pcplantdb

[Richard Morris <webmaster@pfaf.org>]

Microsoft Encarta!

What are peoples thoughts?

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Use of Plants For A Future database
Date:   Mon, 1 Aug 2005 13:37:15 -0700
From:   Chandrika Kaul <ckaul@microsoft.com>
To:     <webmaster@pfaf.org>, <admin@pfaf.org>



Dear Sir/Madam:

My name is Chandrika Kaul, and I'm an editor with Microsoft Encarta, in
Redmond, WA. I'm contacting you about the possibility of including
individual facts extracted from the Plants For A Future database in the
Encarta Answers service on MSN Search.

It is becoming evident that internet search engines can connect users
with specific information a LOT more easily than has been the case so
far. As part of this effort, we have built a platform designed to answer
users' questions directly. If a user types in a question such as "What
are the common names for Cabbage?", our goal is to give them the answer
to that question first, right at the top of the search results page. In
fact, this example, and many more like it, works right now. Give it a
try here: _http://search.msn.com_. We'd like our Answers service to work
just as well if a user were to ask "What are the medicinal uses of
Jute?", "What are the physical characteristics of Jute?", or any other
specific question about plants statistics.

We envision an arrangement in which  Plants For A Future provides
Encarta with this database, which we would incorporate into our Answers
service. In exchange, Plants For A Future would receive full credit and
a link in the source citation accompanying the answer. Each cell of
Plants data in Answer will give Plants For A Future database as source.
We will not alter or transform information from this db. Essentially,
you get top-of-page placement in MSN Search results whenever a user asks
a question we answer with your data, which should increase awareness of
and website traffic to Plants For A Future.

Thanks for your time and attention! An early reply will be very much
appreciated

I remain respectfully,

Chandrika Kaul
Statistics Editor
Encarta Reference Library
425 706-5760