Hi all -
Continuing on the local database thread and my comment concerning "saving
bandwidth", Ed Rybicki (ed at molbiol.uct.ac.za) commented:
>Right: it is wonderful, it is good, etc, etc. BUT we out here in
>the 2nd-grading-onto-3rd-world cannot necessarily AFFORD the
>databases....!!! At $US2000 per annum to maintain the database, it
>is WAY outside of our budget, so we have simply done without
>completely (until the ver 8.0 upgrade, with which a db came) for
>several years, and sent off BLAST searches by email or (recently)
>via the Web.
>>Remember: for quite few users the local cost burden may simply be
>too high for us to be good citizens, and keep our traffic local.
We also, even though we're here in the `1st world,' can not possibly afford
GCG's database update service. It is not even an option. That's why every so
often we do clog up a bunch o' bandwidth and ftp over the new release of
everything and update them ourselves. I know many institutions actually do it
nightly, just getting the update sections. Oh, BTW be careful about solely
relying on BLAST. It may not always be the most appropriate algorithm
particularly with noncoding nuc' data. In some cases FastA or a full
Smith-Waterman may be more appropriate.
- Steve Thompson
thompson at jaguar.csc.wsu.edu
p.s. Ed, Phil Berger says Hi.
