[Refdb-users] "formatting" vs "information"

[Markus H. <mar...@mh...>]

Marc Herbert writes:
 >       We had one problem only Janet knew we faced bankruptcy
 > 
 >   Have you decided? Now consider this string again with differing
 >   punctuation:
 > 
 >       We had one problem: only Janet knew we faced bankruptcy.
 >       We had one problem only: Janet knew we faced bankruptcy.
 >       We had one problem only, Janet knew: we faced bankruptcy.
 >       We had one problem only Janet knew we faced: bankruptcy.
 > 

This is analogous to the punctuation in names as separators in an
input format. The parser in your brain needs the punctuation in order
to understand the intended meaning of these sentences. The parser in a
reference manager needs the periods/spaces in order to understand the
name parts (that is, if you use an odd input format like RIS that does
not have better means to separate the parts, like XML). That's why they
need to be consistent and independent of the personal taste of the
person who carries that name. As your example above shows, you can't
move punctuation around in English sentences just because you'd
personally like to have it somewhere else. The same applies to names.

regards,
Markus
-- 
Markus Hoenicka
mar...@ca...
(Spam-protected email: replace the quadrupeds with "mhoenicka")
http://www.mhoenicka.de