[Data-modeling] Upcoming schema changes

[Michael Scott]

originator

On 4 Mar 2008, at 00:02, Jeff Prucher wrote:

> It just occurred to me that part of the issue here might be due to the
> ambiguity of the term "editor". The "book editor" type, and  
> corresponding
> "editor" property on the book type that I want to eliminate/merge with
> "author" is meant to refer to editors of anthologies, collections,  
> reference
> works, and other similar collaborative efforts. It is not meant to  
> refer to
> the acquiring editor of a book (which would really have to be  
> modeled at the
> book edition level, anyway, since they're tied to a publisher).
>
> I'd like to move forward with this change, so I'd like to hear if  
> anyone has
> any responses to my suggestion to name the basic type  
> "author" (rather than
> writer), or any other suggestions for what to call it.
>
> Thanks,
> Jeff Prucher
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: data-modeling-bounces at freebase.com
>> [mailto:data-modeling-bounces at freebase.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Prucher
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 11:16 AM
>> To: 'Freebase data modeling mailing list'
>> Subject: Re: [Data-modeling] Upcoming schema changes
>>
>> Part of the impetus to merge the author and editor types is
>> that most data sources for bibliographic information don't
>> distinguish between author and editor at the property level,
>> although some make the distinction with a sub-field or
>> additional code. Anthologies aren't written, but they can
>> usually be found by querying the compiling editors' names
>> against the author (or equivalent) field in, say, a card
>> catalog or online bookstore. So when we import data from
>> other sources, and we plan to import quite a lot, we start to
>> run into trouble if we have to make a decision about whether
>> to stick the creator in the "author" or "editor" field (under
>> the old schema) if our data source does not make that
>> distinction. Whereas, by combining them, we can at least
>> assert their "authorship" (or whatever term we decide on),
>> and can omit the specific role (author, editor, etc.) in
>> cases where it's ambiguous or unknown.
>>
>> I wonder if the name "author" might be better than "writer"
>> for the general type, since people seem pretty used to
>> conflating the notions of author and editor already -- not in
>> terms of the actual roles involved in producing a written or
>> published work, but in how they think about finding such a work.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: data-modeling-bounces at freebase.com
>>> [mailto:data-modeling-bounces at freebase.com] On Behalf Of Micah Saul
>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:58 PM
>>> To: Freebase data modeling mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [Data-modeling] Upcoming schema changes
>>>
>>> I agree completely with these remarks.
>>>
>>> Writer = poet, author, essayist, etc.
>>> Writer != editor
>>>
>>> I admit I have not looked at the publishing domain at all, so this
>>> question may be obvious, but what do we gain by making
>> these changes?
>>> How redundant are the properties of, say, "author" and "editor"?
>>>
>>> On Feb 26, 2008, at 4:41 PM, Tom Morris wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 10:17 PM, Bryan Cheung
>>>> <bryan.cheung at metaweb.com
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> The type "writer" will replace the
>>>>> types "author," "editor," "poet," "reviewer," and "interviewer";
>>>>
>>>> I'd be willing accept that a "poet" and an "author" are
>>> both examples
>>>> of a "writer," but an "editor" is a different beast
>> altogether.  If
>>>> you really want a term that will cover all of these roles,
>>> it needs to
>>>> be something more generic like "contributor." Of course, the more
>>>> generic you make it, the less useful it becomes (not just
>> the name,
>>>> but the number of roles it covers).
>>>>
>>>> Tom
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