Re: [AISdiscuss] hosta website

[John I Jones <jijones@usjoneses.com>]

This is a very nicely done website. The design is well thought out and 
implemented in a professional manner.

The most significant differences (aside from the way information is 
presented) are that the Hosta Society makes all the most recent 
registration information available for download free, and provides free 
access to the search engine.

The AIS Board policy is that only the 1999 Check List and prior (back 
thru the 1959) are available for free download.

The online database contains the more recent R&Is as well as all the 
Checklist information we currently have available in the Registrar's 
database (information from the 1949 and 1939 Check Lists is limited) 
and we charge a fee for access to the search capability.

A significant difference is that the Hosta society database has 3555 
records in it and the AIS databbase has over 55,000 registered names in 
it. We are making significant strides in upgrading our database 
structure. Mike Lowe has designed a new database structure and is 
gradually getting additional information from the 1949 and 1939 Check 
Lists. I have been trying to get a new search engine developed that 
will allow searching on a more granular level, but have been delayed in 
the effort by the availability of time from Mallorn Computing.

If the AIS Board changes the policy on availability of downloads of the 
2000-2005 R&Is we can make them available on irisregister.com

Making pictures available with the registration entries is a big step. 
It certainly can be done but has some impacts and requires a carefully 
crafted set of standards.

I am sure that we can implement anything the Board wishes, depending of 
course on the cost. I am hopeful that I can find a web/database/search 
engine programmer that is a member of the AIS and is willing to work at 
a reasonable rate.

John

On Jun 28, 2006, at 1:13 AM, bfilardi@comcast.net wrote:

> Hi all:  Received the following today from a member named Caroline 
> Nave:
>
> This is some information that I just received from the Hosta Society 
> about their new downloadable hosta descriptions etc.   This is what I 
> have been begging AIS to do.
> We could go them one better and require a photograph of each cultivar 
> at the time it is registered.
> Need money for AIS?  Have away for the local societies or individual 
> members to be able to download both picture and descriptive 
> information from the web and charge their credit card .50 per picture. 
>  A $5 minimum order could be required.
> AIS really need to become more "Lay grower" friendly and offer more 
> services that benefit the affiliate.  The insurance is  wonderful 
> benefit.
> How about the Registry?  Seems like a no brainer.
> Caroline Nave
>
> HEY FOLKS, THERE IS A GREAT NEW WEB TOOL FOR FINDING ALL THE DATA YOU 
> WANT ON REGISTERED HOSTAS.
> SEE THE BELOW EMAIL ABOUT THE NEW AMERICAN HOSTA SOCIETY  bHOSTA 
> REGISTRYb
> (Thanks to Cornelia Holland for sending this notice to us)
>
> AHS Hosta Registry
> http://hostaregistrar.org
>
> Every now and then a new web site will pop up on the internet that 
> becomes an invaluable resource and tool for its intended audience.  I 
> am pleased to announce such a web site for Hosta enthusiasts the world 
> over.
>
> The Hosta Registry of the American Hosta Society located at 
> http://hostaregistrar.org/ is a free online search utility of the 
> official registry record of the International Cultivar Registration 
> Authority (ICRA) for the plant genus Hosta.  I have had the pleasure 
> to work with Kevin P. Walek, the Hosta Registrar, to utilize the 
> current Hosta registration database and place it on the internet as a 
> simple and searchable  powerful utility.
>
> The first phase of a more detailed plan is what you now have 
> available.  The Hosta Registry contains five powerful search 
> utilities.
>
> Cultivar Name Search
> Hybridizer Name Search
> Leaf Color Search
> Leaf Characteristic Search
> Parentage Search
>
> Each of the five search forms are fairly identical, except they ask 
> for different information.  Before you click the submit button or 
> press the benterb key on your keyboard, make sure you understand the 
> three special options that are available under each submittal form.  
> This is where you see a checkbox/radio button to help you focus your 
> search.  The three options are:
>
> all words
> any of the words
> exact phrase
>
> Experimenting with these options will demonstrate the extra 
> capabilities of the online database search feature.  For example, if 
> you are doing a Cultivar Name Search and enter sum and into the box, 
> and submit your search for ball wordsb, your search results will 
> yield the single cultivar H. bSum And Substanceb.
>
> However, the identical search for Sum And with bany of the wordsb 
> selected returns 161 cultivar names on 4 pages of search results.   
> The first three cultivars returned are: H. bAlex Summersb, H. 
> bAlice In Wonderlandb, and H. bAll This And Heaven Toob.
>
> Your results are served with a maximum of 50 cultivars per page.  
> Clicking on the cultivar name brings up a bdetail pageb for that 
> specific cultivar containing detailed information about your 
> selection.  You may then click the bprevious pageb link on the 
> current web page to return to your main results page, or you may use 
> the bback buttonb in your web browser.  The main result page also 
> has indicators and controls informing you how many cultivars match 
> your search criteria and how many pages of search result there are.  
> The controls allow you to navigate through the results quickly.
>
> Hybridizer Name Search:  This utility queries the following fields of 
> the database to return matching cultivar names:
>
> Registrant
> Originator
> Introducer
> Nominant
>
> The bregistrantb is the primary field of the four that is referenced 
> most often in discussing hostas.  However, all four of these fields 
> are tracked in The Hosta Registry and this search can be very 
> informative.
> Leaf Color Search: This search utility allows you to search the Hosta 
> Registry for cultivars that have particular colors in the leaf center 
> and the leaf margin. To refine your search you should use the special 
> selector buttons. For example: a search for "blue white" and selecting 
> "all words" returns 150 cultivars, while the same search with "any of 
> the words" returns 1,585 cultivars.  A list of primary search keywords 
> is also located below this search form to assist you in running your 
> query.
> Leaf Characteristics Search: This search utility will search four 
> specific database fields. These are:
> 1.      Leaf Appearance
> 2.      Leaf Shape
> 3.      Leaf Top Texture
> 4.      Petiole Characteristics
> Below the search box you will see some suggested keywords/phrases that 
> will help you define your search.
> Parentage Search: Use this search form to search the registry for 
> specific hosta cultivars that have specific cultivars recorded for 
> these three parentage fields:
> 1.      pod parent
> 2.      pollen parent
> 3.      sport of a particular variety
> You will notice that the main results for all five searches are served 
> with up to 50 per page.  Additionally, each of the main result pages 
> is custom formatted for the type of search being conducted.
>
> There are some other wonderful features included in The Hosta Registry 
> such as the ability to display, print, and even download all the 
> previously printed checklists that have been published.  These are 
> available in either Flash Paper or PDF document form.  I recommend the 
> Flash Paper option as the files are smaller in size and the interface 
> is better than for the PDF documents.
>
> You will also be able to print and download a Registration Form for 
> registering new Hosta cultivars.  Soon you will have the option to 
> complete your Hosta registrations online, including payment and image 
> submission.
>
> I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to develop The Hosta 
> Registry for the American Hosta Society.  Kevin Walek was definitely 
> the driving force that made this resource a reality.  Kevin can also 
> be contacted for all your Hosta registration questions and comments 
> regarding The Hosta Registry.
>
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John                | "There be dragons here"
                         |  Annotation used by ancient cartographers
                         |  to indicate the edge of the known world.

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