I apologize for the long delay, but I kind of dropped the ball on this =
one last month.
John Chung at Scripps has put together a very nice web-based, SQL =
database for compiling AMMRL member information. This is essentially (I =
hope for John's sake) a self-maintaining system, and it should satisfy =
most of the desires expressed in a fairly recent flurry of discussion.
Once you go to the web page, you must register with a login name and =
password. Once registered, you can go into the system and enter =
information for you and your facility. You may also look at information =
from other facilities.
The URL is: http://garbanzo.scripps.edu/ammrl=20
If you all love this resource, John Chung gets ALL of the credit for =
making this happen. If not, then it's my fault 8-). =20
A couple of details to point out:
As of now, there is no access control for registration. Anyone in the =
world and his second cousin who has a horseshoe magnet can enter data =
into the database. So you may even enter bogus information if you like, =
but that would certainly defeat the purpose and might be =
counterproductive.
Once the database if filled with enough people and we've had sufficient =
feedback for how it should work from the AMMRL membership overall, we =
may add proper access control so that only people who are actually on =
the AMMRL email list will be able to access, and to have their own =
information in, the database. Then members will be asked to update =
accurate information into the database, which only takes couple of =
minutes per person.
I personally believe that access control is not a big issue, as long as =
the instrument/facility information is accurate. I'm not too concerned =
about requiring that everyone in the database is a bone-fide, =
card-carrying AMMRL member (hey, where's _my_ card?!).
If people have comment, suggestions, ...etc., please feel free to send =
them to the Steering Committee (steer@wwitch.unl.edu), to John =
(chung@scripps.edu), or to me.
John has agreed to give a very brief overview of how the system is setup =
at our AMMRL meeting on Monday night at ENC.
Finally, (I hope this doesn't sound too "sappy") providing such services =
for one's colleagues has its own rewards. For me, the greatest of these =
are the notes of thanks and appreciation that I regularly receive from =
many of you. I want to be among the first to thank John for both =
setting this up, and being willing to maintain it....THANKS!
Now, go register and enter your information for the database! 8-)
Rich Shoemaker
----
Richard Shoemaker, Ph.D. Phone--(402) 472-6255
Instrumentation Director, Chemistry FAX---- -6964
Research Associate Professor, Chemistry
University of Nebraska-Lincoln =20
URL: http://www.chem.unl.edu/nmrlab.html =20