So I’m whipping up another little Python haxxie to pull down stuff from a locally-held conference for the repository.
And all the authors (except a few smart people) are identified by first initial(s), last name.
I have a very simple directive for disciplines, journals, conferences, and authors who format names this way: DON’T. You are making it harder for authors’ work to be associated with them and with their other work.
In a print world, space was at a premium. In a world sharply demarcated by discipline, it was relatively easy to tell which J. Doe was which. We are not in those worlds any longer. The Internet spans all disciplines, and a few extra bytes for your full name is no problem at all. You don’t want your work lost in the clutter!
This rant brought to you by a tired and decidedly cranky repository-rat who has an Augean-stables authority-control job waiting for her when she finishes the Manakin redesign.
