Re: how to write services

[indieterminacy]

Hi Maxime,

On 18-06-2022 14:23, Maxime Devos wrote:
> indieterminacy schreef op za 18-06-2022 om 13:53 [+0200]:
> > Additionally, based upon a decent demonstration on LMDB, I realised 
> > that
> > my annotation system makes it more feasible to adapt documents into 
> > LDIF
> > database-like-files (is that the correct terminology Maxime?) -
> > potentially turning each document into an LDAP ready database.
>
> If your asking me, I don't know.  What's LDAP doing here?  Isn't LDAP
> about authenticating users, which doesn't seem relevant to the
> documentation effort?  If this is about databases: is the exact
> database format relevant, or would any do -- e.g., Guix uses SQLite in
> some places, will SQLite do?

The prod was a little tongue in cheek, more of a nod to the thread 
discussing file-like aspects of computing.

I have no focus on LDAP nor authentification per se (though my own 
annotations would be able to map some of the parameters.

My understanding is that LDIF can hold keys and values and as such is 
capable of representing concepts (or at least pointing to them).
As such I fancy a good 'ol hack.

In any case I shall be experimenting and breaking things and I should be 
treated at this point as speculating.

I have no desire for substituting existing Guix databases - though I 
would contend that knowledge-management has different requirements and 
needs than system-maangement or coding. As such different toiling and 
tooling is advisable.

> And the text above seems about databases and RDF, but there appear to
> be missing some things:
>
>   * what's the RDF and database for?  As I understand it, it's for
>     something about documentation and terminology, but currently it's
>     super vague.
>
>   * what stuff goes in the RDF and database, and what documents are you
>     speaking of?  The Guix manual?  All the package definitions, to use
>     them as examples?  The mails in the ML?  Manually written things?
>     Likewise, how is this database written or generated?
>
>   * How will this RDF be used?  I mean, RDF can be flexible (see e.g.
>     Wikidata), but someone has to actually write some applications that
>     make use of the information, otherwise the fancy RDF is useless.
>
>   * How is the RDF an improvement on the TeXinfo documentation?
>     I guess I'm missing something important here, but I prefer reading
>     TeXinfo documentation over RDF.
>
> Greetings,
> Maxime.

The RDF is something experimental based upon feedback from my own 
project.

Suppose we return to Brian's (apt) analogy concerning buildings and 
building materials:

I would hazard that there would exist chains across triples which would 
permeate from the concept stages of a building down to the point whereby 
nails are contextualised (including with regards to safety; purchasing; 
type; context; implementation).

Guix users should be able to build and resolve without the expertise of 
all layers and abstractions pertinent to Guile and our community.


At my end, Ive spent a considerable time creating loose annotations - 
which I inject everywhere.

Here is an example of task orientated annotations operating within my 
Emacs config:
https://git.sr.ht/~indieterminacy/5q50jq_oq_configuring_emacs/tree/master/item/init.el#L138

and for policy positions:
https://git.sr.ht/~indieterminacy/5q50jq_oq_configuring_emacs/tree/master/item/init.el#L155

These annotations recurse through my entire system, for instance 
operating as directory prefixes for specific concerns:
https://git.sr.ht/~indieterminacy/5q50jq_oq_configuring_emacs/tree/master/item/rqr_organise
https://git.sr.ht/~indieterminacy/5q50jq_oq_configuring_emacs/tree/master/item/iq_policy

My own bundle of knowledge repos can be found just from searching for 
'3q' references within my system.
Some can be found here (I will upload some Guix repos eventually)
https://git.sr.ht/~indieterminacy/?search=3q

Feel free to root around for approaches I have been taking to document 
and plan in modern ways.

Similarly, these annotations can operate literate-programming style 
within comments.

The fact that I can operate within Emacs-Hyperbole's Koutliner (block 
orientated) filetype to provide hierarchy and hyperlinking keeps me in a 
very terse and tactile state everywhere.

Currently I am able to grok my system with ease.
Ive been advised that outputting the interpretation of these files into 
RDF would be advantageous to make use of the graph orientated and 
folksonomic qualities of Icebreaker's approach.

FYI, I did a Fosdem talk. About 21 mins in some of the concepts coalesce 
into an area more pertinent with regards to RDF themes
https://fosdem.org/2022/schedule/event/minimalsyntaxes/

Im hoping that RDF can mitigate some of the chaos from users personal 
behaviours. My work operates more akin to body-language and philology as 
opposed to more classical approaches to computer-programming and 
computer-science.

I personally use my annotation system everywhere and adapt it for my own 
needs. I think of it like in terms of ants, whereby the colony 
increasingly grows smarter and more capable as the number of ants grows.

An ideal world would be one with which an RDF can provide a subset of a 
document AND that a user who prefers to use other formats would then use 
parameters to have this occur.

Emacs Hyperbole's use of contexts and Action-Buttons for PIM is a good 
example of encouraging reflexive behaviours which can be configured for 
individual usecases.


Sorry if this probably still comes across as vague (and certainly 
straying off the realms of Guix in our current respective states).
However, its a big topic which will still take a lot of time to unpack 
(expecially why I am still experimenting and testing the limitations of 
things).

Feel free to ask me more (though please can you switch the subject 
title) or even engage me privately (I have a matrix room, xq_icebreaker 
too).

Kind regards,


--
Jonathan McHugh
indieterminacy@libre.brussels