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Pa

need help..I stink using a computer. I clicked on the aggc link & it goes to a screen for user id.How do you become a member?

1/16/2006 8:58:00 PM

Norton, MA

Can't really. AleX Noel.

1/16/2006 9:15:49 PM

Mn

They don't let you become a member any more if i remember right.

1/16/2006 9:25:07 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

There is a "non-member" section that anyone can access that is still quite useful:

http://www.aggc.org/NonMembersMenu.asp

1/16/2006 9:30:47 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

The owner of the site only allows so many members. It is currently full & won't be accecpting any new members any time soon. The GVGO gives growers limited access to the AGGC for all of it's members as one of it's benefits. You get heirarchy trees, progeny trees & graphs, report cards & photos of over 5000 pumpkins & squash listed on the site. If your interested in more information, email me at gvgo@sympatico.ca

Phil

1/17/2006 6:48:04 AM

Roanoke Il

yep site has been closed to most of the growers for 3 years now. at one time most of the growers belonged to the aggc now only a select few.

1/17/2006 7:34:06 AM

Austria

Interesting. Does anybody know why that is? So what sense makes providing Information for a database one can`t use, except for being a gvgo member, which is without doubt a good opportunity?

1/17/2006 8:10:29 AM

Webster, NY

I tried counting the number of members one time. The list was in alphabetical order. I stopped after the B's at around 150 or so. I could be wrong, but the number of members has to be pretty big. Maybe his system just can't handle many more. This is just a guess.

As far as providing information, I guess that is up to each individual to make that decision.

1/17/2006 9:21:12 AM

Norton, MA

A couple years ago when the problem first started he posted a few times on here and said that his server couldn't handle any more and keep the site functioning. People offered to pay a membership so that he could buy a new server, even donate. The thing that left alot of people with a bad taste is that he booted some off for sharing genetic info. When someone posted a genetics question on this site, you used to get responses saying "AGGC says ....." and "from AGGC I get ......", now if someone does share AGGC info, they usually just e-mail you in fear of being thrown off. AleX Noel.

1/17/2006 11:11:55 AM

New Jersey

You can share and research in the freely shared database at giantvegenetics.com -
http://www.giantvegenetics.com/Giant_Vegetables/DNAtrack.php

Other sources of information include:

Brian's Insanity:
http://www.briansinsanity.com/dbtrial.html

Crampton Seed Database:
http://www.cramton.com/users/james/CramtonSeeds/

And maybe someday PumpkinStats at Don Langevin's site:
http://www.giantpumpkin.com/stats_stuff.html

Hope that helps,
Jason

1/17/2006 1:51:24 PM

Long Island,New York

Alex...thats the biggest pile of poo Ive heard all winter. I need some of that for my patch...lol....fear of being thrown off aggc for answering a Q?....get real Buddy.

1/17/2006 3:19:20 PM

ordinary,VA

I was a member for one year than was thrown out when my computer went down on me.
I made the mistake of using my brothers computer one Sunday afternoon..
ohhhhhhh what a sin. havent been a member since.??
two letters three emails later still no respons..
the AGGC is a wonderful source of info and Mike has done a great job. but its just not worth the headache..

1/17/2006 5:28:09 PM

Norton, MA

I heard a few people say that back then, also that they never got responses. I didn't want to get anybody angry, I was just presenting things that I had been told, and had heard. I'm sorry LI, but that's what I had heard, I may have been misinformed. AleX Noel.

1/17/2006 6:30:28 PM

Roanoke Il

Mike does a great job.. sure wished it was opened to all growers. Maybe some day it will. Mike must have his reasons for keeping closed. Hes probably just triing to keep it pure. Mike keep up the good job...mark

1/18/2006 7:41:26 AM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

In the "meantime".... the giantvegenetics site above is
excellent. It's well done (with all due respect to the others
listed as well)... I think we should get behind it.

1/18/2006 10:08:38 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I wasn't going to do this again but since I see some misinformation floating around (and I hate misinformation) it's time.

Every year about this time Mike's practices get dragged throught the streets.

Mike closed up new entries & limited access to single terminals because of rampant password sharing & data theft.

The owner of a website doesn't need to be a computer genius to see who is hitting his URL. If a person has asigned 300 passwords & 400 terminals are logging onto the website, then one must assume that 100 people are logging on from a second terminal probably at their office or from a laptop. So what?

But AGGC was getting WAY too many hits for this statitistic to be applicable. Mike tracked the hits & figured out which passwords were making the most rounds. Whether intentionally to beat the system or accidentally, the fate of some passwords was sealed.

Before getting used to the new system I accidentally shut myself off several times by hitting AGGC from the wrong PC. But a quick email to Mike has always restored full function.

continued

1/18/2006 12:35:16 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

There were a lot of data pages copied from AGGC before he started restricting access too. Granted, no one OWNS the data that is presented on AGGC. But copying & pasting that data to other documents for future publicatyion elsewhere is a new fangled form of copyright infringement that I wouldn't appreciate either. Pirating data from a website that requires this much labor & yields no profit for the owner is pretty tacky even if the pirate doesn't end up profiting from the stolen data.

I've copied data from AGGC myself. But only to save typing parental data onto my own personal seed list. I don't think he minds this practice so long as it is done on genetic lines that a grower is working with & only kept for personal use. Broadcasting or sharing my seed list with anyone else today would be a breach of trust however innocent it might seem. It's like sneaking through that stale yellow & having the light turn red before you get all the way through....But Officer...boo hoo...there was no one coming in the other lanes......sob sob..."Tell it to the judge buddy."

It is what it is my friends.

1/18/2006 12:35:30 PM

Eau Claire, WI

I keep my AGGC membership by sending him a small check every year (I don't mind paying a little for the service). Mike has done a very good job.

I wonder how long it will remain a useful service though if the data is not complete. As an example, I see that Tom Beachy's pumpkins aren't included anymore. If this continues, the service will become less useful with time. That would be disappointing.

1/18/2006 4:07:37 PM

Pocatello (cliffwarren@yahoo.com)

I don't think I buy the logic that there are no more honest
potential patrons out there. There may be some abuse, but to
shut everyone else out, ... doesn't make sense to me.

How fast is this hobby growing? 10% per year, more?

It's easy to love the AGGC when you're a member. In the
meantime, I'll probably have to try to support something
like the giantvegenetics site. I guess it won't work unless
I can convince others to support it as well.

1/18/2006 6:31:06 PM

Roanoke Il

I agree with cliff in 3years a site like giantvegenetics will be the best site for genetics because it is opened to all. Aggc will fall bye the wayside if it doesn't open up to all growers . like cliff said the sport is growing very fast and you exclude the majority of growers from aggc the will remember and refuse to give info to thae aggc... Dam Mike post something ask for help donations something lets get the aggc open to all growers like the name copperative vmeant like when you first started the site, why let the Aggc fall down in the dumps I don't know about all growers but if you are excluded from something you remember and it leaves a bad taste in there mouth...the excuse that your server is to small sucks ...mark

1/18/2006 8:14:18 PM

Webster, NY

I think it's easy to criticise without knowing all the details. And if I were in Mike's position I guess I wouldn't post here and even try to explain. There would be too many people jumping all over him. I guess the bottom line is, it's his site and he can do what he wants. Just like bigpumpkins.com belongs to Ken and John. If they want to delete posts they think are bad, or keep certain people from using the site they have the right to do that.

Just my opinion
Dave

1/19/2006 6:25:08 AM

Hudsonville, Michigan (michiganpumpkins@sbcglobal.net)

Mike is constantly innovating new features and updating the AGGC. It is a labor of love for him, and it shows in the quality of the product. I hope that anyone who cares about growing AGs will support his efforts by submitting your data in the future. For the record, many growers HAVE been given access to the site in the past three years, myself included. Anyone who wants on, have you contacted Mike directly? If that doesn't work, get with Phil about GVGO membership. Either way, you will not be disappointed at the quality & content of the AGGC.
Frank

1/19/2006 7:49:09 AM

Napa Valley, CA

Ditto Tremor, Dave and Frank.
Its his site and he can do as he pleases, the same as Ken and John do here.
No doubt Mike has his own reasons for the few simple rules that he enforces. Over the years I have respected his rules and abided by them and I have had no problems.

I have met Mike Nepereny and I find him both an interesting and dedicated individual.
George Webster

1/19/2006 3:43:16 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Guys and Gals(?), wondering why so much more info available to me thru GVGO membership access than the non-member access...also wondering how I will input my 1675 Moore '06(ROFLOL) into the site...haven't really looked into how to input info...is input available to all...even on the non-member access level. If I grow a bunch of biggies will I be invited onto the site? Why doesn't Tom B. input his data? Lots o ?'s.? Peace, Wayne

1/19/2006 8:28:14 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Wayne, We here at the GVGO will submit your info if you'd like. You don't have to be a member to have your info listed on the site. Mike was kind enough to set up a separate site for our membership. He thought this might be a great way for non-members to access some of the info in his site. He has also gone out of the way to set up a non-members site. This has lots of info as well. I have nothing but respect for the guy. He has gone out of his way to help us out. He has also written a great article for our newsletter. I guess you know where I stand on this topic. Thanks for all your great work Mike.

Phil

PS. We offer our members access to the hierarchy trees, progeny trees & graphs, 1st generation progeny, report cards & photos of almost 6000 pumpkins & squash listed on the site. What a great tool for pumpkin growers.

1/20/2006 7:01:15 AM

Follansbee, Wv

While I am not a member, nor have I tried to become a member of the AGGC, I did input the data from my only officially weighed pumpkin. Some of the arguments of both sides are valid. Why input data to a site your not able to access yourself? On the other hand, it only takes a minute, and perhaps someday the site will open to all again. If and when it does, it would be nice to have a complete database.
In the few instances that I have had a question that could be answered by the AGGC database, one member or another has always been kind enough to find it for me. I don't think that's wrong as long as the information shared is of a specific nature directly associated with the question asked.
Harrassing or badgering the owner of a web site, a site into which he puts his own time and money to maintain, will only strengthen his resolve to keep it closed. It was stated that someone who is denied access will remember it...a person who criticizes the site owner may very well be remembered too.

1/20/2006 8:02:53 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Thanks Phil, first I gotta grow somethin worth inputing....LOL Peace, Wayne

1/21/2006 8:03:55 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

I've had GVGO access to the AGGC for about a week now. It gives me everything I need, personally. I just like to see the pumpkin's tree and see the picture to know if it was orange or not. For me that's all I need, and I think if you need more than that, then you are thinking about it too hard.

I encourage everyone to join the GVGO. Definately worth the $20 -Jim

1/23/2006 12:07:37 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Thanks for the plug, Jim. I'm glad your happy with the benefits we're offering.

Phil

1/24/2006 6:18:31 AM

Mocksville, NC

Monty J your info is on the site great pumpkin

1/24/2006 8:07:44 AM