Since
the EXPLORER computer issue last year, several Internet-based services
to AAPG members have been introduced.
For example,
online registration
became a reality in time for last month's AAPG's annual meeting.
Over 60 percent of those pre-registered for Salt Lake City did so
online.
Online
registration is also available for this fall's international AAPG
conference in Barcelona, Spain.
Online
registration will soon be available for AAPG courses and field trips.
Doing
Business Online
At the
beginning of 2003, members were enabled to pay
their dues over the Internet. All you need is your member number
and you can check the status of your dues.
Want to
upgrade your membership by joining a division? You still need to
make an application to that division — but once you've completed
that process you can renew your membership through the online dues
payment system.
Recording
an address change is now easier as well with the change
of address form that goes directly to the membership department.
In an effort
to stay current with our membership we are enlisting your help.
New to the Members
Only area is the AAPG Lost Members List. This is a list of members
whose contact information has changed and with whom AAPG is no longer
able to correspond. Check it out and help us find your friends.
Training
and Learning Online
Online
training has evolved from self-paced interactive online learning
short courses to a full-length online course taught by Roger Slatt
from the University of Oklahoma.
This 15-week
course, "Reservoir Characterization for Geologists," was attended
electronically by eight students from Dallas and Houston to the
U.K., Norway and Argentina.
The global
sessions included weekly lectures and exercises. Slatt used e-mail
to grade the lessons, and utilized a chat room as needed to enhance
the training.
The course
will be offered again in the fall.
Enhanced
Research Online
Last June,
AAPG leadership opened up the BULLETIN
Archives as a benefit for being a member — but the $99-per-year
subscription for members was done away with, and AAPG membership
embraced the opening of the BULLETIN Search area. The first BULLETIN
was printed in 1917 and now all members of AAPG are able to search
86 years worth of this quality data for free, at any time.
(Registration
is required for access, and that's it. Simply contact [email protected],
and you'll receive instructions on how to log in to the archives.)
Through
WINDS
Technical Publications, more than 360,000 published pages also
are available to AAPG membership for search and retrieval. It began
with AAPG publications and now includes the GCAGS Transactions,
SEPM's Journal of Sedimentary Research, Journal of Petroleum Geology
and all publications of the New Orleans and East Texas geological
societies. Also added recently are the Petroleum Abstracts of the
University of Tulsa.
Soon to
be added are publications of the Lafayette, Houston, Ardmore, Panhandle
(Amarillo), Oklahoma City and Tulsa geological societies, plus the
Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin.
Users of
WINDS
are free to search and then will only pay for abstracts or papers
they wish to download.
Thanks
to the efforts of AAPG/Datapages and its corporate sponsors, the
growth of this wealth of data has been tremendous. The ultimate
goal is to include publications of all AAPG affiliated societies.
Search
and Discovery, AAPG's online journal, continues to add to its offerings
every day. Included here, in addition to articles of interest taken
from various publications, are poster sessions, abstracts and papers
given in oral sessions and other venues.
When you
visit, be sure to click on "New Articles" to preview the most recent
additions.
What
Else? Online
Did you
know the House
of Delegates publishes a quarterly newsletter? The
Delegate's Voice is now posted online.
Also, the
Divison of Professional Affairs makes available its newsletter,
The Correlator,
every issue.
Several
surveys were made this year through the Internet. These included:
- An
education survey focused on courses and their relativity.
- An
all-member survey, which evaluated services and benefits of AAPG.
- DPA
checked in with a survey asking their membership to weigh in on
electronic balloting.
As we look
to the future, plans are aggressive and far-sighted regarding online
access. These include:
-
Applying for membership in AAPG.
- Voting
for AAPG officers is being considered by the House of Delegates.
If approved, you'd be able to cast your votes electronically.
- A
Virtual Student Expo would help students launch their careers.
- A
Member Registry will help independents get the word out about
skills they have to offer the public.
- Faster
download for the AAPG home page with an upgraded design.
- Online
registration will become more refined to include exhibit booth
sign-up.
- Research
will be enhanced throughout the GIS-UDRIL project.
- Online
prospect rooms for use at APPEX.
- Data
and more data added to AAPG/Datapages.
Have you
begun to explore all the online services and benefits that are one
click away on the World Wide Web? With all that is there, and all
that is to come, why not start
today?
Good browsing!