Dear all,
in my opinion it is good to have a reasonably normalised form of personal names because
- searching with this form increases the precision dramatically ( if search services provide
normalised structure search or first in field position search.
I strongly suggest this for big databases at least as an option in the advanced search.
- it is easy to sort on, index lists can be provided
- it is no problem to impart this form to metadata creators and to users of search services.
I am for the usage of "Family name, Given name" for the reasons Simon Cox mentioned.
Best regards
Astrid Schoger
->>> Simon Cox <[log in to unmask]> 12/08 4:06 >>>
Regarding the "LNF" notation - this perpetuates the misapprehension that
"Last Name" == "Family Name". In many east asian languages, and also Hungarian
to name just one European notation "Family Name First" is the *usual* form.
In some other communities people often have only a single name (Indonesian),
and then there is the Spanish system of inheriting parent's names according
to some complex rules which I don't understand. And anyone who follows cricket
will be aware of how inconsistently first-name and last-name are used as the
abbreviations for various Indian and Pakistani players on the scorecards.
I understand that the intention of "LNF" is to provide a reasonably normalised
form which is also easy to sort on.
But please please please can we be culturally neutral, and semantically accurate,
and drop this "Last Name, First Name" usage in favour of (at least) "Family name,
Given name" or maybe even "Sort name, other names".
See also interesting discussion of names in various languages by Andrew Waugh,
on the DCMI website at
http://purl.org/dc/documents/notes-waugh-19980203.htm
--
Best Simon
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Dr. Astrid Schoger
Digitale Bibliothek
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
D-80328 MUENCHEN
Tel.: 089/28638-2447
Fax: 089/28638-2672
e-Mail: [log in to unmask]
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