Introduction
The Distance Diagnostics through Digital Imaging "system" at The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, allows textural information and descriptive images to be submitted directly from Georgia county Extension offices, for rapid diagnosis by resource professionals at the University. The system utilizes conventional software and hardware which has proven to be effective and reliable. By employing such programs and equipment, expenses for the system were reduced and much development time was saved. Taking advantage of the Internet and the World Wide Web for submission of information and images, vastly improves the convenience of accessing such material as needed by various individuals.

County Equipment and Processes
In County Extension offices, identical Digital Imaging Stations include: 1) a dissecting microscope with a trinocular head; 2) a high-power compound microscope with trinocular head; 3) a video camera adapted to fit the microscope trinocular tubes; 4) a still-image-capture device acquiring images from the video camera; 5) a current-technology desktop computer with large hard disk drive, CD-ROM drive, floppy drive, tape backup drive and high-speed modem; 6) a hand-held electronic digital still camera, which saves images on a computer floppy disk, 7) a conventional lens for the video camera, to use for low-power image capture, 8) a camera tripod for precise focusing of the cameras and 9) a collection of plant disease compendia (specifications, vendors and prices). Comparatively low-power overview images can be captured by the hand-held digital camera, with higher-power and more detailed images provided by the dissecting scope while quite high-power very detailed images are provided by the compound microscope. Images from the hand-held cameras are stored directly on computer disks as they are taken, while images captured from the video camera on either or both microscopes can be stored on the same computer disk when inserted in the computer's floppy drive.

Complete equipment list with specifications.

After all images are collected, county personnel access the Internet and the WWW through their computer modems and an Internet Service Provider. They acquire the Distance Diagnostics information-submission page, where textural information pertinent to evaluation of an Ag problem is entered. Finally, up to five illustrative images can be submitted from the floppy disk on which they have been stored. Upon proper form submission, a sample number is provided for use in subsequent data retrieval. Also, an e-mail notice of sample availability is sent to the appropriate subject-matter specialist faculty.

Additional Features
Additional features now being incorporated into the system include: 1) online procedures for authorizing and updating user access to the system, 2) means to monitor evaluative reply times, 3) evaluation information attached to user-search reply page, 4) built-in e-mail facility for evaluation responses, 5) procedures for diagnosticians to temporarily forward evaluation responsibilities to colleagues when out of the office, 6) diagnosticians accessibility to a log of samples and evaluative responses and 7) the ability to easily "broadcast" e-mail to system users.