[Babase] unconventional snames...and Cameroon

Niki Learn nlearn at princeton.edu
Tue Nov 24 09:40:33 EST 2009


As for Cameroon, the sname could go either way.  I don't know how much
Cameroon (Proton's) shows up in the old data Lacey has been backfilling or
which sname has been used for her during that process.  Lacey?  I guess it
would be easier to change the data that is to be added than to change the
data that is already there and CAM is a good sname.

As for the table...I don't really care where it goes either - it just seemed
logical to put it with the snames not in biograph table (and frankly I don't
know where you would put it on the wiki so that anyone would even notice it
was there or be able to find it).  Two points though:  1. I don't think it
will ever need to be updated because I don't think we ever assign
unconventional snames anymore (unless maybe we are adding more with that
backfilling Lacey is working on?).  2. What first got me thinking about this
was when I was entering the canine date - mostly the males are just listed
by name or sometimes just by sname on the canine sheets, never both
together.  I realized at one point that Dhow could not be DHO (that's
Dhoruba) and looked him up to find that he was DOW.  Then I was worried
there were other unusual snames and had to search all the males' names in
biograph to make sure I caught any other oddball snames that might be in the
canine dataset.  So, yes, actually, it could be handy at times to compare
this little table to a longer table of names from an old database being
digitized to make sure all the snames are correct.  It's not a long list
though so it could go on the wiki instead and people would just have to
check it visually if needed.

-----Original Message-----
From: babase-bounces at eeblistserv.Princeton.EDU
[mailto:babase-bounces at eeblistserv.Princeton.EDU] On Behalf Of Susan Alberts
Sent: Monday, November 23, 2009 8:02 PM
To: The Baboon Database Project
Subject: Re: [Babase] unconventional snames...and Cameroon

Yes, I see your point -- maybe it's not a database table. It IS a good  
wiki document. Niki, thoughts?
S

On Nov 23, 2009, at 7:50 PM, Karl O. Pinc wrote:

> On 11/23/2009 04:12:37 PM, Niki Learn wrote:
>
>> When working with old data I have sometimes encountered older baboons
>> with
>> oddball snames that do not fit the current convention of being the
>> first
>> three letters of the name.  I had started making a list of these so
>> that I
>> didn't have to look up older individuals all the time to make sure I
>> had the
>> right sname.  I have just uploaded what I believe to be a complete
>> list to
>> babase_pending titled "unconventional_snames".
>
> I don't want to appear ungrateful but do wonder about the utility
> of having a database table.   Are there ever any cases where
> the table would be joined to any other table?  That would
> be the primary purpose of having the data in a table.
> There may be other advantages but none spring to mind.
>
> One alternative would be the wiki.  Putting the
> list on the wiki would allow anyone to update
> it (which may or may not be an advantage) and would allow
> for additional commentary should such be required.
> You can put tables into the wiki by using markup like:
>
> ||row 1 column 1||row 1 column 2||etc||
> ||row 2 column 1||row 2 column 2||etc||
>
> (Or fancier layout is possible, see:
> https://papio.biology.duke.edu/babasewiki/HelpOnTables
> )
>
> Or term definition lists:
> https://papio.biology.duke.edu/babasewiki/HelpOnLists
>
> Or just free-form text.
>
>
> Karl <kop at meme.com>
> Free Software:  "You don't pay back, you pay forward."
>                 -- Robert A. Heinlein
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Babase mailing list
> Babase at www.eco.princeton.edu
> http://www.eco.princeton.edu/mailman/listinfo/babase

------------------------------------------------------------
Susan Alberts, Dept of Biology, Duke University, Box 90338, Durham NC  
27708. Phone 919-660-7272, FAX 919-660-7293



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