Re: Re: HYB: finding pedigrees

The CD issue raises a lot of questions. I would like to hear how people
would use a CD given the following:

<That a CD would contain just the data in text form of the registrations. 
It would be broken into several fields (somewhere from 3 to 7)
It would not have a search engine associated with it.
The data could be imported to any program capable of resolving "tabbed text">

Number of fields are important. Name, hybridizer, year, season, falls, 
standards, beards, height, rebloom, description are the ideal I see for the 
registration information that now exists. Three fields would be acceptable in 
beta. 

<What would you use the information for?>

You may properly assume that once data is made available it will be used in 
every possible, conceivable, yet undreamed way a number, word or letters 
combination of the two might be imagined. 

<How would you access the information?>

In the easiest, least expensive way. Hopin' MS Access has the capacity to 
import.

<How would you search the information?>

By whatever options the program to which I hopefully import allows.

<How would you conduct boolean searches?>

Wonderin' if this is a trick question. <g> 

<If the CD did have a search program associated with it:
What platforms would it run on? (PC, Mac, Unix)>

All, one, any. Listed in order of preference.

<What operating systems and what versions?>
Ditto above response. Advice is Windows 95 and higher. Mac? Unix? I

<I don't know things like:
If it had a search engine would the results of a search be downloadable
to the host machine in text format? Is that necessary? Is all the data
made resident on the host machine or does the search engine only access
data on the CD? (Is that a requirement of the license for the search engine).>


I don't know either. Those in computers do. Many on post do.

<Another interesting question is: Who owns the information once it is
converted to electronic form. Clearly AIS owns the copyright to the
printed versions. The people who convert it and check it have done some
significant work modifying the data, do they own the copyright on the
electronic data? I do significant work reformatting and checking the
data getting it ready for the database. Do I own the copyright on the
electronic database version?  There are significant, unresolved issues here.>

In the corporate world these issues commonly are resolved by contract on the 
front end and often under a competitive bid process. One could reasonably 
expect that with a volunteer effort composed of the work of many both 
directly and indirectly involved to varying degrees, the proper ownership 
would be placed in the public domain. The law allows for ownership it does 
not require it. Regardless of motivation, whether it be greed, recognition, 
profit, self interest, protection, fame, ego, obligation or any other it is 
the entire iris worlds perception of reality that is important rather than 
the reality itself. Already, rightly or wrongly so, there exists a perception 
of AIS as an organization controlled by a west coast clique, one hand washing 
the other, callous to the needs of, and obligations to its membership and the 
iris world. Herein lies opportunity to change that ill conceived perception 
some or perpetuate it some. Good can be accomplished with accomplishment of 
good as the objective with good as its reward. Otherwise words like fiduciary 
responsibility, collusion, self dealing, become part of the perceived 
reality, regardless of whether such perceptions are correct. 

<I think those items are all more important that worrying the CD problems
right now. I am not opposed to CDs, it is just that getting the data
online solves a lot of people's needs faster. (and until we get the
electronic data, we can't make the cd anyway)>

It may be you under estimate both the demand and need for CD data. While 
there are at least a few list members with a need. there is a retail nursery 
trade that just has not yet recognized the need simply because it does not 
exist. The customer base of this trade exceeds all who have ever been members 
of the AIS, their children and their grandchildren. They remain an untapped 
resource for irises and their champions.

Respondin' to the pop quiz and skippin' some questions,
Bill Burleson 7a/b
Old South Iris Society

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