[seqfan] Re: author field

[Maximilian Hasler]

By definition, the author field contains the author.

If something else needs to be specified, it can be done, e.g., as
comment or extension, maybe combined with references and/or web links.

It remains to answer the question "what does it mean to be the author
of a sequence ?"

But this will vary from one sequence to the other.
As usual, authors should ("must") cite their sources, if they use any.
But on the wiki, people interested in the sequence can easily add
references afterwards, if they already know about earlier studies or
if they find something on the web or in a library. If the sequence
already had been considered before, the "author" of the sequence on
OEIS keeps the merit of having contributed the sequence to the OEIS.

As already mentioned, the wiki software provides the "history" data
and the "diff" feature, which easily allows to see who contributed
what. Perhaps it would be desirable to have this history (maybe in
condensed format, without "minor edits" etc) displayed directly at the
end of the record:
it could replace the %A and %E part (and make the somehow ugly
signature/timestamp at the end of individual lines superfluous)
It would look like:
=== History ===
* [Date if avail] A.U.Thor: created this sequence (*sic*)
* [Date] A.N.Other: added PARI code
* [Date] C.Ontributor: corrected a(9) and added more terms
...
(Perhaps "created this sequence" should be replaced by "created this
record" - anyway, it does mean exactly that.)

A "bot" (script) could (progressively) (re-)create this history data
(and even the corresponding "diffs") from the currently available data
such as the %A line, the %E lines, the "[From NNN, Date]" at end of
lines ; at worst, the Mxxx and Nxxxx numbers could be "converted" to
the date of publication of the books (and respective author(s) /
angels / prophets / creators... :-)

Maximilian

On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 9:47 PM, zak seidov <zakseidov at yahoo.com> wrote:
> "Messenger" - the good idea!
> My suggestion is even more simpler:
>  "Sender"!
>> From: rhhardin at att.net <rhhardin at att.net>
>> Subject: [seqfan] Re: author field
>> Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 6:14 PM
>> I suggest "Angel."
>> comes from Greek for messenger.