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pcplantdb - Re: [pcplantdb] Synth, comments, etc

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  • From: Chad Knepp <pyg@galatea.org>
  • To: Permaculture Plant Database <pcplantdb@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [pcplantdb] Synth, comments, etc
  • Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 18:40:40 -0600

Bear K writes:
> Been lurking recently, hello all again,
>
> > 2. 3-dimensional representation of search results - if you searched by
> > multiple characteristics, how would you display this Johns? on an xy
> > graph? what if there were more than 2 characteristics? which is why
> > Lawrence and I were suggesting a 3D representation (i.e. a cube) on
> > which
> > you could see the characteristics you sorted by mapped onto a 3D
> > object.
> > does this make better sense?
>
> That would require some Python Imaging Library handwork right? Assuming
> you produced a still GIF image from it. Or at a later date get someone
> to build a Flash based viewer using Actionscript to provide interactive
> viewing (or TouchGraph, etc).

Or SVG <http://www.mozilla.org/projects/svg/>... the open source
equivilantof Flash.

> It seems that you could also just score your results from the search to
> create a cumulative rank. Those with high marks on all three go first
> on down, and just display it as a list (with the rank split into the
> different columns, this system would theoretically work with any number
> of variables, and doesn't require a special UI.
>
> These are/should be front-end issues.

Yep, as I said, easy to do the searchs, hard to display the results
meaningfully.

> <snip>
>
> > I am in favor of a more generalist approach
> > and personally think the best way to figure out a crop rotation or a
> > guild is with an observant human mind that is in touch with the best
> > info available (hopefully PIW). At the moment I just can't imagine a
> > computer system I would trust to really generate a guild or crop
> > rotation.
> Making PIW the google of plant info. Greatly speeding research, not
> just saying:
> Based on X, Y, and Z, you should plant A tree, with B overstory, and C
> vines.
>
> But if say on the page for a single item view of plant info, it had
> link to "find related plants".
> Actually, a set of links to preformed queries "find functional plants
> of this genus" (ie search current plant genus with rating of 3 or
> over). "find plants with similar products", "find plants alleopathic to
> this one".

Ok though, how do you represent these queries to the user? There are
more possible queries than one can display sanely so what queries
are/will be the most important ones and how should the end user
interact with these options in a browser based interface?

> <snip>
>
> > I can embrace the concept of relationships because making connections
> > between information is an important concept, even if I don't currently
> > have a real clear idea of implement it. If oberservation has
> > determined following one annual with another is a beneficial
> > relationship this could be recorded as such and the interconnection
> > between the two plants could/should be displayed on both plants.
>
> One interesting thought regarding this is:
> Say you have a tree which requires X pollinator. Turns out Z plant
> attracts Y pollinator. Thus you could write X <- is beneficial to -> Z.
> What's lacking is that Y is the cause of the benefit. Z plant might not
> grow under your conditions, so you need to search for other plants that
> attract Y. It seems like it might be important to include Y somehow.
> Perhaps the easiest right now would be: X is related [because of: Y] to
> Z, where [because of Y] is just a text string. Later the schema could
> grow to allow more info on Y to be added, and a script could run
> through the field to build out the Y entries.

ARGH! My brain is burning! Seriously though, sometimes I wonder it
is possible to represent a web of relationships on computer that is
large enough to be meaningful. Every element has so many
possible relationships, is it possible to get them all and will it be
helpful if we can't. Not sure myself, but I'm committed to try.

--
Chad Knepp
Perl - $Just @when->$you ${thought} s/yn/tax/ &couldn\'t %get $worse;




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