myrmecos.net is dead

Long live Myrmecos.net!

By way of a replacement, the ant photos are now over at alexanderwild.com:

newsite1Advantages of the new site include:

  • Galleries can be viewed as a slide show
  • Geo data are integrated with Google Maps (I'm still working on this)
  • Images can be displayed at a larger size (up to 800 pixels)
  • RSS feeds (for example: new photos)
  • Smoother navigation
  • Searches return relevant thumbnail images
  • Automated commercial licensing
  • Automated ordering of prints
  • Images and galleries allow comments

As in the old site, the ant images are accessible by taxonomic list, by natural history, by functional niche, and (as I add them in) by region.   The new search function is surprisingly effective, too.

I won't bore you with the details of why I am no longer supporting myrmecos.  The short version is that I no longer have time to maintain a static website with 3500+ individual html files.  And, the new site both looks better and is significantly less work.

The old myrmecos.net will still be available as an archive for as long as I'm willing to pay the yearly hosting fee of $90.  Probably another couple of years, I think.  I will no longer be adding new material to it, however.

If any of you have time to do me a huge favor, please go surfing through the new site with an eye for errors and design flaws.  Anything from spelling mistakes to suggestions for new features would be greatly appreciated.

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Alex

Jury is still out on new webb site.

By Jack Jumper (not verified) on 07 Sep 2009 #permalink

JJ-

Let me know if you think there's anything in particular you'd like to see changed. One of the advantages of the new site is that it takes little work to alter the styles, color schemes, and so forth.

I liked how the old site had the genera arranged by subfamily.

By MrILoveTheAnts (not verified) on 07 Sep 2009 #permalink

Smug Mug offers an excellent middle-ground for sites that are principally founded on photographs. Especially when it comes to site maintenance. I'm working on a scheme similar to your with an emphasis on Mollusks from Guam.

The comment about liking how the old site had the genera arrange by subfamily is a legit. There might be a work-around within Smug Mug but I haven't quite figured out how to tackle that one just yet. Would probably need to set up a gallery as a standard HTML page and take it from there...needs more thought.

Anyhow, just thought I'd comment and express how much I enjoy your seeing your photographs. Great stuff!

By bob abela (not verified) on 07 Sep 2009 #permalink

MILTA- Yes, I agree that organizing the genera by subfamily would be an improvement. But, it's not a trivial change as I'm constrained by smugmug's format.

Bob- Thanks for the kind words. I think the workaround for the genera/subfamily problem is as you say: create a gallery without images and use html in the captions to link to the generic pages. Possible, but it'll take a couple hours to put together, I think.

Send us a link for your mollusc page when you're done- we'd love to see it!

Hey, I do like what you did with the subfamily page. You've given me incentive to try something along similar lines. No arm-twisiting, but sure, will be happy to send a link after I make some improvements. All the best.