From: Dave Coder (dave@nucleus.immunol.washington.edu)
Date: Wed Jul 28 1993 - 12:22:13 EST
I have a fairly good synoptic collection of data files composed of FCS formats (at last count about 30-odd variants), proprietary formats, etc. of list mode and histogram data. Many of the previous problems in reading data will disappear when everyone writing data files adheres to the standard described in FCS 2.0. Despite this panglossian musing, all the legacy data from previous years will be around to cause problems and it should be useful to have some reference material for verification. As noted by previous posters, data files are one issue. Verified analysis of the data is another.This means both statistical analysis (do you get the same numbers as I do?), and more fundamentally, does your picture look like the "real" one? Gross problems such as byte order are quickly identified, but things like axis reversals on 2-parameter histogram files may not be apparent. Reference pictures (device-independent PostScript or HP PCL files should have broad usability) would solve this problem. So the data collection begins to sound like the standard zoological museum or herbarium: Type specimens are stored with complete taxonomic descriptions, illustrations of important features, and verification data by the collector/depositor. For future taxonomic work, such reference collections provide specimen data traceable to THE standard.[Just where in France is the meter bar these days?] Of course the collection should be available over the Internet by anonymous ftp. This will require some (not much) disk space, a quick, multiuser computer with a reliable Internet connection, and somebody to maintain the collection. Once the archive is assembled, the time commitment of the Curator should not be large. For those not yet with access to the Internet, the cost of making hardcopy (disk and/or prints) may be prohibitive in the absence of a person whose time is partially dedicated to the task. The collection of data, provision of illustration files, verification, and the writing of documentation and user notes, will take time and effort. I'd be willing make a contribution. Overall, it's probably an essential archive if a degree of commonality of data exchange is to be attained. Dave Coder University of Washington Internet: dcoder@u.washington.edu tel. 206-685-3014 fax. 206-543-3480 And remember, the nice thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from.
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