Lynx joins with Cornell (1 Viewer)

Plus, is "bird X, seen at location Y on a particular date, Entered/recorded by a person", actually personal data?
It's assumed , and highly likely that the person was there, but this needn't be definitive.

Since eBird is already doing business world-wide I expect they have already taken account of such things as GDPR.

Example: in recent versions of the eBird app, it records a GPS track of where you went birding. This is at a detailed level where it's possible to tell when and where you nipped into the bush for half a minute for some reason.

And in the recent version of the eBird website it displays that track along with the species you saw, the date and time, and so on. This is pretty clearly a potential source of privacy violations. So I expected that when eBird started to display the GPS tracks, it would only display them to the person who travelled the track and not to the general public. And indeed that is how they implemented that feature.

Paul Clapham said:

Since eBird is already doing business world-wide I expect they have already taken account of such things as GDPR.

Example: in recent versions of the eBird app, it records a GPS track of where you went birding. This is at a detailed level where it's possible to tell when and where you nipped into the bush for half a minute for some reason.

And in the recent version of the eBird website it displays that track along with the species you saw, the date and time, and so on. This is pretty clearly a potential source of privacy violations. So I expected that when eBird started to display the GPS tracks, it would only display them to the person who travelled the track and not to the general public. And indeed that is how they implemented that feature.

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But that doesn't cover the scenario that MJB was talking about does it, HBW are giving your date to a third party, your agreement was with them, not ebird?

I use https://observation.org/ way more easier then e-bird, and more detailed.

andyadcock said:

But that doesn't cover the scenario that MJB was talking about does it, HBW are giving your date to a third party, your agreement was with them, not ebird?

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Again, I believe that eBird are not novices in the data business. So I think it's likely that they wouldn't create an eBird account in your name without your permission.

Paul Clapham said:

Again, I believe that eBird are not novices in the data business. So I think it's likely that they wouldn't create an eBird account in your name without your permission.

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The email you would have got (posted on the first page of this thread) covers this:
"MyBirding—With explicit user permission, we plan to shift each user’s MyBirding data over to eBird."

viator said:

The email you would have got (posted on the first page of this thread) covers this:
"MyBirding—With explicit user permission, we plan to shift each user’s MyBirding data over to eBird."

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So, 'explicit', you must have signed something already, to the effect that they could do this or, each user will have had to reply individually when this became known - which was it?

andyadcock said:

So, 'explicit', you must have signed something already, to the effect that they could do this or, each user will have had to reply individually when this became known - which was it?

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No - at this point you've not been asked explicitly or implicitly.

What they will do is when ready to do the migration is either via email or on the HBW website get you to approve migrating your data then. No doubt it'll be a case of them saying approve the migration your data to ebird or failure to do so will result in them pointing out they'll be deleting it as part of terminating the HBW service.

viator said:

No - at this point you've not been asked explicitly or implicitly.

What they will do is when ready to do the migration is either via email or on the HBW website get you to approve migrating your data then. No doubt it'll be a case of them saying approve the migration your data to ebird or failure to do so will result in them pointing out they'll be deleting it as part of terminating the HBW service.

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I think that's what I said albeit I had assumed that it had already happened...........

'each user will have had to reply individually when this became known'

The process will take a long time before completed from what I have read

Niels

The main problem to deal with here is the copyright-question. Do I owe the bird-observations which I’ve added to a platform or can anybody use my data for what they are worth?

We enter bird-observations on national aggregation platforms to be shared with other amateur-birders like ourselves. The joy to share an unusual sighting and read about other birder’s observations is a strong driving force and generates considerable interest.

In the past there have been very little controversy knowing that scientist (third party) may use my observations for research purposes. On the contrary, most of us try hard to keep a reasonable standard of the data entered and are happy to see them utilised for statistical analysis and surveys. Up to the last few years this process has usually involved one or more players like online observation platform, research institute and/or university in the national and regional bird-scene. It has been a win-win relationship between the observer and the research institutions.

Recent taxonomic findings and publications of global bird-life as well as a widespread travelling has widened the horizon of many birders and there is a growing need for online resources on global birding. Basically there is nothing wrong when two major players i.e. Lynx and Cornell join forces for improved global presence.

As always, increasing public interest generates more online traffic and data volume, so eventually money is an issue. The costs of a global birding data-bank can probably not be taken care of by one national budget alone and sooner (or later) the online platform must be financed by product-placement. At least that is what they tell you. „Generally speaking; I don’t want my bird observations to be shared on platforms advertising for shot-guns“.

Thereby I just want to point out that aggregating platforms should not be allowed to use your data and generating income without your consent. There is a growing need for protection of the contributor-rights when the public provides data to online platforms.

jaaserud said:

The main problem to deal with here is the copyright-question. Do I owe the bird-observations which I’ve added to a platform or can anybody use my data for what they are worth?

We enter bird-observations on national aggregation platforms to be shared with other amateur-birders like ourselves. The joy to share an unusual sighting and read about other birder’s observations is a strong driving force and generates considerable interest.

In the past there have been very little controversy knowing that scientist (third party) may use my observations for research purposes. On the contrary, most of us try hard to keep a reasonable standard of the data entered and are happy to see them utilised for statistical analysis and surveys. Up to the last few years this process has usually involved one or more players like online observation platform, research institute and/or university in the national and regional bird-scene. It has been a win-win relationship between the observer and the research institutions.

Recent taxonomic findings and publications of global bird-life as well as a widespread travelling has widened the horizon of many birders and there is a growing need for online resources on global birding. Basically there is nothing wrong when two major players i.e. Lynx and Cornell join forces for improved global presence.

As always, increasing public interest generates more online traffic and data volume, so eventually money is an issue. The costs of a global birding data-bank can probably not be taken care of by one national budget alone and sooner (or later) the online platform must be financed by product-placement. At least that is what they tell you. „Generally speaking; I don’t want my bird observations to be shared on platforms advertising for shot-guns“.

Thereby I just want to point out that aggregating platforms should not be allowed to use your data and generating income without your consent. There is a growing need for protection of the contributor-rights when the public provides data to online platforms.

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I'm pretty sure that you accept the terns and conditions at some point in the process and if you read them carefully, you will have given a fairly broad, permission to the platform in what they can do with your contribution.

Had this situation arison in the retail sector, I think it would have caught the attention of the competition authority which will often deem such mergers as not being in the public good.

jaaserud said:

As always, increasing public interest generates more online traffic and data volume, so eventually money is an issue. The costs of a global birding data-bank can probably not be taken care of by one national budget alone and sooner (or later) the online platform must be financed by product-placement. At least that is what they tell you. „Generally speaking; I don’t want my bird observations to be shared on platforms advertising for shot-guns“.

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Neither party currently uses (obvious) advertising on their sites - with funding in the case of HBW through subscription (and cross selling lynx books of course). Cornell via donations and of course ebird is a scientific data collection project not interested in birders per se or maintaining their lists.

Your argument is more valid I think in general ecommerce and other websites utilizing advertising as a goal for revenue. Cornell would have no interest in damaging their data collection through stupid adds like your example - you can of course monetize data without resorting to ads or anything else the provider of the data would be aware of but again Cornell (or HBW) are not trying to run for profit websites (if they plan to change in this direction then I'd not expect them to have contributors for very long!)

The birds of North America started as a handbook and later became an online resource that is available by subscription and is hosted at Cornell. But I believe the lab has a varied income stream including fundraising among bird lovers.

Niels

There is a new e-mail from HBW Alive on the new steps:

The Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW Alive) will find a new and permanent home as part of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of the World project, set to launch in early 2020. Birds of the World will be a living, scholarly publication that integrates content from several renowned ornithological resources, including HBW Alive, Birds of North America, Neotropical Birds, Bird Families of the World, and the Internet Bird Collection—Birds of the World will be the definitive resource for pursuing questions about birds. We know you will enjoy the enhancements made possible by the Lab’s expertise in developing web‐based publications, integration with the Macaulay Library’s 100‐year legacy of media archives, and the rapidly growing features of eBird to support the global birding community. And behind the project there is already a rapidly evolving team of ornithological experts working to contribute and curate new content and updates.

ABOUT YOUR HBW ALIVE ACCOUNT:

As an existing subscriber, we know that your HBW Alive account is important to you. You can trust that your account will be in good hands with the Cornell Lab.
• There will be no gap in service for current users. HBW Alive content will continue to be available on www.hbw.com until Cornell launches the new platform in early 2020.
• Until the new platform is launched, renewals will continue to be carried out by Lynx Edicions, who will handle the details of all existing subscriptions until further notice.
• After the new platform launches, Cornell will honour your existing subscription for its full term.

NEXT STEPS:

TWO STEPS ARE REQUIRED to ensure your existing HBW Alive account will transfer over to Birds of the World at the Cornell Lab and that you maintain access to the content. In preparation for the transition, we ask that you complete the following short steps as soon as possible. You can also find these steps and check if you have completed them on your HBW Alive profile page.

1. If you do NOT have a Cornell Lab/eBird account, CREATE one now. If you are unsure if you have an account, you can CHECK by entering your email and retrieving your password at the link below. If Cornell Lab doesn’t recognize your email, please create a new account.

With a Cornell Lab account, the Lab can start communicating with you about your account and ensure that you maintain subscription access once the new platform is launched.



CREATE/CHECK your Cornell Lab account


2. MATCH your HBW Alive account with your Cornell Lab account by filling out the account transition form via the link below. This way we can provide you with seamless access to Birds of the World when it launches next year.

[You will see that your HBW Alive Username and ID number are pre-filled in the form if you use the link in this email or on your profile page. You will only have to add your Cornell Lab/eBird Username (please copy it exactly as it appears, as capitalization matters; see further help in the form) and your email address associated with your Cornell Lab/eBird account.]




BONUS: Upon completing this process, subscribers will be rewarded with FREE access to the deep, scholarly content of Birds of North America—soon to become a key component in Birds of the World. So, the sooner you complete these steps, the better!

We hope that the information presented here is clear and we look forward to sharing more details about the transition and sneak previews of the new Birds of the World platform as it develops.

If you have any questions about the steps outlined above, feel free to contact Laura Kammermeier ([email protected]) at the Cornell Lab. She stands by ready to help you understand and navigate the transition.

For those subscribers using the My Birding functionalities on HBW Alive, we will be in touch shortly with additional steps for shifting your My Birding data over to eBird, if you choose to have us do that for you, as well as specially tailored guidance for navigating the eBird system. The HBW Alive and eBird teams are working closely to ensure a smooth transition for this facet of the project as well.

All of us at Lynx Edicions have greatly enjoyed serving you this online Handbook of Birds of the World content and we thank you for your support of the HBW Alive project. We are very happy that HBW will stay “alive” thanks to the skills and resources of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. We will do our best to see that your account is transferred in an efficient and seamless manner to its new home.

That’s all for now. Please follow the above steps as soon as possible so we can start the process of transitioning your account.

Sincerely,


Josep del Hoyo
Senior Editor


Brian Sullivan
Digital Publications Lead

Admit I've not really been following this but that looks like access to the new resource is going to be paid only. Why would ebird etc continue to be free in those circs? I vote we build up and contribute more to things like opus, xeno canto which have a much higher likelihood of remaining free and open. Personally, I'm happy to donate to things which everyone can access but less happy about closed subscription services. A guess as to the way the Cornell wind is blowing has kept me from contributing to neotropical birds

No way that ebird will ever cost anything. It would have such a huge and negative impact on the site that it might just shut down immediately. That's like saying Facebook might one day add a paywall. We "pay" through the information we share with it, benefits are mutual.

Services like online encyclopedias on the other hand only offer information without receiving much in return, so paywalls make more sense here.

THE_FERN said:

Admit I've not really been following this but that looks like access to the new resource is going to be paid only. Why would ebird etc continue to be free in those circs? I vote we build up and contribute more to things like opus, xeno canto which have a much higher likelihood of remaining free and open. Personally, I'm happy to donate to things which everyone can access but less happy about closed subscription services. A guess as to the way the Cornell wind is blowing has kept me from contributing to neotropical birds

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Cornell has had both models for a while: North American Birds behind a paywall (but included in membership of AOU) and Neotropical birds online (admittedly not complete) freely available. HBWalive in its current version is intermediate: limited info for free, the rest behind paywall. I am curious about which model Cornell chooses for the new initiative (as well as how high the cost will be for full access).

Niels

THE_FERN said:

Admit I've not really been following this but that looks like access to the new resource is going to be paid only. Why would ebird etc continue to be free in those circs? I vote we build up and contribute more to things like opus, xeno canto which have a much higher likelihood of remaining free and open. Personally, I'm happy to donate to things which everyone can access but less happy about closed subscription services. A guess as to the way the Cornell wind is blowing has kept me from contributing to neotropical birds

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To access HBW fully, it was always a subscription arrangement so nothing is new in this regard.

THE_FERN said:

Admit I've not really been following this but that looks like access to the new resource is going to be paid only. Why would ebird etc continue to be free in those circs? I vote we build up and contribute more to things like opus, xeno canto which have a much higher likelihood of remaining free and open. Personally, I'm happy to donate to things which everyone can access but less happy about closed subscription services. A guess as to the way the Cornell wind is blowing has kept me from contributing to neotropical birds

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I'm not sure I understand the concern - I thought this was merging two existing resources more than accessing a "new resource" - however, eBird has been funded by donations, grants, and sponsors for 17 years, and that should not change. It needs to be understood that eBird is primarily a data-gathering program and free participation for people entering that data is a key to maximizing their database. It would not be in Cornell's best interest to have subscriptions because it would turn people/data away. By corollary, it should also be understood that the "birdlisting" functions are not the main purpose of eBird - indeed they are there as incentive to people for more data.

But whether people join with HBW Alive/eBird or not, it is certainly not incompatible with more contribution to xeno-canto and the opus, etc!