interactive keys

[Susan B. Farmer]

Quoting "Alessandra R. Batptista" <baptist at WAM.UMD.EDU>:

> Chris, the "public" does not come to our door no matter what we do.

One common thread that I've noticed in this thread has to do with the
organisms *not* the keys.  For the most part, the keys that "the public
won't use" are for organisms that John Q. Public (tm) isn't interested
it.

I know *lots* of houseplant growers that are concerned about Scale
Insects (for instance) -- but they really don't care *which* one it is,
they just want to get rid of them.

If you want to entice the public to the idea of using an interactive key
rather than a "picture book," then you need to make the key to something
that John Q. Public is interested in -- be it Leps, caterpillars,
mushrooms, Spring Wildflowers or someother charasmatic organism.

Just my $0.02

Susan, the grad student
-----
Susan Farmer
sfarmer at goldsword.com
University of Tennessee
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
http://www.goldsword.com/sfarmer/Trillium/