Anyone part of Orchid Digest?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

I joined - looking forward to the printed material...!

I think that you will be pleased! Enjoy!

[Jeff214]

I finally got re-prints of back issues that were offered. The photos are wonderful as well as the detailed notes.

I wish they would offer more reprints/scans of older issues. I understand that cost is probably prohibitive but it's sad that the newer generation may not get to see such a great resource. I'd chip in extra to see more!

[Roberta]

Glad you enjoyed! I also wish that back issues were available online... I'd be happy just with indexing of articles to help me find stuff in the stack of them that I have accumulated. Maybe eventually. Over time more will be available "naturally" since they're now publishing current issues online. It's totally a volunteer effort (the articles, the editing, the board) , so donations do get put to good purpose.

[estación seca]

Properly scanning and editing a set of old journals is a huge job, but certainly can be done. When I was on the Board of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America our IT specialist did this for our back issues , starting with our founding in 1929. The complete project took him about 5 years, part time. DVDs of the complete journal run are available on the CSSA Web site. <Advertisement> If you want to learn about cactus and succulents, get the set. Start at page 1 and read the whole run. That's what I did back in the 1990s when I joined the Henry Shaw Cactus society in St Louis; they have a complete set of the physical journals.

It involves finding a complete set, cutting them into separate sheets, scanning each page with a super-high-quality scanner, examining each scan for quality, checking and editing the optical character recognition for accuracy, assembling into PDFs, creating an index, then printing to a permanent DVD.

I might point out DVDs and CDs people make at home use a different burning technology than music or video DVDs produce commercially for sale. Home CDs or DVDs are not very long-lasting, often only a few years. A commercial machine is needed to produce durable DVDs and/or CDs.

[Jeff214]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Glad you enjoyed! I also wish that back issues were available online... I'd be happy just with indexing of articles to help me find stuff in the stack of them that I have accumulated. Maybe eventually. Over time more will be available "naturally" since they're now publishing current issues online. It's totally a volunteer effort (the articles, the editing, the board) , so donations do get put to good purpose.

i actually found Orchid Digest looking for an article on psuedolaelias. It was, unfortunately, only an index on the website but i'm happy i got to see the new articles at least.

I'll try to chip in too.

---------- Post added at 05:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:52 PM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

Properly scanning and editing a set of old journals is a huge job, but certainly can be done. When I was on the Board of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America our IT specialist did this for our back issues , starting with our founding in 1929. The complete project took him about 5 years, part time. DVDs of the complete journal run are available on the CSSA Web site. <Advertisement> If you want to learn about cactus and succulents, get the set. Start at page 1 and read the whole run. That's what I did back in the 1990s when I joined the Henry Shaw Cactus society in St Louis; they have a complete set of the physical journals.

My last company had a lady who enjoyed scanning legal documents 8 hours a day in a windowless room... While that's probably a minority... (I think it would drive me nuts!), I'd volunteer to do some work on evenings if it means a more accessible database!

I'm an overwaterer so... succulents have never done well for me (except for jungi cacti like Epis which love water). But now that I'm in the desert (That is san diego), I should probably take up a few! That set will be wasted on me at this point but it should like a great resource!

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

My last company had a lady who enjoyed scanning legal documents 8 hours a day in a windowless room... While that's probably a minority... (I think it would drive me nuts!), I'd volunteer to do some work on evenings if it means a more accessible database!

Years ago I knew a local law student. When he graduated he went to work for a major firm here in Phoenix. The next time I talked to him, about two years later, he told me he had spent the last 2 years as a junior associate on salary working on asbestos litigation. His company put him into a San Diego hotel and made him photocopy documents 18 hours per day, 6 days a week. I heard he eventually went to Washington DC in a different area of law.

Originally Posted by Jeff214

I'm an overwaterer so... succulents have never done well for me (except for jungi cacti which love water). But now that I'm in the desert (That is san diego), I should probably take up a few! That set will be wasted on me at this point but it should like a great resource!

Join the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society and save yourself some time and effort learning. While you're at it join the Pacific Bulb Society. You now live in one of the few Mediterranean climates in the world, and there is a large range of winter-growing succulents and bulbs, from many families, that you can now grow easily. They're difficult for people in other parts of the world - but you can grow them in the ground!

[Roberta]

I suspect that a lot of past issues of OD actually are already in electronic form - people haven't done layouts with glue for a long time... I have to suspect that some too like Publisher or Adobe Illustrator was used. If that is the case, getting to PDF is a lot easier, the bigger issue is security and organization - getting them organized and accessible only to subscribers. Indexing may be another set of problems, but if files are electronic that can be automated too... for a price however.

[Jeff214]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Join the San Diego Cactus and Succulent Society and save yourself some time and effort learning. While you're at it join the Pacific Bulb Society. You now live in one of the few Mediterranean climates in the world, and there is a large range of winter-growing succulents and bulbs, from many families, that you can now grow easily. They're difficult for people in other parts of the world - but you can grow them in the ground!

Actually, my former boss moved into the home of the president of the SD Cactus and Succulent Society. Apparently there were many orphaned plants all over the property and I was offered some. Maybe I should have taken a few!

---------- Post added at 11:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:03 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Roberta

I suspect that a lot of past issues of OD actually are already in electronic form - people haven't done layouts with glue for a long time... I have to suspect that some too like Publisher or Adobe Illustrator was used. If that is the case, getting to PDF is a lot easier, the bigger issue is security and organization - getting them organized and accessible only to subscribers. Indexing may be another set of problems, but if files are electronic that can be automated too... for a price however.

oh are they not mailing out physical copies of the new issues? That's a shame. I was hoping for pretty printed pictures...

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

oh are they not mailing out physical copies of the new issues? That's a shame. I was hoping for pretty printed pictures...

They are definitely still mailing the physical copies, no worries there, but it's online as well. I certainly prefer the physical copies, but if I'm not at home, it's nice to be able to get it online too.

---------- Post added at 07:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:09 PM ----------

The physical magazines are very beautiful - cover photos are really special. - Online version is nice, but no competition- an addition certainly not a replacement.

[Dimples]

Originally Posted by Jeff214

Maybe I should have taken a few!

I’m also in SD. Growing succulents here is almost as simple as putting them where you want them and walking away. Water them once and awhile in the dry season, they grow like weeds. I have a half dozen 1-gallon succulent plants leftover from a work project. They’re still in the nursery pots and 12 months later they’re happily growing. I also have some in the ground and in large decorative pots. So long as you don’t put them in too much shade, and don’t drown them, they’re no work at all.