Tiger by the Tail

Working on Data Basin has sometimes felt like "having a tiger by the tail.”  As of late, our beloved tiger has been purring, and we've made some advances!  With the goal of providing Data Basin users with more regular updates and stimulating feedback, I'll be creating posts to describe and seek input on:

1.  Functional enhancements:  design changes, new functions, tools, or stuff 'in the works'
2.  Noteworthy new content:  new datasets, maps, published galleries, or recent Data Basin articles
3.  Community engagement:  new partners, conferences, meetings, events, workshops, user feedback, and way to share

1.  Functional Enhancements:  Brendan (lead software architect) recently summarized several important design changes, such as removal of the 'Task' menu, creation of a messaging system, and a mini-dashboard (with system-wide operations) located below your profile picture (left side column).  Click here to see those updates described in more detail. 

More recently, we deployed a "Geographic" search funtion.  If you click on the search button, you will now see a box that you can check to 'search within a geographic area'.  Use the pop-up window to zoom in, pan, and select your geographic extent.  You can also use the geographic search as a way to filter or refine text based searches. 

Software features 'in the works', includes:

• new toolbar for datasets, maps, and galleries pages
• new design for gallery contents (2 panel folder viewer, similar to bookmarks)
• new 'add items' popup for folders, galleries, and map page
• item popularity indexes (e.g., display # of times dataset downloaded, # times used in a map, # times in group bookmarks)
• discussion boards in group workspaces including ability to create a new topic or reply to an existing one
• multiple language support (e.g. spanish)
• ability to filter display of dataset in map to results of a query (e.g., one or more unique values)

2.  Noteworthy new content:

• CBI aggregated and uploaded nearly 60 datasets from Gabon, Congo, Uganda, and other parts of Central Africa.  The majority of the datasets have been made available by the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. The primariy source of datasets include the World Resource Institute (WRI), Referential Geographique Commun (RGC), and Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE).  These datasets include information on vegetation cover, protected lands, infrastructure, water resources, conservation priorities, etc.  These datasets are available in a single gallery found here: Central Africa.
• Collaborative article by Dawn Wright and Jeremiah Osbourne-Gowey in the Aquatic Conservation Center on American Samoa Bathymetry:  Seamounts, rides, and reef habitats.
• Climate Center home page - see current and recent news digests posted by Dr. Dominique Bachelet

3.  Community engagement: 

• Data Basin is excited to now include National Geographic as a Data Basin partner. 
• More on Data Basin's recent progress, in CBI Executive Director, Jim Strittholt's new article in ArcNews Winter 2010/2011 Issue, "Conservation Data Sharing Web Site Off to a Fast Start." 
• Next Data Basin training workshop scheduled for March 3, in Eugene, Oregon at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference.  Contact Liz Bell for more information. 

We’re always striving to improve the Data Basin experience.  Please share your feedback.  CONTACT US.