Ebird has been around for several years now. I haven't
been to the site in about a year, but the last time I
was there I found it clunky to use and still prefer
http://birdnotes.net which is built from simple software
and has no hidden agendas like audubon/cornell sites do.

Of course it doesn't help that when they were beta testing
the ebird site and I couldn't get in because I was using a
MacIntosh and the wrong browser (same kind of issues that
plague the CBC interface). Or that when I sent them a note
explaining this and got back a terse reply stating that
"75% of those using the internet would be on PC's and that
it was not cost effective to build a site that was compatible
with all machines and browsers."

I recommend that those interested in communal data storage
sites compare ebird and birdnotes. There are many things
that ebird can do with data that birdnotes can't, but the
interface (again, last time I was there) is about as user
friendly as stereo VCR programming instructions. Birdnotes
is easier (though it too takes some getting used to) and
generates location specific lists and stuff, too.


Subject: ebird
From: Ian Paulsen <birdbooker AT zipcon.net>
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2005 11:09:24 -0700 (PDT)

HI:
I was reading about www.ebird.org in the latest issue of North American
Birds. Has anybody used it and what do you think of it?

--
Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
A.K.A.: "Birdbooker"
"Rallidae all the way!"

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com

A rose by any other name (a rant on taxonomy)
http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/mbalame/archives/002662.html