[Rockhounds] labeling

Wed Mar 24 21:04:34 PDT 2021

that should read "looong since been unsupported or updated..."

On Thu, 25 Mar 2021 at 15:03, Paul van den Bergen <
paul.vandenbergen at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
>
>

-- 
Dr Paul van den Bergen