Summary of the Internet Advisory Group meeting

Lorenzo Maggioni, IPGRI

On 7 June 1997, at the "On-line Databases Training Workshop" in Bonn, Germany, the Internet Advisory Group of ECPGR met to discuss the implementation of its original tasks and to define new tasks for the future.
The Advisory Group was established in January 1997, after recommendation from the workshop on Central Crop Databases, held in Budapest, Hungary, 13-16 October 1997. Members of the group (all present in Bonn), are: Theo van Hintum (CGN), Pierre Campo (GEVES), Kevin Painting (IPGRI), Morten Hulden (NGB), Daniel Jimenez Krause (ZADI) and Lorenzo Maggioni (ECPGR Coordinator).

The Advisory Group agreed that a first set of five tasks (see below) was completed through a mechanism of job subdivision and thanks to a continuous informal exchange of comments via Email:

1 Provision of a model Home page for the ECPGR INTERNET Information Platform (IPGRI).

2 Definition of guidelines for the design of the Central Crop Databases Home pages (all).

3 Definition of guidelines for the first steps needed to create home pages or on-line searchable databases (including relevant aspects of common database design, access, automated update and electronic mirroring through Internet) (NGB and ZADI).

4 Production of a list of commonly used terminology, to be included in the proceedings of the Budapest meeting (ZADI and NGB).

5 Organization of a ZADI-ECPGR Training Workshop in Bonn in Spring 1997 on topics related to the Internet and on-line databases (ZADI and IPGRI, with the technical contribution of all).

With reference to points 1 and 2, the group took some time to analyze the results obtained and to identify lines of action for the future. These conclusions can be summarized in the following new tasks of the Internet Advisory Group:

Task 1: Development of the European Information Platform Home Page (task for IPGRI).
The button bar is considered an important distinctive trait of the "Platform environment" and it is suggested to maintain it at the bottom of the screen, when accessing ECPGR databases and other platform services. However, it is agreed that there is no requirement that it be present when reaching distant Internet environments. The bar should be minimized and the icons changed.

Task 2: Establishment of uniform Entry Pages for each ECCDB (Task for IPGRI).
An Entry Page of a ECCDB is defined as an interface page through the Platform and the database home page. The uniformity in style of this page throughout all the ECPGR databases is another important distinctive character of the platform. Its layout should include a header and a body as defined at the Budapest meeting in October 1996 (see report, pages 10-11) and also the date of last update and the size in Kb of zipped and unzipped files. The design should be approved after consultation of all database managers. (sample in Appendix 9 is open for comments from database managers. Please send your comments not later than 15 December 1997).

Task 3: Prepare Central Crop Databases downloadable zip files and upload them at a Documentation Support Centre (task for all).
Every ECCDB manager wishing to make available its database in downloadable format is invited to do so at a local server or, alternatively, to contact a member of the Advisory Group (e.g. CGN, IPGRI, NGB, ZADI) for advice and help.

Task 4: Uploading on-line searchable databases (task for all).
Members of the Advisory Group (e.g. CGN, IPGRI, NGB and ZADI) are available for advising and helping database managers to implement this task.

Task 5: Organization of further sessions of the Training Workshop, for database managers unable to attend in Bonn.
A second session of the training workshop could be organized at NGB in January 1998 (task for NGB and IPGRI, with the collaboration of all). A third session could be organized at CGN in the end of 1998 (task for CGN and IPGRI, with the collaboration of all). The accomplishment of this task is conditioned by the availability of funds (EU, etc.) and the existence of a sufficient demand from database managers (DB managers wishing to take part in the 2^nd or the 3rd session of the Training Workshop are invited to inform the ECPGR Coordinator).

Additional considerations regarding the Platform that were made during the Internet Advisory Group meeting are summarized below:

• The European Information Platform should be able to extend links to other International and Regional on-line databases. This will require that the Platform be given a simple branching structure (to be defined).
• A "Discussion platform on plant genetic resources" should be promoted for use by the members of ECPGR and beyond. The list of discussion topics could then be shown on the Platform.
• The provision of an "Electronic bulletin board for PGR announcements", of a "Platform search engine" and of a "Standard format for seed requests to the genebanks" was proposed and regarded as worth considering. However, it was preferred to postpone to the near future any discussion on their possible implementation.
• The Internet Advisory Group should continue to exist as an informal advisory body and maintain its wide availability to requests of advice on Internet matters.
• The Advisory Group emphasized the important role of the "European Information Platform" as an Internet entry point for crop genetic resources topics in Europe.