Questions and Suggestions to the ongoing discussion

[Peter Dawyndt]

Dear Michael,

> a) Growth of the specimen
> b) Sampling of the specimen
> c) Labeling of the specimen (locality, date, leg, etc.)
> d) Conserving of the specimen
> e) Determination
> f) Digitisation (in house database)
> g) Linking up the information to a database network
> h) Analysis of the linked up specimen information
> i) Revision (loop back to point f))
>
> Where exactly should an artificial GUID be implemented?

First of all, there's something called 'granularity' in the assignment of
unique identifiers, meaning that it is application-dependent and
domain-dependent to determine the first-class objects that will need
unique identification through the assignment of identifiers. Some
application may require more detailed cross-referencing than others.

Secondly, the actual point in time where global unique identifiers come
into play in the workflow you have given above is when there's a need to
move from local scope to global scope. Every data manager assigns
identifiers that are usually only unique withing the scope of his local
database. Safeguarding unicity on in a global namespace needs a common
approach, which is exactly what G in GUID is standing for.

> What is the potential impact on the rest of the productlife-cicle?

Turning human-readable information into information that can be
interpreted (not just reproduced) by machines opens perspectives for data
mining and knowledge discovery in databases to assist in exploring and
further exploiting the reams of information that is generated in the life
science field. The complexity of this fast growing information-jungle
limits the processing capabilities of humans dramatically.

> ad. 2)
>
> Learing a lot of latin names with a meaning is much more easy for
> humans then to learn some obscure artificial codes.
> Just try to rememeber 10 5 digit numbers! And no, not everybody is
> eager to run around on a field trip equiped like
> a high-tech soldier.

GUIDs are not intended to replace the Latin names, but just serve the
purpose of machine identification. Human interpretable information and
machine interpretable information are to parallel worlds that go hand in
hand ever since digitization of information was introduced. Have ISBN
numbers replaced book titles ? Do you look at the binary code of a Word
document if you want to read it ?

Human interpretable information and machine interpretable information are
to parallel worlds that go hand in hand ever since digitization of
information was introduced. Have ISBN numbers replaced book titles ? Do
you look at the binary code of a Word document when reading it ? If your
answer is no to both questions, is the conclusion that there is no need
for ISBN numbers or binary document formats?

Peter


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Dr. Peter Dawyndt
Laboratorium voor Microbiologie
Universiteit Gent
Ledeganckstraat 35
B9000 Gent, Belgie

Tel.: (32)9.264.51.32
Fax.: (32)9.264.50.92
Email: Peter.Dawyndt at UGent.be
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