This is a bit long, since I've pasted two examples into the message. I
tried, however, to put the answers up front.
You asked:
On Tue, 3 Nov 1998, Michele Gale-Sinex/CIAS, UW-Madison wrote:
> Howdy, all--
>
> A query for Andy Clark regarding how the SANET-mg archives search
> engine works.
>
> Andy, you shared a search strategy, and it left me with this
> question: does the search engine grep for the search string just in
> the subject line of the archived SANET messages? or in their body
> text as well?
I wasn't sure myself, but went back to check some of the hits you
mention, and found that the search is on full text. Often, the messages
you hit are just before or just after a *good* hit, so you'll see:
Previous message: Libby J. Goldstein: "Re: Avg. Distance Food Travels"
I've thought we should try to change this... were it a more serious
problem we might try, but you can always just click on that previous
message and then you turn a bad hit into a good hit.
More below:
>
> For instance, you searched using the string:
>
> food travels
>
> I notice that this string isn't in all of the subject lines for the
> resulting messages, though. Does that mean that the search engine
> "guessed" that they were related? Or found hits on that string in
> the message?
Talk about guessing, one of the hits was for a subject *biofuels*. Did
the big computer at NCSU guess that there was a relationship? As much as
technology has advanced, I'm afraid not. However, looking closely at the
full text of this e-mail message, you'd have to wonder (!):
________________
biofuels
A.Harris@mirinz.org.nz
Wed, 21 Feb 1996 08:18 +1200
Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
Next message: HillNet: "Energy, Water"
Previous message: Libby J. Goldstein: "Re: Avg. Distance Food
Travels"
Next in thread: D. Eric Hanson: "Re: biofuels"
An interesting debate. From a New Zealand perspective, and as a part
time beekeeper myself, one of the obvious regenerative sources of
ethanol is honey. In NZ whenever I drive the State Highway at this
time of the year I am staggered at the extent of nectar plants
(primarily dandelion allies and clover) growing on the road verge. i
have yet to do any sums but my guess is that the honey potential is
staggering. A truly renewable source too.
Any comments?
Next message: HillNet: "Energy, Water"
Previous message: Libby J. Goldstein: "Re: Avg. Distance Food
Travels"
Next in thread: D. Eric Hanson: "Re: biofuels"
____________________________________________
Andy: While it is tempting to think that the hits were on the words
road, highway, energy, ethanol, renewable, biofuels (!!), the search engine
really found the references to the previous message about how far food
travels. I'll paste below one more message from 1993, showing the
full-text searching and also pointing to someone who may have published
something on this topic by now.
>
> Thanks, all. And Andy, who many of you don't know, but if you did,
> you'd join his cult, because he's an awesome behind-the-scenes worker
> for SAN and SARE.
Thanks, Michele, for the too-kind words.
Here's another *bad* hit turned good:
______________
Energy Use in Agriculture?
Lelani Arris (larris@igc.apc.org)
Mon, 13 Dec 1993 18:35:54 -0800
Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
Next message: Miller B McDonald: "signoff sanet-mg"
Previous message: Pesticide Action Network North America Reg Ctr:
"PANUPS:
Philippine Pesticide Ban"
Hi -
I am writing an article about the energy inputs to conventional
versus sustainable agriculture, and am looking for good sources of
information, particularly any I can access electronically or
via phone, as I am far from any library.
I am particularly interested in the energy inputs for such things as
fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide production as well as on-farm
irrigation and equipment use, and how these energy inputs are reduced
or increased by sustainable agriculture practices.
For a related sidebar on "eating locally", I am looking for data on
how much energy is involved in the transportation and packaging of
food from producer to consumer. Even figures such as how far our
food travels on average before it reaches us, and what proportion
of the weight of food we buy is actually packaging, and so on, would
be of interest here.
For all of this, I am particularly interested in figures for North
America, but welcome info from all over.
Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
Regards -
Lelani
******************************************************************
Lelani Arris * Project Director
EcoNet: larris * GAIN Sustainable Transport
Internet/Fidonet: larris@igc.apc.org * & Energy Project (STEP)
BITNET: larris%igc.org@stanford * Box 42
Telephone: 604-968-4380 * Dunster, BC V0J 1J0
Fax: 604-968-4390 * Canada
******************************************************************
Next message: Miller B McDonald: "signoff sanet-mg"
Previous message: Pesticide Action Network North America Reg Ctr:
"PANUPS:
Philippine Pesticide Ban"
______________
Andy: Try searching the archives... you'll be amazed at what has been
discussed here since 1991.
Speaking of traveling, I'm off to the Small Farm Trade Show in Columbia,
MO. Stop by the Sustainable Agriculture Network booth (#41) and say HI!
Andy
Andy Clark, Ph.D.
SAN Coordinator
c/o AFSIC, Room 304
National Agricultural Library
10301 Baltimore Ave.
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
PH: 301-504-6425
FAX: 301-504-6409
san@nal.usda.gov
http://www.sare.org
>
> :^)
>
> peace
> misha
>
>
> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
> Michele Gale-Sinex, communications manager
> Center for Integrated Ag Systems
> UW-Madison College of Ag and Life Sciences
> Voice: (608) 262-8018 FAX: (608) 265-3020
> http://www.wisc.edu/cias/
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> Pressure? Pressure was when I was a shoeshine boy
> trying to make it to America. --Sammy Sosa
>
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