eBirders
We are working at the moment on a redesign of the online data entry forms. These pages have changed little since 2002, and we've found that a growing number of you want more flexibility in how to record the birds you see. The old process left little room for building in more options, so we're moving the whole process into a new and better (hopefully!) format.
One of the biggest visual changes will be moving from a three column format to a single column format. Internet research shows that it's tough for people to scan across the three column design, and that it's easier for folks to use the checklist if it's just in a single column. This will also improve eBird's usability on mobile devices.
In addition to this change, we're building in the ability to customize the checklist page with user defined preferences. These will include the ability to display comments boxes, age-sex info, breeding codes (a new addition), and a show/hide subspecies option. We feel strongly that the core processes of eBird need to remain simple for everyday birders, but that customization for experts is required. By building in this kind of flexibility, it paves the way for us to add increased data recording options in the future (e.g., heard only, count/don't count this bird, etc.).
So we're excited about this new development, and we're just now in the process of internally testing the new functionality. We would like to test the new data entry on a group of hardcore eBirders, as well as some beginners, to ensure we're on the right track. We hope to start that process sometime in December, or early in the new year.
Thanks
Team eBird
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Looking forward to it! The "count don't count" option will let us record roadkills without adding them to our 'lists'.
ReplyDeleteI cringe whenever I hear that something that works so well is being redone, but I agree that the "count/don't count" option is greatly needed.
ReplyDeleteSounds great! And thanks for the past tips about fast data entry. Now I use the "Jump to Species:" box and up-arrow method all the time!
ReplyDeleteRyan
ReplyDeleteOur goal is to retain all of the current functionality of the checklist page, but to streamline the process and add in some customization. Hopefully what has worked so well in the past will continue to work well, but now with new and improved options.
Thanks
Brian
The heard only option will be great. I keep track of that in my notes but seldom actually put it in the comment box.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the improvement to come, and hoping it would just outstand the system tht's already par excellence...
ReplyDeleteHopefully checkboxes for nesting data will come sometime too.
ReplyDeleteHow much more bandwidth consumption will this represent? (broadband users: I already understand that this question doesn't apply to you)
It'd be nice if you could customize the entry page for a few locations, like your yard, and have just have 20-30 species to choose from (instead of 150+).
ReplyDeleteI'm happy that breeding codes will be added. This will make it easier for people like the CWS's Nunavut/NWT checklist folks to use the data.
ReplyDeleteYou might think about having 'Pro' accounts like Flickr - with the more detailed data entry; and maybe even with a donation box or very small fee. Overall your pages are beautiful, simple, and basic and I know you'd hate to discourage the less computer-'literate'. In fact, your site is almost the best designed site on the internet as far as I'm concerned. Thank you so much for having eBird.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that would save a lot of time for my friends and me would be the option of manually typing in ABA codes and quantities without having to jump around the page and press tab a million times.
ReplyDeleteFor example, if I could type in:
"NSWO 1
GCFL 1
GBHE 2
BLGR 1
DCCO 5"
And have eBird automatically convert that into a readout that I could just skim to make sure I didn't make any errors, it would work a lot better with my field notes (and those of my friends).
What you're talking about is a sneak peek, not a sneak peak. a sneak peak is when you don't pay attention for 150 million years and next thing you know there is a mountain range in your backyard :)
ReplyDeleteThis all sounds interesting though I cringe when people try to improve things and then make it more complicated, but it seems like you are sensitve to this issue and the changes you mention do sound like they will be an improvement. Being able to access eBird from mobile devices will really be helpful!
ReplyDeletep.s. will you be posting an update to eBird's County Needs list anytime soon? Just wondering if we made a difference after you posted that info over a year ago. (June 2009 post)
ReplyDeleteIt would be useful to have a place to note that even tho' we are walking/riding a specified distance or area, we have a view encompassing hundreds of acres.....not all birds we are recording are on the site from which we observe them.
ReplyDeletesurely that assumption of 3 dimensionality is built in already?
ReplyDeleteSingle column is a fantastic idea! As is the heard-only option!
ReplyDeleteI'd ask about adding things to shared lists (forgot to add a species, then it says it was only seen by me..), but that's a fairly minor quibble.
Can you also change the settings so that age/sex data stays on the report when you "share" a checklist with someone else? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll choose to be wary but optimistic. I'm wary of slowed data entry on both slow internet connections/old computers and on a one column format (scroll,scroll,scroll,scroll). But I'm optimistic about most of the other proposed changes. I guess we'll see how things turn out next year.
ReplyDeleteScore!
ReplyDeleteOne minor annoyance that could be easily fixed in the new version: Currently if you "tab" through the species count boxes on the data entry page, when you get to the end of a family the tab "sticks" on the "Top^^" link. It would be great if the tab just kept going through the data entry boxes without stopping on that link.
I typically don't keep my field notes in taxonomic order, so I type in the unique code (e_J for Blue Jay) and then press up to go back to the search box. Pretty quick. But, having the banding code attached to these would be faster (AMKE for American Kestrel) because there's often a lag on a slow connection.
ReplyDeleteCount/don't count (Aplomado Falcon in TX, heard only, etc.) will be great!
I don't know if this is still being read, but something very helpful would be the ability to enter plumage like you can currently enter age/sex, because in many species young males and females can't easily be distinguished
ReplyDelete