Close--
There is only one main thumbnail for each plant. There is not a thumbnail for each gallery.

The thumbs thing is very simple.
Photos appear beneath the plant entry in the order in which they are submitted.
If people like a photo and give it a thumb, it moves up within the list of all photos beneath the plant entry.
The photo with the most thumbs becomes the main thumbnail.

If there is only one image it is the main thumbnail.
If no photos receive any thumbs, the first one entered is the main thumbnail.

manipulation? sure
corruption? what the? I mean, no, I don't think that is the point at all.

dirtdorphins said:Well said Asa

Robin, I think your original thread in the plant database forum has disappeared altogether now, so it looks like whatever discussion is here now anyway, with the lovers of buggycritterythingies

Yes, I see what you mean--that thread is gone now.

Dirt, those are gorgeous photos!

I agree that we could not (and would not want to) recreate the plant database into an entomology website, but on the other hand I disagree that the resource we could create here exists elsewhere. Eg, if you look up bugs or lepidoptera species on websites dedicated to those, you find--well--pictures focused on bugs and lepidoptera!

I think what we could do here is unique and does *not* seek to duplicate resources that other sites are better equipped to provide. Following on Asa's excellent point about the interrelatedness of plants and bugs/pollinators, the database we could create could highlight that--eg, as Asa said, the parent (?) roses page could provide links to aphids and rose sawfly larvae, and the milkweed database to Monarchs and Queens, depending on the species. And so on. Bugs and pollinators are a fact of life for gardeners and not an unnecessary interloper whose subject matter only belongs properly on someone else's site.

So, I really like the idea of finding a way to provide links in the plant database to pollinators and other bugs that could serve as an extremely useful tool *for gardeners* (not for entomologists or lepidopterists).

In terms of thumbnails and which photo appears as the main thumbnail, I have a hard time getting worked up over that. I understand it's important to many people, but as Beverly mentioned, when I *open* a plant, I can scroll through all of the photos, and give thumbs to the ones I want to. I actually like the idea of rotating the thumbnails--maybe that would relieve some of the pressure to have only the most perfect and pure specimens as main thumbnails.

If the d/b thread is to remain in this forum, can't we at least move it to another thread? It is taking away the fun and intent of the original thread. We have, to use a phrase from dirt, been polluted. There is a place for the d/b discussion and i think it is an important one, but i want it out of this thread...really I have things to post relative to this thread and i do not want to post them in a polluted environment

I'm operating on very little sleep here so I hope I make sense.

Well, first I feel like as moderator I have to do my job. So let me just point out that we're veering a little off topic. I thought the point of this thread was to share pictures of bees and other pollinators. It's turning into a pretty detailed discussion more suitable for the Site Talk forum. I don't want to kick you guys to the Sandbox but maybe you'd like to start a new thread in Site Talk? I think I might be able to split the thread at the point you changed topics, but I'm sill playing with my "moderator powers". I can always ask for help so we don't lose any posts because you guys have had some great ideas on here. In that vein, butterflies would probably go better in the butterfly thread and I'm not sure how frogs got in here, even though I like them.

Do you guys want me to split you off or does someone want to reboot the discussion over on Site Talk? I saw where one of you said the former thread over there got deleted and I just checked and that is correct. Not sure who deleted it or why? I think you guys are having a worthwhile discussion here, but I think there is a better place for it.

Beverly, you beat me to it! Do you guys want to see if I can split it so you can keep your original thoughts?

Melanie, as moderator, why don't you talk to the site admins and plant admins and see what makes most sense about where to put the relevant posts of this thread. A lot of this kind of stuff gets handled in the moderator forum.

Maybe instead of the idea that we're 'polluting' the bees thread, we could say that the topic is important and deserves the kind of attention it would get as a thread of its own?

Split it if you can - but please keep the content. It's pretty useful, imo.

Okay, let me go ask my higher ups. I don't want to lose all these great ideas!

I asked Dave for help or other options since I'm new at this. You guys are coming up with some good ideas and I'd like for you to be able to continue the conversation while we keep posting our pollinator friends' photos here!

I haven't posted on this thread for awhile, so I'm skipping over your current discussion (for now, and will go back through it later) and I'm just posting a couple photos of buggycritterythingies that I found in my garden, okay?

I had to look this one up - it's a Pennsylvania Leatherwing beetle - loves to eat aphids, so welcome little buddy!



Dragonfly giving me a profile view and possibly a bit of a glare



The discussion sounds interesting - such passionate people on ATP!

thanks, Jeanie--love the photos and the information on the aphid-snarfing beetle!

I had never seen one before and wanted to know if it was a good 'un or a bad 'un.

Too bad it won't eat voles....

awesome Jeanie!
nice to 'see' you again {waving}
I don't see any bright orange aphids on your butterfly weed, did that beetle eat them? Where can I get me some of those


Melanie, congrats on your new moderator role!
--so sorry we made noise over here for you to deal with straight away.

The discussion probably fits better in site talk or database forum where it started; unfortunate that the original thread evaporated. If it can be split off that would be great.

We haven't had an active moderator here previously, and it's been rather free form so
As far as beetles, frogs, butterflies, cats, dragonflies, spiders, whatever...
as the thread starter, the title includes Other Friends
and in the OP I said

dirtdorphins said:I cannot resist their charm--must take pictures and share them

That other thread was getting so long I decided to start over--
with this here new version, dedicated to all the photo bombing residents and visitors that make me take their pictures and post them

I genuinely welcome and appreciate photos and discussion of any and all garden residents and visitors, friend or no in this thread.
I hope that we can keep it that way

Dirt, that's fine. I guess the focus has been on bees, wasps, and pollinators lately and I thought that was the main point of the thread. Other than the "Gardening for Wildlife" forum, which I think is more for mammals (?), I guess it's hard to find a spot to put things that aren't quite pollinators, like frogs. Just wanted to make sure we are all on the same page here. Speaking of pages, it might be time for volume three!

Thanks!! I'm another lover (or at least appreciator) of all the critterythingies, so great we have a place for them here!

mellielong said:Dirt, that's fine. I guess the focus has been on bees, wasps, and pollinators lately and I thought that was the main point of the thread. Other than the "Gardening for Wildlife" forum, which I think is more for mammals (?), I guess it's hard to find a spot to put things that aren't quite pollinators, like frogs. Just wanted to make sure we are all on the same page here. Speaking of pages, it might be time for volume three!

Melanie just wants us to stop yakking here & move to another thread so she can get busy splitting what she needs to split.

cool
then here are some cute little spideys

Well, I've learned I don't have the power to split a thread off. I guess I had it in my head because one of the other moderators had asked Dave to do something similar a while back but I think it's kind of involved. I don't want to bug him too much. I mean, I could tell you guys to start a new thread over in the Site Talk forum but you had a lot of good ideas here and I don't want you to lose them. You could copy and paste your posts but it wouldn't have the same flow and I don't want to derail your train of thought.

Beautiful photos, Dirt!

Dirt, what's the purple flower?