[Developers] What is a topic?

[Robert Cook]

I've been thinking about this in general for all products.  The  
computer type, for instance, has a manufacturer property, but most  
consumers are concerned with brand (which we currently don't have).   
Apple, for instance, doesn't manufacture its computers. It might be  
useful information if the computer had separate properties for brand  
and manufacturer, so that people could see what company actually  
manufactures the MacBook Pro.

Likewise, for computer games, a publisher can be distinct from a  
brand.  Having come from that world, I know that Broderbund had both  
in-house brands, such as Red Orb, and affiliated labels, which were  
out-of-house development and marketing groups whose physical products  
were built and distributed by Broderbund, the publisher.

I'd be willing to add brand (or label) to Computer game if that makes  
sense to you.

Now that I've responded in such detail, let me ask this:  If you  
think that data-related discussions should be on a separate list,  
please email me privately.  If it seems there is enough critical  
mass, we'll split off the new mailing list.

R

On Sep 13, 2007, at 7:35 AM, Kirrily Robert wrote:

> On 9/14/07, Philip Kendall <philip-freebase at shadowmagic.org.uk> wrote:
>
>> To take the specific example I'm thinking of:
>>
>> Telcomsoft <http://www.freebase.com/view/telecomsoft> were a  
>> publisher
>> of computer games back in the 8-bit era. However, they didn't  
>> actually
>> publish under the Telecomsoft name, but under the Firebird and
>> Rainbird[1] names. Certainly the "Firebird" and "Rainbird" names  
>> would
>> be much more recognizable to fans of the era than the Telecomsoft  
>> name
>> itself.
>>
>> [1] http://www.freebase.com/view/%239202a8c04000641f8000000004f36818
>>
>> How many topics "should" we have here? One for the company which
>> includes all the games published by its labels? One for the  
>> company and
>> one for each of the labels? Something else?
>
> To me, this sounds like 3 topics.  One software house, two
> labels/brands.  You'd have types like "company" which has many
> "brands" and there'd be some kind of link between them.  It's a common
> enough pattern that it should be modelled for lots of other companies
> apart from this example.  For example, there are a number of huge
> US-based food companies who are mostly known by the names of their
> product lines.  Or -- if I've got this right, which I might not have
> -- consider Saturn which is Toyota under another label.
>
> K.
>
> -- 
> Kirrily Robert
> skud at infotrope.net
> http://infotrope.net
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