Comments on V1.1

[Anita Richards]

> >   * re 2: Data Model
> >     this section should begin with a note that the VOTable representation
> >     of a Data Model will be superseded by the work of the IVOA Data Model
> >     group.
>
>   I basically disagree -- I do not see VOTable as a temporary patch
>   until the (necessarily complex) final data model comes up.

I too think that VOTable is here to stay for a decade or so.  The use of
VOTable for metadata is being designed-in to major new instruments e.g.
ALMA, and for the rest of us more modest data providers, not
to mention tool-designers, it has been a major step forwards to get a
large proportion of the community to go over to something as standard and
useful as VOTable.  It may not be perfect but sometimes you ahve to work
with what you ahve got.  The community is no better resourced than we are
on average, probably worse; we should minmise the transoformations we
require.  It is vital that our prototypes can be turned into real global
tools now and incrementally or we will not serve real needs.

I realise that there are things which can only be done using VOTable
alongside clunky fixes, and Tony's viewpoint is that using VOTable cuts us
off from efficient applications of other functionality.  However I think
this is an 80:20 situation and VOTable solves the important 80%...

Maybe this question should be posted to the dm mailing list?  As an
apprentice dm person, I think that we very much need unifying standards
based on real models and I don't see anything which is better than
VOTable, and real data providers certainly can't wait (or be given
excuses to delay).  Using the FITS analogy, for a long time FITS was
nearly standard but people used the lack of formal agreement (now reached)
to produce all kinds of abominations which ignorred the keywords which
already did have general consensus.  If we start dissing VOTable the
practical consequence will be more sloppy metadata, not better, in the
life-times of most of our projects.  But am I just a paranoid
conservative?

cheers
a

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dr. Anita M. S. Richards, AVO Astronomer
MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, University of Manchester,
Jodrell Bank Observatory, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9DL, U.K.
tel +44 (0)1477 572683 (direct); 571321 (switchboard); 571618 (fax).