[fitsbits] the IAU Data Representation Working Group

[Lucio Chiappetti]

This message is addressed particularly to the FITSBITS subscribers who are 
members of the IAU (but also to those with specifical technical 
competences which might become *associate* to the IAU).

Its purpose is to explain the rationale of the new IAU Data Representation 
Working Group (DRWG for short), to solicit candidatures for it, and to 
collect ideas. Please spread the news (e.g. forwarding this message).

On Thu, 8 Sep 2016, Lucio Chiappetti wrote:

> I plan to distribute to FITSBITS soon a draft document about this new IAU 
> working group which should incorporate the current FITS WG. The announcement 
> should be spread also to other forums of potentially interested people 
> (ideally IAU members).

Here is the current draft
http://sax.iasf-milano.inaf.it/~lucio/FITS/DRWG/drwg-proposal.pdf

The basic idea is that the DRWG should consist of two tiers. The outer 
tier will not be unlike FITSBITS (but usually restricted to IAU members), 
a general discussion forum.  If you want to be a member, or know somebody 
who is interested, please spread the news.

The inner tier could be composed by a number of "Special Expert Groups" 
(SEGs) with limited membership (in numbers), with a specific task (and 
duration).

One of these "Special Expert Groups" will be dedicated to FITS. It will 
include the current members of the IAU FITS WG who are not resigning and 
some new members (membership is being rearranged autonomously). It will 
continue the current "curation" of the FITS format standard with the rules 
of the IAU FITS WG or whatever rules the members may autonomously make 
them evolve into.

Other "Special Expert Groups" might be dedicated to the curation of the 
astronomical standard of other data formats. If anybody wants to suggest 
one, or knows of a community who does, please speak up and/or inform them, 
asking to show up here on FITSBITS (for the time being) or to me.

Other "Special Expert Groups" might address specific tasks. Cases which 
have been mentioned are a "next generation data format SEG", a "data 
provenance SEG" and an "Event stream SEG". Please feel free to propose 
other tasks, or to express your statement of interest in them.

For more details and possibilities see the draft document.

Feel free to spread the news, express (here or to me) your generic or 
specific interest, and make any practical suggestion (including the best 
way to arrange communications within the group, which, once established, 
should move off FITSBITS).

Please read the draft and be reactive

-- 
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Lucio Chiappetti - INAF/IASF - via Bassini 15 - I-20133 Milano (Italy)
For more info : http://www.iasf-milano.inaf.it/~lucio/personal.html
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