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Hi Folks,
Terminology: a "producer" creates and outputs data; a "consumer" inputs
and processes data.
Objective: Below I try to categorize all the *potential* mismatches
between a producer and a consumer, with respect to data.
Question: Are there other categories that I am missing? Do you agree
with my categories?
Category 1: Interpretation Differences
1. Structure mismatch: the producer creates the data with a
certain structure and the consumer expects it in a different
structure.
Example: The producer specifies a date as mm-dd-yy but
the consumer interprets it as mm-dd-yy.
2. Units mismatch: the producer and consumer use different units.
Example: the producer gave the data in inches but the consumer
interprets the data in centimeters.
3. Meaning mismatch: the consumer interprets the data in a different
way than the producer intended.
Example: the consumer interprets an aircraft "departure time" to
mean the time the doors shut, while the producer meant it as the
the time the wheels touch off.
4. Reference system mismatch: the producer and consumer interprets
the data using different reference systems.
Example1: the producer expresses time in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT),
the consumer expects the time in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Example2: the producer provides directions by giving the distance
to the town relative to the center of a known town, while the
consumer interprets the distance relative to the outskirts of
the known town.
Category 2: Terminology Differences
1. Terminology mismatch: the producer and consumer use different
terms to mean the same thing.
Example: the producer uses the term f-stop, while the consumer
knows it as aperture.
Category 3: Knowledge of New Capabilities Differences
1. New type-of: a consumer may not be coded to understand data about
a new class of thing.
Example: a producer outputs data about a new type of Camera,
an Xj3-SLR. The consumer understands Cameras, but not an
Xj3-SLR.
Category 4: Amount of Data Needed Differences
1. Differing expectations of completeness: the producer and consumer
may have different ideas on what constitutes a complete set of
data.
Example: the producer provides the address to the Prudential Tower
in Boston as Prudential Tower, Boston, MA 02215, while the
consumer expects the address to also include the street address.
That's what I have thus far. Anything that you could add would be
appreciated. /Roger
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