[go] partitioning gene association files

[Jennifer Deegan (nee Clark)]

Hi Doug,

Thanks, I'm glad you don't mind the realist view. :-)

Jen

Doug Howe wrote:

> 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
>>

-- 
Jennifer Deegan (nee Clark)
EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute
Gene Ontology Consortium