[Rockhounds] labeling

Wed Mar 24 21:03:45 PDT 2021

I see this sort of thing a lot in IT.

Systems that do a good job of the thing they are used for but have looooong
since been supported or updated.

This is not a good situation to be in.  It suggests that the source data
isn't in an adequate state to support being ingested into ANY management or
display (collectively 'presentation layer" tools) and hence has a critical
point of failure, just waiting to happen...

It's not that 'modern' systems are better - sometimes they are, sometimes
they aren't, often because requirements change or security requires
features be dropped (aka every computer device management portal I've
encountered in the last 30 years, excluding command lines. Who, me?
bitter?  unnecessary job security!)

Change delayed is a risk ignored.

On Thu, 25 Mar 2021 at 13:32, Alan Goldstein <deepskyspy at outlook.com> wrote:

> I use Filemaker Pro at work for the park collections - geology, Native
> American artifacts, & historical artifacts. I have been using it for 25
> years. Still works great. The state threatened to stop supporting the
> program, but someone in IOT changed their minds because it is used in other
> data-collection reports through the state park system.
>
> For my own collection, it's cataloged, but I am not consistent keeping
> with labels with specimens. I do save labels of specimens from the source
> when purchased or traded. I have put the disposition of my collection in my
> will - in case something happens to me before I donate portions to several
> museums and sell other specimens. With a little luck, that will be in 20
> years or so - or when I decide to downsize my house. I need to scan the
> pages that predate having a computer when I used that old antique called a
> typewriter!
>
> Two relevant stories:
> > Working with Steve Garza's collection has reinforced the importance of
> curating your collection because if you don't do it, it will become a
> disaster. Those historical specimens I've found of Steve's often have a
> label glued to the specimen. I've become adept with recognizing specimens
> from the same locations after going through tens of thousands of specimens.
> Plenty of mysteries though...
> > In 1977, working with the Gerard Troost collection (ca. 1810-49)
> motivated me to start cataloging my personal collection. Now, with about 5K
> minerals & 5K fossils, I would never have time or be able to motivate
> myself to start! It is fun to revisit specimens I collected or traded 40 to
> 50 years ago, but these days it's to photograph them and occasionally
> replace a number that fell off.
>
> Alan G.
>
> ________________________________
> From: Rockhounds <rockhounds-bounces at rockhounds.drizzle.com> on behalf of
> Murowchick, James <murowchickj at umkc.edu>
> Sent: Monday, March 22, 2021 1:07 PM
> To: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors <
> rockhounds at rockhounds.drizzle.com>
> Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] labeling
>
> I use FileMaker Pro (originally made by Apple, but later split off as a
> separate company) for both my curating databases, and for making labels for
> my personal collection, the university's Sutton Museum of Geosciences, and
> the department's teaching collections.  I found FMP much easier to learn
> than Access, and I can have work-study students enter info in Excel (they
> all know how to use that), and then it is a simple matter to import the
> Excel file into FMP. We are considering using it to make a web-accessible
> virtual museum compilation of the specimens on display.
>         The advantage of a true relational database like FMP or Access is
> the ability to find related data, filter with complex terms, and present
> the data in many formats (specimen labels, a catalog with photos,
> locations, size, etc.) and can contain photographs and even recordings.
> Much of that can also be done in Excel, but databases make it much simpler
> once the format has been configured.  With one click, I can make labels or
> see ALL the information I have on a specimen.  Any database takes a lot of
> work to get established, but it can be relatively simple to keep up-to-date.
>         There are some great ideas in this thread--thanks!
> Jim
> James B Murowchick, Ph.D.
> Professor Emeritus
> Geochemistry & Mineralogy
> UMKC Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
> 420 Flarsheim Hall
> 5110 Rockhill Road
> Kansas City, MO 64110
> murowchickj at umkc.edu
>
>
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-- 
Dr Paul van den Bergen