[go] partitioning gene association files

[Doug Howe]

Hi Jen,
   Points all well taken!
-Doug

On Wed, 30 Jan 2008, Jennifer Deegan (nee Clark) wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Doug howe wrote:
>
>> If even advanced users who work with GA files can't get past the
>> distinction between IEA and experimental codes, I have to wonder if they
>> are serving any purpose worth their hassle?  By splitting the file we
>> are just shielding users from the complexity of the evidence codes and
>> allowing them to continue to not understand them.
>
>
> Just for context, this question came up because a group of advanced users at 
> a meeting last year specifically asked us to split out electronic annotations 
> and NOT annotations into separate files.
>
> I think that whilst there are advanced users, and we would like to think that 
> they understand our system in all its details, we have to accept that users 
> have a lot to do, and many tight deadlines. If we know that there are 
> difficult things in the files (such as NOT annotations) that might trip 
> people up, then it makes sense that there should be an extra step in 
> downloading these just so that they notice that they are getting something 
> slightly different.
>
> The users often ask me for separation of electronic annotations, because they 
> do not wholely trust these annotations. We may not agree with that 
> assessment, but this lack of trust is common amongst the users, and having 
> the separate files just allows them to play it safe. In some cases it gets 
> them past a barrier to using the GO at all. It also encourages groups to 
> start manual annotation, which has to be a good thing.
>
> Jen
>