemse number of entries. But please do not say the Encyclopedia is only the official information. I have been trying so hard to get this other type of information from many people and that makes my work even harder. 

I try to set up topics into the Encyclopedia and get them started in hopes that others will understand that they can take over a topic and develop it a lot further. For Example I have the topic Novelty Irises. Under that are a whole range of topics for special characteristics such as flat irises, purple based foliage, variegated foliage, etc. I intend to have a picture on the main page of the Encyclopedia labeled Novelties, once there is enough in the topics to begin sending people to them. 

One of the types of things I have hopes will happen in the future is a plant finder. I would like to work with all the nurseries offering irises and see if a list could be generated of what nurseries maintain a stock of any particular iris so people could find them. This might extend in the future to private and public collections. But I am only one person. Thankfully the wiki has had lots of help, now 380 individuals registers who could put up information and pictures. 

But even with so many people we could use twice that number. I have created some structure within the Encyclopedia to discuss color and patterns and eventually will develop lists(preferably photo galleries) of color types, etc. We are about two thirds the way to getting the official descriptions into the Encyclopedia. There are actully more descriptions in the Encyclopedia than presently in the Iris Register. I estimate we will have practically everything in a year. After that we will concentrate on images and topics, but we have been doing our best to create a sam[le of this as we go along.

I would do my best to advocate for you an area on the AIS website. I would prefer if this information could be integrated into the wiki. I would like everyone to have their place in the sun. I individuals would like to develop special features within the encyclopedia and be in charge of them I think that would be wonderful. Presently I am disappointed that my message of annotation and collaborations has not gotton through.

The wiki program has its limitations. One must read the instructions to get what one wants in a search. It is much more complex than the register but ultimately can be constructed to be much easier as topics are developed that answer many search questions. I believe the potential is enormous, but spreading a message that all it does is give the official data defeats the possibilities.

----- Original Message -----
Considering recent events I thought I might clarify just so no one acuses me of dissing all the work that others have done on the twiki and eRegister, both are only repositories of the the official Registration info as submitted by the Hybridizers and entered by the Registration teams.  They are only as complete as the information that exists officially.  Without it/them and those participants what I am trying to do would be absolutely impossible to complete on my own.  What we do with that info now that it is avaialable in this new format is up to us as part of AIS and my goal is to supplement them with information from other sources to create a different sort of search tool.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index