Some details about it's design and uses:

• The database is in mysql and access to modify the data with an administrative program called phpmyadmin is behind a firewall and can’t be seen from the outside. Hackers try hourly to exploit phpmyadmin, to gain root access to the webserver, so I have cut off outside access to it.
• A database editor can be created so you can have outside access to modify the data. If you need additional fields added to the schema that you want to track, let me know and I can add it.
• Most access to it’s data is from a php program called roster.php
• Our website contact link is a read-only access to the roster.php program: http://www.41point5.org/roster.php?cmd=byLot
• The interactive roster map is generated from the database with this program: http://www.41point5.org/rosterMap.php
• The mailing service we use is Mailchimp which uses it’s own database
• The mailchimp database is synchronized with our database before each mass emailing using a programming API called Mcapi
• The mailing labels for our snail-mail of annual dues is done from this database, using the roster.php program
• Schema for the database has more fields than what we show on the website. Some fields are left overs (Gnum, Gleader) from the original spreadsheet I got from the former president and are not used or updated. Some fields on our website listing are generated from the Parcel field, such as links to King County’s parcel viewer.
• Annually, a confidence test program is run to compare King County’s database to ours, listing new owners. Unfortunately, King County’s records are not always updated for some time after a purchase is made. Some entries in their database are incorrect. Lot 74 is an example, which has never has been updated with Jonathan and Melanie Olson as the current owners on their main page of the parcel viewer. It does show the sale to them on Property Detail page. Probably a case of one database not talking to another.

We use this database for a lot of things, so it’s data integrity is important. This database should be considered our “data authority”, meaning that all other versions (like a spreadsheet) should be considered “read-only” copies.

To keep this database up-to-date, we have two options:
1) When someone obtains updated contact information, it needs to be sent it to Bruce so he can update the database. The annual dues mailing might capture some of the new owner information, and should be used to update the contact database.
2) A database editor can be created so Board members can have outside access to modify the data. Additional fields can added to the schema if there are other things to track, such as annual payment. The database editor will be placed behind a website password, so that no one can see it except those people with the password.

Current Schema: