ArachnoRecord Online Idea, Important for you to read.

[Mister Internet]

Who know's? Leon, this may be your million dollar idea.

Heh... if he's doing this for the money he probably shouldn't start. I developed a Beta of a system very similar to this about 3 years ago, and got some impressive functionality out of it after about 60-80 hours' work (I was learning PHP at the time for another project, so it was a training exercise too). However, the work required to get it from Version .90 to Version 1.0 would have been an additional dozens of hours. I quite simply didn't love the hobby enough to donate that much of my personal time. So I did a feasibility study on whether or not this venture could be profitable if done on a subscription basis... and the answer was basically no. Even given an EXTREMELY generous estimate of 1000 people that would even consider paying for something like this, and an extremely reasonable $10/year to do so, you're talking about a pittance of $10K a year.... GROSS. After taxes/ETC, maybe $7500... figure 10 hours a week dealing with emails from customers (people who pay become your customer, after all), fixing bugs, doing general system maintenance, and you're looking at $5 an hour. I know, because it's my job as director of customer support for my company, that's not even remotely enough to compensate for having to deal with people in this manner.

So, you either have to love the hobby enough to just donate it, or you have to wait until the hobby has a potential 10,000 potential paying members or more...

This is why I never pursued it... it's a great idea, but most of the people that are the "experts" and have a lot of spiders and experience have NO time to spend entering in detailed data for hundreds of specimens. It's an unfortunate truth that the people that have the most need for it would have the least time available to use it...

I still think it is a great concept and would be a great tool to have available... it's just going to have to be done by someone who loves this hobby a lot more than I do, or values his personal free time a lot less.

 

[Leon945]

I still think it is a great concept and would be a great tool to have available... it's just going to have to be done by someone who loves this hobby a lot more than I do, or values his personal free time a lot less.

Hey don't worry about me..
hehe, i'm really not in this for the money, like i said, donations would be the way to pay for hosting...
I know the amount of time required to build this is alot, and i'm not planning on having it finished quickly, i'm just gathering opinions and see if anyone is willing to keep the site up, then i should go for it.
As for my free time..
I like programming, I like Arachnids, I like java..
It's a learning experience as well as a hobby to me, plus it doesnt have to be done by me alone.
dr_hemlock2 from this forum too will help me with it,
if anyone else is willing to help, maybe we could split the project in modules,
i don't know if there are any open-source web-apps, haha.. but why not?

If you wanna help out, it'd be nice!
If not, don't worry about me...

 

[Leon945]

Great!
very cool, some real nice responses finally.. actually encouraging!

I share the same optimism about the potential of this website/system!

Well, you guys have convinced me...
I'm gonna start the design of this project.

And like mentioned in the previous post, building this is not fast, and it would definitely by a gradual process.

But you should know, that i will get started with this.

Elaine
Yes, it would be worldwide, thats the best benefit of it being on the internet.

 

[raywells]

sounds like its going to be better i would like to see a way to put T in alph order.maybe a centiped section an photo section.

 

[demode]

You could also make several studies based on user information, making graphs and stuff.

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

i don't know if there are any open-source web-apps, haha.. but why not?

Hello there,

Don't know of an open source web app? One of the internet's most popular blogging sites, LiveJournal, is open-source.

Here's my suggestions:

1) Make sure your EULA states very clearly what your end users will get in exchange for their donation. I don't recommend providing end user support at all or you will be spending more time doing support than writing a good web app. Oh and make sure you always use the word "donation" and not "fee".
2) Make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into before you open up the flood gates. Understand how to be an ASP (Application Service Provider). If you don't understand what this involves, you're going to make people angry and your killer app goes down the toilet.
3) Do not let dealers use your service for their business.
4) Do not let end users select a scientific name from a list without the option of entering in their own.
5) One last "do not". Don't ask the general public what features your site will have. Conduct your own research as to how a hobbiest keeps track of their spiders and allow much individual customization in your app as possible to allow for unknowns.
6) And finally. Write it in .Net!!

- Lonnie

 

[Mister Internet]

Hello there,

Don't know of an open source web app? One of the internet's most popular blogging sites, LiveJournal, is open-source.

Here's my suggestions:

1) Make sure your EULA states very clearly what your end users will get in exchange for their donation. I don't recommend providing end user support at all or you will be spending more time doing support than writing a good web app. Oh and make sure you always use the word "donation" and not "fee".
2) Make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into before you open up the flood gates. Understand how to be an ASP (Application Service Provider). If you don't understand what this involves, you're going to make people angry and your killer app goes down the toilet.
3) Do not let dealers use your service for their business.
4) Do not let end users select a scientific name from a list without the option of entering in their own.
5) One last "do not". Don't ask the general public what features your site will have. Conduct your own research as to how a hobbiest keeps track of their spiders and allow much individual customization in your app as possible to allow for unknowns.
6) And finally. Write it in .Net!!

- Lonnie

Awesome suggestions, and right on target... except for #4 and #6. #2 and #5 are especially pertinent...

 

[Sheazy]

heck yes...

So far, I like AR1.6 and actually have all my T's input into mine. I would love some of the options listed though, and would gladly donate $12/yr. to help with hosting!

 

[dr_hemlock2]

response for query

Doc’s Response:

Hello there,

Don't know of an open source web app? One of the internet's most popular blogging sites, LiveJournal, is open-source.

Here's my suggestions:

1) Make sure your EULA states very clearly what your end users will get in exchange for their donation. I don't recommend providing end user support at all or you will be spending more time doing support than writing a good web app. Oh and make sure you always use the word "donation" and not "fee".
Dr_Hemlock2’s Answer: makes sense to me; hopefully the support will be part of the app making it as easy as possible. Nothing is “user-proof” we both know this to be fact.

2) Make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into before you open up the flood gates. Understand how to be an ASP (Application Service Provider). If you don't understand what this involves, you're going to make people angry and your killer app goes down the toilet.

Dr_Hemlock2’s Answer: nothing ventured nothing gained hence the tryout of Arachnorecord 1.6 was to test the waters. As time progresses ASP knowledge will come about and be acknowledged and utilized to the nest of our abilities.

3) Do not let dealers use your service for their business.
Dr_hemlock2’s Answer: I do not remember if this was said online or not. As most dealer’s already have in place or use stand alone applications (i.e. Quickbooks) to manage their sales and inventory issues. This should not be a problem, but, as time goes on this issue might be addressed if needed. I see no need to limit anyone on the basis of their status as a “Dealer” or not.

4) Do not let end users select a scientific name from a list without the option of entering in their own.

Dr_hemlock2’s Answer: I hope that the program itself will be a universal program that can be translated into any language, but, this might be ambitious of me. As far as changing already established scientific names for species these are based on already established Latin names which are universally understood as being the proper way to name species. I may be wrong lord knows I am not an authority yet. The ability to add a nickname and or pet name perhaps will be offered as an option for sure.

5) One last "do not". Don't ask the general public what features your site will have. Conduct your own research as to how a hobbyist keeps track of their spiders and allow much individual customization in your app as possible to allow for unknowns.

Dr_hemlock2’s Answer: I have in my 25 years of working with user’s, training individuals on computers and computer applications (especially Microsoft Products) what they need. As I have a background of the tech side of the house I have learned that part of any project is getting “the actual user’s responses” to the user interface and program flow. As far as the general public goes asking the “actual user’s” it is not a wrong thing to do as “you” are the people that will be using the service “who” else to ask what is needed. As this is part of the research process if I am not mistaken research as a whole is best done looking at all levels in the process and I assure you that we will look at all the levels that we can and see how each one stacks up to what is needed and not needed. Also something that is near and dear to my heart is the accessibility issues for users with disabilities which you forgot to mention will be addressed.

6) And finally. Write it in .Net!!

Dr_hemlock2’s Answer: While Microsoft products are good to a point and I have been with them from day one. We want to go into the realm of Open Source simply because it is something both Leon and I believe in. Java is a device independent language and there are many advances in this technology everyday although I am not versed in Java I look forward to learning it and using it as it looks exciting to me. I use Microsoft development tools in some of the things I write as I develop software also but right now on a personal level. Once I get my degree from college I will do so more professionally so do not feel like I am degrading Microsoft products I am simply stating facts as I know them.
Doc

 

[Leon945]

ten thousand years later..

Hi..
You may have though i had abandoned this idea forever... but the truth is, i'm busy with my job.. and several other things..

Me and dr_hemlock2 are planning on starting this project very soon.
The plan is for it to be a Desktop Application PLUS a Web Application that will be synced.

That way you don't need to have an internet connection to use it, but when you do connect to the internet your data on the desktop will be uploaded to the web, and viceversa.

Anyway...
I need a high resolution picture of a tarantula for the background of the web application.
Remember, this project, once finished will be free of charge... so i'm not willing to pay for the pictures.
Any pictures you'd like to offer as a possibility would be great!

Post your submissions...
Later we'll choose the best and maybe make a poll so you decide which one is favorite.

thanks!