FAQ

Revision as of 08:34, 29 October 2012

Here are some answers to either frequently asked questions or to important aspects of this project; the ground rules.

What is the purpose of this Wiki and this project?

What IS a file format, anyway?

That is an excellent, excellent question.

For the purposes of this Wiki, a file format is the description of any self-contained information. While some formats are self-evident, many are more obscure references to pre-known information, or collections of bytes and items that can be misleading or hard to decipher. File formats can also be embedded in each other - on this wiki, each format gets its own entry. For example, a JPG image file might be on a FAT filesystem on a Floppy Disk. All of these get individual entries.

Some of these classifications (Organic, for example) are strange. Who'd want that?

Part of the goals of this project are to extend out past the more limited realms of similar projects. Because of funding, direction, and preference, the multiple other sites are usually focused on a sub-set of all potential file formats, because who'd have time to deal with them? If this project gains more and more contributors, then there's not much more effort required to go after items on the fuzzy lines of what constitutes file formats. Or, for that matter, discern the reason they're file formats. So we have many items like DNA and Piano Rolls that can also be included and worked on. Priority-wise, however, it's probably best to stick with electronic file forms, especially ones lacking any links or documentation - they could really use your efforts.

Why is it public domain?

Making the information here public domain provides the most flexibility for institutions and individuals who want to benefit from the project down the line. With no official license for the main site, the efforts can be re-absorbed into a mass of other projects without needless negotiations over "licenses" and "rights" and provenance. The one large advantage with declaring this work public domain is that in countries where Public Domain doesn't necessarily work or flow, the information can be re-licensed into more restrictive or compatible containers to go with those efforts. For example, you can take this work and license it CC0, the Creative Commons public domain, and use it that way.

As a result, please refrain from copy-pasting prose and paragraphs from other sources that are not public domain. (For example, Wikipedia. Sketch out a differently-written summary of the information, and then link to the original information you're interested in having included. People who find compatibility with rewriting extant material can therefore take these links and create a new work for the Just Solve wiki. Duplicating lists and names of formats is OK - make use of the work of others to track down lists of obscure file types to include in this wiki.

What happens in the event of disagreement and conflict?

Please try and work together as best you can - the goal of this project is to absorb an enormous amount of information and arguing about a point of order doesn't help anyone. Unlike Wikipedia's need for a distinct voice, there is nothing stopping people from making a second paragraph set to explain an alternate overview of a format, or to add a set of other links that the entry didn't have before. It's understandable we're going to have issues about arrangement of materials, like whether a certain format is a "written" or "text" format. It's more important to get the existence of that format in, because the use of Categories and links as we best put them together will make sure the effort is not wasted.

In cases where an impasse is reached, Jason Scott will serve as editor. In the event Jason Scott appears to be unreasonable, a separate discussion can ensue on the talk page. The goal, again, is to get the information in, past prettiness, preciousness and perfection. Cleaning is a much easier process than acquiring and enumerating at this stage.

How can I help? I don't like to ______ and everyone seems to have that under control anyway.