Re: Plants For A Future database

["Lee Flier" <lflier@mindspring.com>]

Larry wrote:

>Let's hear a round of applause for Lee, Marcus, Rich and PFAF Staff.
>This is a dream database.
>
>>While I'm in credit mode a lot of respect to Lee Flyer who came up with
>>the idea of putting the database on the web in the first place
>>and also did the first version.
>
>Is there any possibility of that going back online again anywhere?


First of all many thanks for acknowledging my contribution.  I wish I could
have kept the original version where it was and kept improving on it, but it
was not to be and I'm just glad someone else was able to pick up the reins,
because this stuff really needs to be on line!

If it is all right with the folks at PFAF I would be happy to put the
original version back online (and improve on it), but the problem is
although I'm a database guru and a web design guru, I'm NOT a UNIX guru.  So
it would have to be hosted on an NT Server - one running SQL Server or
Oracle would be great.  Does Metalab have any of those now?  Y'all just let
me know - off list if you want.

Rich wrote:

>>I'd also like to draw peoples attention that the database now features
>>a readers comment section where people can add extra information
>>to the database page for any plant in the database. The dream is
>>to gather together the vast amount of plant knowledge that people
>>all over the world have. There is a lot of good info out there
>>but it is often very hard to find. Hopefully the comments section
>>will go some way to help people find this info. We would like this
>>to turn into some community forum rather than just a Plants For
>>A Future project,

This is a fabulous idea, because the whole time that I ran the site I was
getting email from people wanting to add more.  Also it would be great to
add pictures from contributors.

>How about a mailing list (run on MetaLab's Lyris server where this PC
>list originates) fo PFAF comments, feedback, praise, new plant info,
>etc. etc. called pfaf, or pfaf@franklin.oit.unc.edu, with website for
>list at:
>http://franklin.oit.unc.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=pfaf
...<snip>
>Opinions?


Well I think the ability to contribute directly from the web site would add
more immediacy than a mailing list, much as I am a big fan of mailing lists.
For example if each plant listing had a user comments section of its own
that could be added to, kind of like the customer book reviews on Amazon.
<G>  Plus there could be a web based forum initiating at the home page.
Again, this is all the kind of system I design every day and I would be very
happy to help make this all a reality, if it were on a platform that I have
a clue about. <G>  I was very sad to have to give that project up.

--Lee

***********************************
Lee A. Flier
lflier@mindspring.com
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
http://lflier.home.mindspring.com