SAMP RFC: MType list

[Mark Taylor]

This message is to address the point made by Jesus, Christophe and Bob
on the SAMP RFC page that it's not clear from the SAMP document how 
the list(s) of MTypes are or will be documented.
This topic is mentioned in section 5.3 of the PR, but, as pointed out by
the reviewers, not in very concrete terms, and specifically not in
enough detail that a reader of this document can work out where to look
to find more information.

We've had some discussion on the apps-samp list in an earlier
thread, and I made a query to the TCG about the possibilities for
persistent URLs.  It seems that although this would require
agreement by the IVOA Exec, it probably would be possible to 
get a URL like "http://www.ivoa.net/samp/", which could, 
as a minimum, redirect to an existing page on the IVOA wiki.

Bringing these discussions together, I'd like to suggest the following.
As far as the SAMP document goes, Section 5.3 will be re-written
to make it clear that if you want to find out about or contribute
to the existing list(s) of MTypes, what you should do is go to
http://www.ivoa.net/samp/.  As a minimum, and in the first instance,
that URL can redirect to the SampProgress wiki page
(http://www.ivoa.net/cgi-bin/twiki/bin/view/IVOA/SampProgress).
Although the content currently there is a bit scrappy, it is 
as it stands sufficient for application authors to find the things 
they need to know which are not in the SAMP document itself, 
including MTypes currently in use.

We might in the (perhaps near) future issue one or more IVOA Notes 
or institute some other processes for formal or informal MType listings -
however that works out, it will be documented prominently at that URL.
We might also put some other things as well at that URL, 
along the lines of what was on the PLASTIC web site.
It may or may not be technically feasible for that URL to redirect
to some other content in the future, but either way it remains the
permanent public one-stop-shop for SAMP information.

If the the reviewers who commented on this issue agree that this
addresses their concerns, and if the Exec agree we can have a
redirect from http://www.ivoa.net/samp/, then there are no
remaining obstacles to progressing the SAMP document towards REC.
We can continue to discuss the details of MType procedures and
maybe other useful content on that site, but in a way that is
decoupled from the SAMP standard itself.

Jesus, Christophe and Bob: does that sound OK to you?
Other interested parties: any objection?

Mark

-- 
Mark Taylor   Astronomical Programmer   Physics, Bristol University, UK
m.b.taylor at bris.ac.uk +44-117-928-8776 http://www.star.bris.ac.uk/~mbt/