[db-wg] UTF8

On Wed, May 06, 2015 at 06:06:56PM +0200, denis wrote:

Hi

>>>> There was a Labs article written some time ago on
>>>> UTF8 https://labs.ripe.net/Members/kranjbar/internationalisation-of-ripe-database
>>>> This article put forward the idea of keeping all existing attributes
>>>> in ASCII (but really meant Latin1) and allowing additional optional
>>>> attributes for name and contact details in local language.
>>> It was back in 2010 during the RIPE61 when I propose person-idn: and
>>> other similar attributes. Although I understand your point of view, I
>>> believe that the situation has changed through years.
>> So you two are leaning towards allowing UTF8 in some fields, and in
>> other places add an optional new attribute (such as person-idn) if
>> people want to describe more clearly what their actual name is?
>>
>> If this is the case it would be good if you go over all
>> fields/attributes the database currently knows, and compile a full list
>> of attributes that should receive an idn-sibling or should accept UTF8
>> instead of whatever they currently accept.
>
> This is what I suggested a few years ago. Someone (maybe a task force?) 
> needs to look at every attribute in every object and choose one of three 
> categories for it:
>
> -Latin1 only: some attributes make no sense in local language, eg status, 
> import
> -Duplicated: some attributes may need to be available in Latin1 for 
> registry consistency, legal reasons, or simply maintaining a database for 
> the whole region to make use of, but could also be duplicated in local 
> language, eg org-name, abuse-mailbox
> -UTF8 only: some attributes could be open to any character set, eg remarks, 
> notify (only relevant to maintainer of object)
>
> This requires a bit more preparation work and introducing new attributes, 
> but in the end it allows much more of the database to be opened up to the 
> possibility of UTF8 without restricting any of its value or usage 
> throughout the whole region.

Although I like the idea of setting up the task force, I would like to
wait a moment to gather some more ideas and point of views from the
community. :)

>From the above it looks like the TF should be set up to discuss the
implementation details [*], whereas we still do not know if the
community at large wants UTF8 in DB at all.

[*] This is in fact the role of the NCC itself, but I believe that we as
the community have the mandate to provide some directions here.

Piotr

-- 
gucio -> Piotr Strzyżewski
E-mail: Piotr.Strzyzewski at polsl.pl