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Gallery search by scientific name (1 Viewer)

Alastair Rae

London birder
I don't want to undermine the hard work of the database editors but I've been thinking about how the gallery could be used better.


  • We already have a scientific name field on the gallery.
  • We have the ability to search the gallery and produce lots of neat thumbnails.
  • We can currently search for scientific name only by searching all fields.
What if we could search by exact scientific name? That would take you straight to all the photos of that species, perhaps sorted by most views.

Then we find some species hierarchy data: common and scientific names grouped in families. From this we could generate static web pages where each species links to the dynamic query by its scientific name.

What do you think?
 
Alastair,
Theoretically speaking, I don't think anyone can disagree with this.

In practical terms, the problems are many. The first is that the database is using a SM 1996 classification that is not current. The second is that even if the users uploading their photos fill in all of the fields regarding their uploads, they are in many cases using lists other than that integrated into the database, and this means differing taxonomy. The third is that while there are certainly some users that are fluent in all of the differences between the various taxonomic lists, this is certainly not the rule. I suppose that it could be done but the database editors themselves would need to have wider access so as to go in and change the fields in the individual uploads. All in all, everyone is doing the best that can be done under the circumstances.
 
I still think that the ability to search on exact scientific name would be a good thing. Presumably it's just a column somewhere in the gallery database.

Wrongly filed entries remain a problem but no more or less than putting a species name into google images search. I, for one, post comments in the gallery if I disagree with an id. I don't see that it would be a major problem to have scientific name monitors. There are a several respected, gifted individuals whom I would trust to adjust the taxonimic attributes.

The database is fine but it lacks the family hierarchy. Alphabetical by english name is ok but I think we could utilise the gallery better.
 
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