When I get all the numbers in, I can let you know how much this really
costs. I am not expecting it to be more than a few hundred. At least not
with the input I have had so far. I am also assembling a volunteer team to do
it, which the registry could have done as well. Student volunteers would
probably love to get a crack at something like this if they were making
Arabs their career. This cost doesn't include maintenance, which I have
offered to do myself. I enjoy pedigree research immensely.
I just want something that I can find out the names, DOB, number and color
of the horses pretty much. I don't think it should cost THAT much to do it,
especiall ywhere there are people like me willing to maintain it as a hobby.
HOw is a database costly if one already has it there? I spent a lot of time
inputting data on medical records, and it seems to me that a this small
amount of info would be a lot faster to input, although the sheer volume of
it may be inhibitive.
ALso, there are a lot of databases that can be reloaded into a better
databse without reentering all the info. This wouldn't cost THAT much- a few
thousand i would guess at the most. Especially for what I am talking about--
600,000 horses or so, text data.
> I don't see why you find it so incredible that the Arabian horse registry
> would expect compensation for on-line access. If you access PaperChase or
> Someone has to absorb the cost of providing these materials. Building a
> computerized database, such as a stud book, is very costly and labor
> intensive, and it costs money to maintain it.
>
> When the Arabian stud book went on line, they were using the computer
> systems available at that time. To re-write the program will incur still
> more costs. The stud books you are using at your school cost someone;
> don't think for an instant they were free, and it is probably the
> taxpayer who bought them if you are attending a state school.
I never stated that they were free.
I know it cost the taxpayers, but so did all the other books, and they are
FREE for ANYONE to use. I am a taxpayer too, and I would be highly upset if
a state college wouldn't allow free access to the materials I paid for
through taxes.
HOwever, they are also very difficult to wade through to find horses. THe
online method would not negate any of the work they were doing, but would
make it easier for people to find out more about their horses. Arabs are not
just for the elite, they are for anyone. ANd, I am not just about using this
for the Arabs, it could be applied across the breeds. They have created a
good permanent hard copy of info needed.
I don't think it is appropriate for only those who have an owner number to
be able to use it. THat means there are people who wouldn't be able to use
it becasue they don't have a horse, unless they can just pay a fee and be
assigned a number. DOn't know if the registry does that. But what about
everyone else, in other breeds?
And, if people wanted more detailed info that we couldn't provide, they
could always go and look it up at the Registry! I realize they changed this
a bit, but it used to be you would call and request to know where or who
owned a particular horse, and they would say-well, if you send us a dollar,
we can forward the letter... I realize they may have been tryign to protect
privacy, but geez, maybe I think this should be built on trust a little
more!! I ended up calling my local AHA chapter to get the same info fast and
free!
ALso, it is extremely hard to find out get of sire lists, and also to
find out if your horse has full siblings- I had to wade through lots of stud
books to find this stuff out. Take a look at the TB pedigree page and see
what I am talking about. IF the Arab page is as good, well, then there is
nothing I need to do. If not, then I will continue.
I was not questioning the security of the internet, I was questioning why it
seems that they must restrict access SO severely. There are antiviral
programs, and any computer database should have someone maintaining it
anyway to help prevent such things from happening. These things change all
the time.
I am a taxpayer, and a student, and I DO pay for my access besides that. MY
tax dollars are paying for it.
Gwen
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| Gwen Dluehosh "Pretty enough to show, |
| Desert Storm Arabians (| |)_____ tough enough |
| 2249 Mt. Tabor Rd / \ \__=___ to RIDE." |
| Blacksburg, VA 24060 (= + =) \___=___ |
| 540/953-1792 \ + / \__=____ |
| dluehosh@vt.edu | + | \____=___ |
| Endurance/racing ()+() \ _______ |
| halter stock available \_/ |
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