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BugGuide Moved to Iowa State University

All,

Most of you know that the decision was made sometime back to transfer ownership of BugGuide from me to Iowa State University, with John VanDyk becoming responsible for the management of the system.

John has had a new system running for awhile now, and we've just been waiting for a window of opportunity when we both would be available to see that the transition goes smoothly. That time has come.

As I write this, gigabytes of data are migrating to the new system. The current plan is to make the final data synchronization on Monday. I've taken the day off from my normal job and John has agreed to devote his time during that day as well. We'll make the final data synchronization sometime Monday and do the technical stuff to ensure that traffic is directed to the new system.

At some point we'll need to take the current system offline to prevent any changes while the final data synchronization occurs. At that point you'll just get a simple page explaining that the transition to the new system is in progress. After synchronizing the data, we'll bring the new system online and ensure everything appears to be working as expected. Almost certainly something unexpected will happen. Hopefully we'll resolve anything that comes up quickly and have the system back online by the end of the day. When things look good, we'll redirect traffic to the new system.

Because of the distributed nature of the internet and the time required for changes to propagate, you may get sent to the old system even after the new one is online. Even as others might be reaching the new system, you might still be sent to the old system. That's normal and expected.

I've tried out the new system and I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised at the improvements that the new hardware will provide. Hang in there just a little while longer!

UPDATE: the site is now on the new server. We are still working on a few glitches, but most of the site seems to be functioning as expected.

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 24 February, 2006 - 6:34pm
Last updated 28 February, 2006 - 3:39pm

Congratulations Troy,

and many thanks for all of your efforts, the original idea, and thoughtful guidance of bugguide. Thanks also to John at Iowa State for giving this site a new home.

No single person can see all of the insects in all of their habitats. Bugguide is a wonderful forum that pools information from specialists and non-specialists alike, thus giving everyone the opportunity to marvel at the enormous biodiversity of which even a multitude of contributors cover a mere fraction.

Good luck in all of your endeavors, Troy! We'll probably see some more images from your neck-of-the-woods before long.

… Hartmut Wisch, 8 March, 2006 - 5:42pm

Outstanding and Best of Luck!

I guess you have more time now to getting back to taking more photos!

Best of luck to you Troy with all of your future endeavors!

Here's to the longevity of BG - cheers!

Paul "BugMan" McNelis
http://www.bugphotography.net - The Community that brings Insects into Focus

… bugguy91, 4 March, 2006 - 1:10am

Many thanks for all your efforts.

Every worthwhile venture has a prime mover behind it. I have loved this site and the experience of interacting with other supportive amatures (along with some fairly expert participants).

… Timothy Robert Nichols, 3 March, 2006 - 5:45pm

Thanks for my fine addiction.

Troy, if anyone wants to create an addictive Web site, they should study the dynamics of your very successful and addictive system on bugguide.net These are the elements of that system as I see it:

1. Visitors come with a need or desire for information that they often are able to satisfy on bugguide.

2. A visitor can register and become a user in two minutes or less.

3. Once a photo or comment has been contributed, others can comment on it, often with links within and outside bugguide.

4. Users can *see* their submission at once, think about it, make changes and information links in it and revisit it whenever they wish. This invests them in bugguide.

5. Any comment on a submission (or a subscription) triggers automatic email notification that brings the user back to bugguide to see what was said, respond with their own comments, and pursue whatever links might be offered in the comment. While there, they can check on the many new arrivals. Soon, they will anticipate bugguide comment notifications whenever they open their email and much of the time these will contain informative feedback on their submissions.

6. This type of interaction puts them in touch with other people, many of whom they get to know via these exchanges, which is for the most part cordial and helpful, sometimes playful.

7. It appeals to our vanity (well mine anyway). I confess to having spent an hour at a time clicking on the beetle icon to see how many of the eight randomly picked images of beetles it displays were taken by me. But maybe I'm more vain than most :-)

I have posted photos and comments on other Web sites that did not feature these elements and I don't revisit them often. In particular, I never know when someone has commented on my submissions till I revisit.

With bugguide, I *know* when I've had a nibble. It keeps me coming back several times a day. Getting the feedback also provides extra motivation to take and post photos of new taxons and make bugguide a more and more useful repository of images and observational data, which over time attracts and impresses new visitors who will develop their own fine addictions, feeding their own data into the torrent that is bugguide.

Whether intentionally crafted to draw us in or completely serendipitous, this system you developed has been stunningly effective, Troy, and you should consider offering your consulting services to help others build effective sites. Make some bugguide growth charts for your pitch. Maybe you won't need to win the lottery ;-)

… Jim McClarin, 27 February, 2006 - 6:00pm

A good sum-up!

And, Jim, I'm aspiring to the level of your "vanity" activity, but I have a few photos to go...

Thanks Troy and thanks Iowa State (from a former Iowan)!

- Beth J.

… Beth Johnson, 2 March, 2006 - 1:41pm

Thanks so much

Everyone, thanks for all the kind words.

I'm happy the site will carry on and I'm proud of everything that we've accomplished together so far.

I hope that at some point I can get involved again as just a regular contributor, but for now I just can't find the time. If only I could win the lottery.

Keep up the good work!

… Troy Bartlett, 27 February, 2006 - 10:53am

Inspiration

Before BugGuide appeared on the scene, I was drifting along the river to who-knows-where. Now I'm planning to enter a graduate program in entomology this fall -- twenty-two years after finishing my undergrad.

Thanks so much for the inspiration, Troy. I owe you one.
So, after I win the lottery, we'll be in touch!

… Robin McLeod, 27 February, 2006 - 9:23pm

thanks, and good job

The new server does indeed seem very zippy! Thanks to Troy and John for all your work during the transition, and thanks to Troy for the enormous amount of time and creativity that went into creating bugguide.

… Joyce Gross, 27 February, 2006 - 4:10pm

Transition

I see that BugGuide is now on the new server, congratulations on the successful switch! And thanks again and good luck, Troy!

… Christopher C Wirth, 27 February, 2006 - 11:36am

Once again, thanks and more thanks

Troy: you created a wonderful resource. I have learned so much in this past year! I don't know where else I would have found all this valuable information and also the oportunity to cooperate and to be in touch with the great community that has developed here.
Thanks for everything!

… Beatriz Moisset, 26 February, 2006 - 6:37pm

Thank You!

Well,Troy- your little baby's all grown up and heading off to college :)

You can be proud of what you've created precisely because you're no longer solely responsible for what it's become and is still becoming. Anyone can put together a bunch of pictures and content- you've created a living, breathing community with a life of its own, and with the tools to do all kinds of wonderful things without intervention.

That's not to say that John won't have anything to do- nothing this complex works without occasional maintenance and tweaking- but it's amazingly self-sufficient.

When the system was down Friday, I almost went through withdrawals. There's so much wonderful stuff here that's just not available anywhere else, one can get lost in it all.

Thank you for your generosity not just in time and money spent on this, but also in letting others share in what just about anyone else would have made into a museum to show off their own creations.

… Chuck Entz, 26 February, 2006 - 5:13pm

Improvements

To clarify, there are no software feature updates planned for Monday; the site will be moving to slightly faster hardware at Iowa State, so hopefully performance will increase a bit.

… John VanDyk, 26 February, 2006 - 4:32pm

The best ..

BugGuide is a great example of the best use of the internet - Troy, good luck in the future.

… Phillip Harpootlian, 26 February, 2006 - 10:21am

Thank you

for this fabulous resource. I'm brand new here and since finding Bugguide I'm here several times a day. I love it. Love the people here and the wonderful help they give.
Carla Finley
Venice, FL
http://community.webshots.com/user/CarlaFinley

… Carla Finley, 26 February, 2006 - 9:57am

Thank you, Troy!

I really appreciate all your efforts to find a good home for BugGuide. Iowa State is a great choice, especially for us in Wisconsin. What you have done is beyond my comprehension. I look forward to using the new system. Good luck in the changeover and THANK YOU! THANK YOU! JS

… Janice Stiefel, 25 February, 2006 - 5:44pm

Good Luck Troy!

Your love of insects and macro-photography have inspired so many of us through this site Troy. This is quite an accomplishment!

Thank you!!!!
-TD

… Tony DiTerlizzi, 25 February, 2006 - 3:34pm

Thanks Troy and John ~

for working so hard to make this transition.

… Lynette Elliott, 25 February, 2006 - 6:49am

Fantastic site, Thanks Troy

Troy, your site has grown into such a fantastic resource! It was a great idea and you guided it into brilliant execution. Along the way you have touched a great many people's lives as the comments on this page attest. Thank-you Troy!

--Stephen

Stephen Cresswell
Buckhannon, WV
www.stephencresswell.com

… Stephen_WV, 25 February, 2006 - 4:25am

Thanks Troy, John

I can only say "ditto" to all the kind words that have been said for the effort Troy and John have put into this. I look forward to assisting, in any small way I am able, the operation of the site in its new home.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 24 February, 2006 - 9:44pm

Thanks Troy

Ditto on creating the best ent site on the internet. And thanks for hanging in there to get the transition to Iowa State completed.
Now you've got me curius about the improvements that will be a pleasant surprise.

… tom murray, 24 February, 2006 - 9:00pm

Indeed, many thanks

I share Tony's sentiments completely. BugGuide is the most amazing entomological resource on the web, and it will be quite exciting to watch it evolve. I'm sure you'll enjoy the BugGuide evolution as a proud parent watching their child mature. Many thanks Troy.

… Jason D. Roberts, 24 February, 2006 - 8:51pm

Thank you!

Great! Keep checking in with the site every once in a while after the transition! I wish you the best of luck with the transition and your future. Thanks!

… Matthew Roth, 24 February, 2006 - 7:34pm

Thanks

Troy,
This is great news! Good luck with the synchronizing!
And thanks again for creating this site! It is the best!
- Chris

… Christopher C Wirth, 24 February, 2006 - 7:20pm

Thanks and more thanks.

Troy:
I think it must be somewhat emotionally difficult to say ‘good-bye’ to your brain child but for me, and I suspect for many of us earlier folks, BugGuide will always belong to Troy Bartlett wherever it resides. My heart felt thanks to you for BugGuide - the absolute best entomological resource anywhere.
Tony

… A.W. Thomas, 24 February, 2006 - 7:16pm

nobody could have said it better

Troy we are with you and i dont think any of us here will ever forget Troy Bartlett. this website has changed my aspirations, changed the way i think. it has given me new dreams, new ideas and new things i want to accomplish. thank you for opening this website and thank you for deciding to keep it up.
your number 1 fan and bugGuide's number one enthusiast
omar fahmy

… Omar Fahmy, 24 February, 2006 - 9:24pm

I echo that.

I'm actually quite speechless for once:-) Ha! I have no doubt, Troy, that you will be back at some point, once everything settles down for you and you can come with a sense of enjoyment and freedom to Bugguide. Hey, if I ever win the Powerball myself, a big chunk is going to bugguide:-) Take it easy, friend.

… Eric R. Eaton, 27 February, 2006 - 2:50pm

Another echo from the other side of the Pond

A millions thanks, I'm also addicted and learning a lot in the process.

… Maria Fremlin, 1 March, 2006 - 2:32am

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