1. The "Link of the Day" site gives a botanical reference and review of the newest material that I have entered. These reviews are incorporated into monthly files at the end of each month. All references before the end of the month accumulate on the home page and I sometimes overlap a few entries from the last month when I fall behind in my daily postings.

2. The "Subject Index" is a catalog of all of the sites that have been featured with a short description of the site, a direct link to the site and a review of the site linked by this graphic (). If that link failed in my monthly checking of the links, the following symbol will be shown instead (). The last time I checked links was 1 June 1999 (Links checked: 2282) using CyberSpyder's Link Test.

How to Use the Link of the Day

The current day's link is at the top of the page under the "Today" heading. Each previous link follows in sequence from newest to oldest. Links will remain at least until the end of the month, when they are moved to a monthly archive file that can be linked from the bottom of the Link of the Day page. To nominate a site, use the nomination form or email me (srussell@ou.edu).

How to Use the Subject Index

The subject index is a hierarchical listing of sites by topic. The topics are selected as being suitable key words. The best way to find a site or a topic is to call up the subject index on to your browser screen and then to use the "Find" button on your browser. Enter the topic that you would like to research, press the "Find Next" button (or whatever your browser calls the search button) and you should find at least one or two matches, if I have covered that area. If I haven't, you might send me an email (srussell@ou.edu). To be sure that you have not missed a topic, you should check the most current entries. I usually do not update the subject index for as much as a month.

If You Can't Find What You Are Looking For ...

Can I Get Home Delivery?

Yes. This is sent by listserv every morning (or so). For full information, please visit the Home Delivery FAQ.

Future Plans

Each month, I add about 21 new links (the number of weekdays in an average month). I want to continue to emphasize this, but I also may have five or ten featured sites or a featured topic section in the future. This would allow revisiting some of the nicest sites, without diluting the growth of the site. When I get busy, the links do fall behind and I try my best to catch up. I am doing a lot more service activities all the time.

Bad Links?

I check links for activity using a link-checking program, but I do not do it frequently enough. The program does not tell me about forwarded sites, except if they have automated links to new sites. If you notice that an address is wrong in the subject index and you want to help me correct it, send me an email. If you have any additional ideas or want to express your opinion, please email me.

Who Am I?

My professional appointment is as a Professor of Botany in the Department of Botany and Microbiology of the University of Oklahoma at Norman. My research continues to be in the area of sexual plant reproduction. A faculty Web page outlines my current research interests and publications. The courses that I commonly teach at OU are beginning botany, plant anatomy, morphology of vascular plants and transmission electron microscopy. (Past courses include cell biology, histochemistry & cytochemistry, plant microtechnique, graphics for biological presentations, freeze-fracture and scanning electron microscopy.) In an administrative capacity, I am the Director of the University's Samuel Roberts Noble Electron Microscopy Lab.

Beta Testers

I would like to sincerely thank Dr. John Skvarla and Dr. Len Beevers, both of the Department of Botany and Microbiology of the University of Oklahoma, for letting me know when links are not working right, and when I have committed a grammatical gaffe. They were my de facto beta testers, particularly during the genesis of this site, and I wish to publically thank them for their help. Thanks! Thanks also to the continuing contributors who have helped over the years, particularly Leigh Fulghum, who really helped me to build this site and who took over during my 1997-98 sabbatical, and to Jim Reveal, Karen Watterson and Pat Cullinan, Jr. (most recently!) for regularly sending links from time to time. Thanks again! -SR

This Site is Best Viewed Using:

... any modern browser that uses a conventional implementation of Javascript. You know who these browsers are, I suspect.

Site Archaelology:

The most distant history of this site is available through the oldest page, the February 1996 links. I have also archived retro versions of the old ...About and FAQ pages. Leigh hosts a retro version of SBLD from her time as guest host at her remote site. Here is an archived version of the December 1, 1998 version of the page from Archive.Org's Wayback Machine.

About the Background on the Home Page

Current bkg

Previous bkg

Darker version

A contender

Another try

Older background

The background I used for the "Link-of-the-Day" home page (left) is a fractal image generated using Kai's Power Tools. I selected this image for a change. The old background was selected because it resembles the aligned stomates of many grass leaves. The alternative backgrounds obviously need to be lighted or the font colors altered to use them! If you have some interesting botanical backgrounds that I could use, please email me.

This service is organized by Scott Russell through the Department of Botany and Microbiology of the University of Oklahoma. I can be reached by email at (srussell@ou.edu).

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