Re: Re-approaching package tagging

[swedebugia <swedebugia@riseup.net>]

Hi :)

On 2018-12-17 20:01, Christopher Lemmer Webber wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> In the past when we've discussed package tagging, I think Ludo' has been
> against it, primarily because it's a giant source of bikeshedding.  I
> agree that it's a huge space for bikeshedding... no space provides more
> bikeshedding than naming things, and tagging things is a many to many
> naming system.
> 
> However, I will say that finding packages based on topical interest is
> pretty hard right now.  If I want to find all the available roguelikes:
> 
> cwebber@jasmine:~$ guix package -A rogue
> hyperrogue	10.5	out	gnu/packages/games.scm:3652:2
> roguebox-adventures	2.2.1	out	gnu/packages/games.scm:1047:2
> 
> Hm, that's strange, there's definitely more roguelikes that should show
> up than that!  A more specific search is even worse:
> 
> cwebber@jasmine:~$ guix package -A roguelike
> cwebber@jasmine:~$
> 
> What I should have gotten back:
>   - angband
>   - cataclysm-dda
>   - crawl
>   - crawl-tiles
>   - hyperrogue
>   - nethack
>   - roguebox-adventures
>   - tome4
> 
> So I only got 1/4 of the entries I was interested in in my first query.
> Too bad!
> 
> I get that we're opening up space for bikeshedding and *that's true*.
> But it seems like not doing so makes things hard on users.
> 
> What do you think?  Is there a way to open the (pandora's?) box of tags
> safely?

Yes and no.

Pjotr and I have discussed this relating to biotech software. He said 
that many scientists have a hard time finding the right tools for the job.

I proposed tight integration with wikidata[1] (every software in the 
world will eventually have an item there) and Guix (QID on every package 
and lookup/catogory integration) and leave all the categorizing to them. 
Ha problem sidestepped, they are bikeshedding experts over there in 
wikiland! :D

The advantage of this is that everyone using wikidata (every package 
manager) could pull the same categorization so we only do it once in a 
central

What do you think?

-- 
Cheers Swedebugia

[1] I started the work lately with bindings here 
https://gitlab.com/swedebugia/guile-wikidata help is welcome!