FossilBase.org is set up to be an open association. The knowledge present in the database is offered to the World Wide Community for free and in principle, everyone with paleontological knowledge, who supports our objectives, can become a member after registration. But…, like in all associations, there is a certain differentiation between the individual members. This differentiation is connected with the set-up of the database and its (content)management. There is something like a 'board of control'. It's members are the original developers of FossilBase. Two of them have the status of 'admin'. The main task they gave to themselves is to protect and maintain the quality of the database and the philosophy behind it. They also can (or order to) redesign the database, the web site etc. They are (in alphabetical order)
| Paul Floor. | Content admin. He took the initiative to develop FossilBase and came with the original idea. He studied and teaches Science and Geography and is an amateur palaeontologist. |
| Willem Janke. | Did, while graduating as an ICT student most of the initial website design and database programming. Works at this moment as a PHP programmer. |
| Michaël Jongman. | Software admin. Continued the programming after Willem Janke graduated and de facto 'finished' the job. Michaël is in the last year of his ICT study at this moment.(spring 2007). |
| Nico Janssen | Paleontologist and Belemnite Admin. Advised about the database terminology and content. |
| Jacob Leloux. | Advised and assisted with the development of the database structure. Works at Naturalis, the largest Dutch Museum of Natural History. |
There is also a 'board of experts' or 'group admins'. They have paleontological knowledge and have been involved in (re)designing the tables in the database. They are also guarding the quality of the contents of the tables and have certain rights to manage them. If they observe abuse by a member they can remove the abuse from the database and advise the board of control or administrator to withdraw the rights of this member. At this moment the group admins are all member of the board of control. To our opinion this is a far from ideal situation and we are looking foreward to the moment when others will volunteer to take our seats. The present members of the board of experts are:
| Paul Floor | Brachiopods |
| Paul Floor | Ammonites |
| Nico Janssen | Belemnites |
And then there are the members. Although mentioned last, they are in fact the most important people in our association, they are the source of the knowledge present in the database. Members have the right to import records and to update and delete the records previously added by themselves. They are also responsible for these records. The name and the e-mail address of a member is visible with every record he has added to the database. So, although they are not named individually here as a team member, they are not anonymous. Due to the character of a database and because of the necessity to manage it and to guard the quality and consistency of its content we can't be a real democracy. But our intention is to operate in a fairly democratic way and we will handle the wishes and observations of everyone involved and dedicated to FossilBase very prudent and seriously.
