Each time I get my computer programs running again at full speed the USGS decides to change the format of the earthquaek data lines that my programs automatically read and decipher.

At least they kept the same address!

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/search/

When I last visited that page and asked for data the program returned a nice page filled with spaced earthquake archive data.

Now you have to determine how to make the correct selections and click on the SUBMIT button.

To confuse things even more, the output options available on the page change if you reload the page!

With the first load it defaults to a CVS comma separated value output. With the second it defaults to a MAP PLUS DATA output.

Only the fields that need to be changed have to have any data added. Otherwise it defaults to the expected values such as probably 10.0 for highest magnitude and 90 –90 and 180 –180 for the latitude and longitude values.

Then there is a nice surprise waiting for everyone.

When you hit the SUBMIT button for CVS output the Web page then asks you what program you want to use to display the data. I chose WordPad and then the data finally displayed.

Now it is going to be necessary to teach my data reading program how to decode CVS data instead of data that are separated by spaces. Actually, it is easier to decode the CVS format because they kept putting TABS in the earlier data. And that confused my programs. It had trouble telling if they were spaces or TABS.

One added feature that might get Roger upset is that the new data lines that are created contain a country name at the end of the line. He had gone through a certain amount of trouble to create a True Basic program that could do that. However, part of his latest program should still be helpful.

With one of my projects I am planning to try to get the USGS to have an input where you simply enter the data and output format that you want on the address line. A computer program can do that easily. Then all of those data and many other types of data could be easily and automatically displayed.

These are personal opinions.