True. And (generally) to a media specific version.
> Imagine Dave makes a bookmark in an edition of Monkey Training for
> Dummies and exports it. At some point, he buys the new edition; the
> world of monkey training has moved on. He tries to import his bookmark
> from the old edition, but the text he bookmarked is no longer found at
> the same position marker. Or it's no longer in the book at all - he'd
> bookmarked something about whips but more humane methods now prevail.
> What happens then?
Seems right that the bookmark is edition+version specific,
since the page reference (or link target) could change
between the two.
Perhaps the task is to provide a x-ref method of importing
bookmarks (where possible) from edn n to n+1
or media A to media B. Onerous to say the least.
regards
--
Dave Pawson
XSLT XSL-FO FAQ.
Docbook FAQ.
http://www.dpawson.co.uk
When I wrote "editions" I was referring to printings, formats and
publications, i.e. the same book as a paperback, as a hardback, as
published separately by different presses.
An *updated* edition of a book is a different book in this context; a
different format or printing is not. Open Library would give an
updated edition a new work number, so there isn't a problem with the
proposed ID in this context.
In addition, the system should be simple enough that Dave *would* be
able to import his bookmarks where they were still relevant into the
new edition of Monkey Training. Many of them would still be findable.
James
+1. When someone feeds a really silly errata back to the author,
the first they they (should) want to do is update it for other readers.
> In addition to ISBN and Open Library work numbers, should we consider
> the emerging ISTN standard as an identifier? Tracking changes to and
> location in a text in relation to its ISTN seems more logical than
> tracking at an ISBN level, esp when the same text (single ISTN) has
> multiple ISBNs.
Perhaps someone more in the know than I can confirm it, but
AFAIK it is a long process and costs money to get a new ISBN?
Perhaps its day is done and something new is needed.
I'd suggest one form of URI
http://www.w3.org/Addressing/URL/uri-spec.html
Can you point us towards some more information about the ISTN?
James
That makes it sound like burying their heads in the sand?
" dynamic changes in digital content will not meet this criterion."
>
> I believe there are well established systems for identifying updates
> and changes in technical documents (not to mention open source
> software development), perhaps these could be useful for our
> discussion (assuming we are still trying to link to sentence level).
> Numbering systems that look at edition.release.update, that sort of
> thing.
Except that it's any book rather than just technical books surely?
I see this as a far more general problem.
Anyone know the legal position about using the ISBN, then
adding revision data to that?
Without a better option, a formalized extension (ISBN - format - edition - date)
etc might be viable?
_____________
http://ThinkCursor.com
http://RNash.com @R_Nash
Heck of an image that Eoin :-)
I'll try and remember that one.
So for existing works (having an ISBN) such a schema would work?
What's the definition of an aggregation?
A new work or a collection of existing works?
>
> But I don't want to reinvent the ISBN or any other system. I want to
> choose a better one. Arguments *against* using the OpenLibrary ID?
> They have promised support, have backing from the Internet Archive
> for the long term, and are committed to the same principles of
> openness.
For new works, use the OpenLibrary ID?
Retains links to existing works, lets new ones flourish?