14.0671 comments on image metadata; music and mathematics?

From: by way of Willard McCarty (willard@lists.village.Virginia.EDU)
Date: Tue Feb 13 2001 - 17:14:12 EST

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                   Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 14, No. 671.
           Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                   <http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
                  <http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>

       [1] From: NINCH-ANNOUNCE <david@ninch.org> (104)
             Subject: NISO image metadata initiative: Comments Requested

       [2] From: "Osher Doctorow" <osher@ix.netcom.com> (44)
             Subject: Why are Music and Mathematics Related?

    --[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 22:02:48 +0000
             From: NINCH-ANNOUNCE <david@ninch.org>
             Subject: NISO image metadata initiative: Comments Requested

    NINCH ANNOUNCEMENT
    News on Networking Cultural Heritage Resources
    from across the Community
    February 13, 2001

          NISO Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images Standards Committee
                           <http://www.niso.org/commitau.html>http://www.niso.org/commitau.html

                 Seeks Comments in Revision of the Data Dictionary for
                      Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images
                         <http://www.niso.org/pdfs/DataDict.pdf>http://www.niso.org/pdfs/DataDict.pdf

    As part of its attempt to develop a generalized technical metadata standard
    applicable to all images, the National Information Standards Organization
    (NISO) is reviewing its Data Dictionary for Technical Metadata for Digital
    Still Images
    (<http://www.niso.org/pdfs/DataDict.pdf>http://www.niso.org/pdfs/DataDict.pdf).

    Comments from the community are being requested to make the standard as
    broadly applicable as possible. See the specific questions below that the
    NISO committee is asking.

    David Green
    ============

    >X->Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 10:05:19 -0500
    >Reply-To: Image-Based Humanities Computing <LOOKSEE@LSV.UKY.EDU>
    >Sender: Image-Based Humanities Computing <LOOKSEE@LSV.UKY.EDU>
    >From: Matt Kirschenbaum <mgk@POP.UKY.EDU>
    >>
    >Image-based humanities computing projects should have a stake in this;
    >comments encouraged (I serve on the NISO committee). Matt.

    -- 
    

    National Information Standards Organization (NISO) NISO Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images Standards Committee <http://www.niso.org/commitau.html>http://www.niso.org/commitau.html

    NISO Needs Your Input!

    Technical metadata, which describes various aspects of image characteristics and the capture process, is increasingly being perceived as an essential component of any digitization initiative. This category of metadata is not only required to support image quality assessment and image enhancement and processing, but also seen crucial for long-term collection management to ensure the longevity of digital collections. Image metadata work to date within the library and cultural heritage community has focused on defining descriptive elements for discovery and identification. The goal of the NISO Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images Standards initiative is to fill this gap by developing a generalized technical metadata standard applicable to all images regardless of their method of creation.

    The charge of the NISO's Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images Standards Committee is to review and revise the Data Dictionary for Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images (<http://www.niso.org/pdfs/DataDict.pdf>http://www.niso.org/pdfs/DataDict.pdf),

    which presents a comprehensive list of technical data elements required to manage digital image collections. We would like to invite comments from our colleagues involved in various aspects of imaging to ensure that the draft dictionary is comprehensive and inclusive, representing various perspectives. The ultimate goal of the standard is to facilitate the development of applications to validate, process, manage, and migrate images of enduring value.

    We are particularly interested in getting your feedback on the following issues:

    a) Does the draft dictionary include all the data fields that are necessary to achieve the goals of technical metadata? - Document image provenance and history - Ensure that image data will be rendered accurately on output (e.g., displayed screen, printed to paper or film, etc.) - Support the ongoing management of image files (e.g., processing, refreshing, or migration) - Assess the aesthetic value of a given image

    b) Is it successful in describing quality attributes such as detail, color, tone, and file size? What else would you recommend to add?

    c) Of the elements present, do you have suggestions for changes within the definition? Do definitions need to be expanded? Do you agree it is "required" versus another designation? Should certain elements be repeatable?

    d) Put yourself in the position of this data dictionary user. Would you be able to use it? If not, what would you do to make it more usable for you (or your staff)?

    e) How does this initiative relate to other similar ones such as DIG or GDI+? Do you know of other related initiatives? DIG35: <http://www.digitalimaging.org>http://www.digitalimaging.org GDI+: <http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/display/GDIplus_Metadata.htm>http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/display/GDIplus_Metadata.htm

    f) Do you have any other comments?

    ============================================================================= Robin Dale (RLG), Co-Chair Oya Y. Rieger (Cornell University Library), Co-Chair

    -- The LOOKSEE Web pages are located at: <<http://www.rch.uky.edu/~mgk/looksee/>http://www.rch.uky.edu/~mgk/looksee/>.

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    --[2]------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 22:03:28 +0000 From: "Osher Doctorow" <osher@ix.netcom.com> Subject: Why are Music and Mathematics Related?

    One question that interests me currently in the field of cross-disciplinary humanist-computing versus science is the relationship between music and mathematics - but in particular the question of why they are related (with all the analyses of, e.g., listening to Mozart and stimulating brain functioning, plus the experiences of some of us, we can at least temporarily assume that they are positively related). I would like to read a humanist or humanist-computer analysis of this question, but until I do I will indicate what my branch of mathematics is coming up with.

    Logic-based probability (LBP) indicates that the surfaces (skin, outer layer, etc.) of organisms, organs, etc., are regions of critical influence. That is also where the sensory receptors usually are located. Of the various senses of animate life forms, I think that the tactile or tactile/proprioceptive sense may be the most basic sense across life from primitive unicellular organisms to human beings. We can of course ask further why that should be, and I suspect that sensitivity to stimuli may be more basic than the reproductive characteristic despite the view of many modern biologists. It is usually touch which is reacted to by unicellular and primitive organisms, and this continues in higher organisms although with a somewhat different distribution of different senses. Reproduction, on the other hand, takes extremely different forms such as asexual versus sexual.

    Although music is experienced primarily as auditory at first, it has a tendency to make people want to dance - in fact, that realization is what accounts for much of the success of the music industry and its records/compact disks etc. Dancing, however, is essentially tactile. People nod their heads or tap their feet often in listening to music and even playing music. The Strausses (Johann Sr., Jr., etc.), who are often ridiculed by some German and Viennese connoisseurs of music, were waltz kings - and in my opinion, created some of the greatest music in the world. Mozart was into waltzes, and his Italian rivals not only danced but moved their arms in conversation quite frequently - they still do. Von Weber's Invitation to the Dance is immortal. Beethoven is said to have visualized tactile scenarios (whether dancing or "romantic" I do not know). In fact, Germanic civilization in the Classical era was extremely meticulous, and Beethoven also was - his writings took a very long time and this increased the tactile stimulation (admittedly one of his rivals did not, but none of his rivals was as good as Beethoven, so I will ignore that for the present).

    Mathematics relates to the tactile sense via geometry. We have been finding in anti-virus research (see geometry-research@forum.swarthmore.edu, for example) that microfilaments or microtubules spread throughout cells and tissue convey tactile information to cells as to whether cell reproduction is needed or not (flatness indicates the necessity, roundness indicates the opposite - see Dr. Ingber's team research on tensegrity at Harvard, etc.).

    Osher Doctorow Doctorow Consultants, Ventura College, etc.



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