In 2014, TJW began to plan for SINA’s continued online presence after he was no longer available to edit it. The easiest option would be leaving it up to those in UF who knew of its value to their teaching and research interests to see that it remained online. However, unless it was updated, it would gradually lose its usefulness and be erased or retired to an IFAS archive. If that were to be the case, I might as well archive the current version in UF’s Institutional Repository (IR@UF)--except they would be unlikely to accept it on short notice and without substantial remuneration. I also thought that the Orthopterists’ Society (OS) might be interested in maintaining SINA’s online presence but was delayed in inquiring about the possibility by other interests and a prolonged illness.
In early December 2018, after recovering from the illness, I emailed David Rentz, an OS Board Member, to find out if he thought OS would consider ensuring that SINA files “remain online as long as OS considers them useful.” I also asked if Maria Marta Cigliano and Holgar Braun were “still responsible for keeping OSF online and up-to-date.” Later that same day, Rentz sent me this good news, “I’m glad things are progressing with SINA. Holger and Maria Marta are still the ones to deal with. And should you need some funds to pay someone to do some work there are more than ample funds in the OS.”
In late January 2019, David Weissman copied me an email conversation about the OS accepting the responsibility for maintaining SINA. The participants included David Hunter (current OS President), Derek Woller (current Web Master), and Maria Marta Cigliano (current OSF online “Officer”). From this conversation, this plan for the transfer of SINA to the Orthopterists’ Society seemed possible:
(1) The transfer of ownership will occur no later than 1 Dec 2019. [The update concluded in early November 2019.]
(2) Prior to that, TJW will work with Teresa Cooper (TMC) to complete the current update of SINA with the largest portion of that task being the full incorporation of the 35 species of Gryllus of America north of Mexico, as recognized by David Weissman and David Gray in an in-press article in Zootaxa. [The article was published in Zootaxa in December 2019. It's full incorporation is on track to be completed prior to the end of 2020.]
(3) When the transfer of ownership occurs, TJW and/or TMC will remain in their respective roles until OS wishes otherwise.
(4) If TMC resigns as web master, TJW plans to use the endowment funds he has set aside for her support until the end of 2021 to hire a replacement.
Origins of SINA 2019 Update Continuation