Since many of you people currently using these codes on a daily basis find
it easier and quicker to type them than the whole names, yet many of the
rest of us would have to take extra time trying to figure them out or to
decide whether it is too difficult and then delete it, you code people could
take a bit of time up front to save the rest of us time or frustration.
Just program your computers to change the codes into english with your spell
check programs. When you type in AMRO your computer will automatically
change it to American Robin and the rest of us won't have to take the time
to learn them, to look them up, to try to figure them out if the post looks
intriguing.

I currently may take some extra time to guess at some and then just don't
read most unless the post subject line somehow still looks intriguing
enough, but I always find them irritating. In the last vegetation survey I
did our hand held computers were programmed to give a list of the plants
starting with the letter "a" when I typed in an "a" and then I cold scroll
down and click or continue typing. With each letter added it limited the
menu to click on. If by the time I got to "abi" the only species in the
menu was "Abies grandis" (Grand Fir for you non-botanists) I could just hit
enter and it would show the species recorded as Abies grandis. If you
program your computers like this you might even be able to save a key stroke
or 2 while the rest of us get the whole name typed out and quickly
recognizable, execpt for some strays or escapees that we may never heard of.

Stewart Wechsler
Ecological Consulting
West Seattle
206 932-7225
ecostewart at quidnunc.net

-Advice on the most site-appropriate native plants
and how to enhance habitat for the maximum diversity
of plants and animals
-Educational programs, nature walks and field trips
-Botanical Surveys

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