Soon we'll be sending a notice this way about a software
system that is pretty basic to biology.
The SKI-System
(SKIS) creates and manages taxonomic checklists. The 700K
free start-up pack contains the fully functional
checklisting program (SKI_IN). Included are read-only
input data files covering Birds, Mammals and Plants.
Some additional, and also free, input files contain a full
range of Families for all six Kingdoms. So all named
species can be checklisted with menu support to Family-
level. Then there are species-level input data files...
What's not for free is a high-level version of the program
suitable for project management. It can import foreign
taxonomic files and update the Classification in SKI-files;
it's currently working at Family level.
SKIS aims to make taxonomic problems a thing of the past
for anyone whose interest is "just" to use taxonomy as a
means to other ends - eg, people working in conservation
and ecology.
We're interested in how group specialists, especially the
modern breed of taxonomists, will take to SKIS. And we
also want to know what software specialists and IT types
make of it. We think the System has some revolutionary new
ways of making life easier for lots of people.
Try it; eg, see what use you might have for 'user-defined
standard taxonomies' (a flexible tool rather than a
straight jacket). Your responses will be much appreciated.
Watch this space.
Stan Woods, Derek Gunn
SKS-Information
