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> how to store various types of data so that both it and its associated indexes remain fully accessible and searchable, with a minimum of maintenance, across de

> how to store various types of data so that both it and its associated indexes remain fully accessible and searchable, with a minimum of maintenance, across decades or centuries, even as formats, maintainers, and institutions rise and fall Very nicely written description of something useful. IMO much better than the words on that website. What I don't like about the website is the "jargon". These words are from just the first paragraph: formats protocols modeling synchronizing post-PC objects FUSE Huh? The website text was probably written by an engineer. Reminds me of a great quote: "engineers are all basically high-functioning autistics who have no idea how normal people do stuff" - Cory Doctorow

fredsted 12y ago
What's wrong with those words?
- PhantomGremlin 12y ago
  Believe it or not, words like "objects" and "FUSE" mean nothing to 99% of the world's population. Actually they do have clear meanings, just not the meanings that computer science people assign to them. IMO there's a sine-qua-non that most websites should have, and that unfortunately far too few do have. Well known companies like Apple and Google don't need it, but most others do. It's what people have called an elevator pitch. Here's how Wiki puts it [1]: An elevator pitch, elevator speech, or elevator statement is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a person, profession, product, service, organization or event and its value proposition. That information should be at the top of a website. It's what tells people, immediately, what the product or site does and how it could be useful for them. And, not coincidentally, the words I quoted from Wiki are the totality of the first paragraph for that Wiki entry. Simple, clear, easy to understand. There's nothing wrong with having details on a company's website. But that jargon should not be the totality of the first paragraph on the site. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch
icebraining 12y ago
You're assuming the website is targeted at normal people. Considering the state of the software, I find that a suspicious assumption. Most likely, the jargon is used because the intended audience can understand it.
- PhantomGremlin 12y ago
  You may be right. Maybe its best to only have jargon until the software is ready for prime time. My general counter argument to jargon filled websites is the great ending of Trading Places: What about lunch? The lobster or the cracked crab? What do you think? Can't we have both? Why can't a website have both a clear explanation for normal people, followed by all the jargon necessary for the target audience?

fredsted 12y ago

What's wrong with those words?

PhantomGremlin 12y ago
Believe it or not, words like "objects" and "FUSE" mean nothing to 99% of the world's population. Actually they do have clear meanings, just not the meanings that computer science people assign to them. IMO there's a sine-qua-non that most websites should have, and that unfortunately far too few do have. Well known companies like Apple and Google don't need it, but most others do. It's what people have called an elevator pitch. Here's how Wiki puts it [1]: An elevator pitch, elevator speech, or elevator statement is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a person, profession, product, service, organization or event and its value proposition. That information should be at the top of a website. It's what tells people, immediately, what the product or site does and how it could be useful for them. And, not coincidentally, the words I quoted from Wiki are the totality of the first paragraph for that Wiki entry. Simple, clear, easy to understand. There's nothing wrong with having details on a company's website. But that jargon should not be the totality of the first paragraph on the site. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch

icebraining 12y ago

You're assuming the website is targeted at normal people. Considering the state of the software, I find that a suspicious assumption. Most likely, the jargon is used because the intended audience can understand it.

PhantomGremlin 12y ago
You may be right. Maybe its best to only have jargon until the software is ready for prime time. My general counter argument to jargon filled websites is the great ending of Trading Places: What about lunch? The lobster or the cracked crab? What do you think? Can't we have both? Why can't a website have both a clear explanation for normal people, followed by all the jargon necessary for the target audience?