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  • From: Chad Knepp <pyg@galatea.org>
  • To: pcplantdb@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [pcplantdb] wowww
  • Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2003 10:03:36 -0400

Ugh, I'm sick. I guess it's a good time to bang on keyboard.

Stephanie Gerson writes:
>
><snip>
>
> 1. What would be want the ultimate plant/guild database to be able to
> acheive? brainstorm *goals*, forget tech format for now. get specific
> (i.e. I want to be able to insert x,y,z criteria and design a medicinal
> guild for my local region...) Also specify fee (free or paid), format
> (web or cd rom)-- how this tool is accessed.

I think the best database would be flexible enough that interface
customization and creation could proceed apace with our figuring out
how we actually use it well. Open source. Web/cdrom/.tar.gz/etc.
I'm open to any kind of distribution although initially I think it
makes sense to develop it as a web application.

> 2. What characteristics of current plant/guild databases can serve as a
> model- features we admire, and would we want to include in a 'next level'
> project?

I admire the richness of information contained in PFAF. These folks
have done a tremendous service to the PC community, and have open
sourced their contribution. I have not used any interfaces that
really worked well for me other than my own.

> 3. What are current plant/guild databases lacking, that we would aspire
> to include in a 'next level' project?

Collaborative input/editing. If Ken Fern and Richard Morris (and
probably others) can create PFAF, just think if we turned the whole
permacuture list loose on something similar.

> 4. only AFTER answering the first 3, brainstorm tech formats/platforms
> that could acheive this end and how.

Well, I like the idea of prototyping in python. A library for lower
level database interaction with a well documented API would allow
fairly straightforward interface creation (python is super easy) and
the library could later be optimized in a different language. I have
a long rant about why python that I can give if anyone is interested.
I think keeping it as accessible is an important element. This means
something that will work on *nix/M$/Apple/etc.

><snip>
>
> CHAD WROTE:
> I think I am the person with the skill and motivation to do it; all I
> need is cold hard cash. If I were funded for 300 hours @ $15/hr (I'm
> worth $50/hr) in 2-4 months I could do some amazing things, with the
> permaculture community as the most direct beneficiary.
>
> WHOA THERE CHAD. FORGIVE ME FOR GETTING A BIT SAD WHEN I READ THIS. I'M
> CERTAIN YOU COULD DO SOME AMAZING THINGS ON YOUR OWN, BUT LET'S WORK
> TOGETHER, NO?
>
> PHEWWWF, THAT'S IT FOR NOW.
> BUSY BUSY WEEK, BUT I'LL GET TO MY HOMEWORK OVER THE WEEKEND (AND I HOPE
> SOMEONE OUT THERE DOES TOO)
>
> JUST TO RE-ITERATE, REALLY GLAD TO BE DISCUSSING WITH YOU ALL, AND WOULD
> LOVE TO POOL OUR IDEAS TOGETHER AND APPROACH THIS COLLEVTIVELY.
>
> LET'S *BE* THE GUILD THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD.

Gosh I sure came on a bit strong there. I think I was feeling a
little frustration in my inability to turn up funding to continue work
on PCPDB earlier. I also think quite a bit of myself as a developer
and inside all that arrogance is bit of truth. I think I'm a good
choice to do a lot of the technical implementation.

><snip>

--
Chad Knepp
perl -e 'print pack"H*","7079674067616c617465612e6f72670a"'




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