Re: [ARSCLIST] discographies

["Steven C. Barr" <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Fitzgerald" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> As for Steven Barr's suggestion, he kindly allowed me a look at his 
> database and again, it is unsuitable for the work that I do - and I 
> don't mean to suggest that my work is any kind of high and mighty 
> specialized stuff - but it's specifically based on how jazz 
> discography has developed over 70-some years (see Delaunay, Rust, 
> Godrich & Dixon & Rye, Jepsen, Raben, Bruyninckx, Ruppli, and Wild, 
> Weiler, Sheridan, Fujioka, Young, and other specialists). And I do 
> not see consideration for that in either the ARSC or Barr formats.
> 
> Apparently those other formats are absolutely wonderful for other 
> people in other areas, but having done intensive study in the jazz 
> field, they aren't appropriate in this area.
> 
> I completely agree with Steven Barr regarding corrections. A 
> "knowledgeable human" must be involved - actively involved.
> 
Note that my database is intended for cataloguing, not
discography (although it does include a fair amount of discographic
data). Again, the information tracked in cataloguing is different
from that tracked in discography...primarily because a catalog
refers to one single example of a phonorecord, while discography
refers to all (or in some cases a subset of "all") examples of
a phonorecord. There are, admittedly, differences in the data
requirements for different music genres (which is one reason
why a complete classical discography doesn't exist!).

Also, there are at least three reasons why additions and
changes must be human-edited (it wouldn't be possible to do
it totally digitally!).

1) Any database exposed to public input will inevitably
attract the attention of "digital vandals" who will add
blatantly false, often obscene, data...or delete correct
data...just for whatever perverted pleasure they get from
such (mis)deeds1

2) There are also any number of people who are convinced
of "facts" that have no basis in reality...often because
they ran across it in a source they assumed to be reliable.

3) Finally, discography has historically been beset with
arguments and controversies (i.e. whether a given solo
was, or wasn't, BG or Bix!). If nothing else, we need
to avoid fisticuffs!

...stevenc
http://users.interlinks.net/stevenc/