Adding history to a database
I’ve been wondering how to let other people collaborate on a database without it turning to crap. You see, I’ve been updating Manx, a catalogue of old computer manuals, for a few years now by myself.
Manx lists the manuals produced by a bunch of old computer companies, and records scanned copies that have been put online. On the surface, the database is very simple. The records of each publication can be objectively correct; if you have the manual in front of you and the title, part number and publication date match the database, your work is done. However, Manx attempts to catalogue manuals that we don’t yet have copies of. These entries have come from documentation indexes, and are likely partial. Entries pulled from other databases or sources online are also likely to be partial, or contain errors.