Online services you wish existed

^{This is a bit off topic. Admin may relocate this thread to where it belongs and then delete this line. I wasn't sure where to put it.}

Let's make the web a better place :emojiSmiley-102: 

Last week I made a comment about new web sites and missing online services in another thread. Since then I thought, "why not create a place where members can post online services they wish existed". Others can put likes on proposed services they think they would use. Then those, who would like to create a site of their own, could pick up on posted ideas.

Also, I'd like to know how many of us enomologists know how to create a web site? Who understands server scripts? Who knows SQL? Who uses javascript, JQuery, css, etc.?

In other words, you may join this discussion if you want someone else to create a new service OR if you are one of those who could get the job done.

Senior programmer

Let me start out by declaring myself as an "experienced programmer", though I am far too busy to be of any help, I'm afraid. I could give advice, maybe. But I won't the one who makes a new web service. That is for others.

I would rather need help from others with my own projects. But that's another story.

Service proposal

Species descriptions database

I've collected descriptions (mainly original) of myriapoda and compiled them into one document for each genus. I know there is a bit of a copyright problem if I were to share my documents, many of which are complete. But it is a shame, that all the work I've done will be wasted when I die. I wish there was a site where people could work together to create a library of descriptions. I would definitely contribute to such a service, as well as use it to download documents from others.

Service proposal

Invertebrate protein industry reports

It is a well established fact, that the world can not provide its human population with all the meat we like to stuff ourselves with. And the most promising short term solution seems to be to turn our interest to invertebrates.

Create a website, where you provide ideas and insights into industrial beeding of invertebrates as a protein source. How to do it, what species to breed and how to process them. What could they be used for? What methods are most cost/space effective? Visit such establishments or ask for their data, Make it easier for companies and private families to turn to invertebrate based protein. And I don't mean simply "eat more spiders". Many bird and fish cultures in the existing food industry could be fed with proteins from insects, worms, molluscs etc. Pigs are being fed with protein powder to improve the end product. What works and what doesn't.

Make it both into a source of general informathon, a think tank for others to contribute and a kind of online news letter, where you - and others - can publish more detailed studies.

Kevin!!!

You are so right! This is why I created this thread: Knowing how to use a web site, doesen't mean you automaticlly know how to make one. That is why I asked who would recognize words like "HTML", "JavaScript", "MySQL" or "css". And who would even know how, when and where to use those things. Those who do, can create a web site of their own. Those who don't, can't. And if you are one of those who never bothered to learn these things, it doesn't imply lack of inteligence. It only implies you've never studied them.

Knowing how to use websites in general does, however, give you the ability to think both about sites you've seen or just heard of, as well as sites you've only imagined in your head. Like: "Hmmmm.... It's too tiresome feeding all my caterpillars. Wouldn't it be cool, if there were a website you could go to and breed virtual butterflies?". That's an idea! If you come up with an idea like that, and many others join in and say "Hey" What a GREAT idea you had!!!", chances are some web programmer - or a few - will make such a site.

Knowing how to create a web site, doesn't mean you automatically know what sites others would like to see. I mean, we all know facebook and Actias are pretty popular. But we didn't before they existed. Now they do and as long as they work well, there isn't much point in making copies. What we (the programmers) need, is normal users thoughts on what doesn't exist. Or, maybe it exists but you think it could be made better.

Disclaimer: I mentioned facebook, because it is one of the most well known examples of a web service which became very popular as soon as it was published, while no one had really asked for it before. That said, I'd like to mention that I've never registered on facebook. I don't recommend anyone to use it, ever. And I'd like to warn everyone using it. Be very careful about what you put out there. You think you're just using their product. You ARE their product!