Dear Neil,
I'm not entirely sure how my comments on the complexity of software design
are at odds with the complexity of the questionnaire produced by those
desigining the toolkit. Questions about the most basic requirements of
users are a natural first step in designing a toolkit of this nature.
Maybe more to the point is that whether or not your MSc students think the
survey useful, Ed & co - the people who are designing the toolkit - think
that it is.
To my mind the HEEP RFC seems perfectly straightforward. My mum doesn't
understand RFC-821 about SMTP, but she can still transfer data (ie send
email) using this protocol. The same principle applies. The protocol spec
isn't written for 'archaeologists and museum people', but for software
engineers who will produce the systems used by those people.
Just my £0.02,
Andrew
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