diff --git a/faq.md b/faq.md index ac69cbe49..b794a7b1c 100644 --- a/faq.md +++ b/faq.md @@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Principles of CF include self-describing data (no external tables needed for und The CF conventions are maintained by volunteers, led by a Governance Panel and assisted by the Conventions Committee and Standard Names Committee. (See [CF Governance](governance.md).) -Changes to the conventions are proposed and settled by the community, using the [CF Conventions GitHub repository][cf-conventions-repo]'s [issues][cf-conventions-issues] and [pull request][cf-conventions-pulls] functionality for discussion, agreement, and implementing any agreed changes. +Changes to the conventions are proposed and settled by the community, using the [CF conventions GitHub repository][cf-conventions-repo]'s [issues][cf-conventions-issues] and [pull request][cf-conventions-pulls] functionality for discussion, agreement, and implementing any agreed changes. Many of the principles of CF operations follow the proposals at these [rules for CF conventions changes](rules.md). ### How long has CF been around? Is it mature? @@ -78,26 +78,20 @@ So for example the CF Standard Names attempt to be as general and well-defined a ### How do I find previously asked questions about CF? -The two main ways to research CF questions are checking this FAQ, and visiting the [mail archives](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata), to see if your question has already been asked. - -You can use the pipermail search window to see when your topic may have been raised over the years. -To follow a particular subject thread, go to the year in which the discussion took place, click on the `by thread` sorting option, and choose the first mail with that subject. -The `next message` link will then progress through each of the threads in order. - -If you are going to work with CF a lot, you may want to download the yearly files from pipermail and import them to your local mail application. +The first way is to check this FAQ. If you can't find your question answered here, you could search for it in the [CF discussion GitHub repository][cf-discuss-issues] for questions asked since 2020, or for earlier questions in the [CF mailing list][mailing-list-archive]. ### How do I ask questions about CF? First, please see whether your question has already been answered (see [question above](#how-do-i-find-previously-asked-questions-about-cf)). -Questions about the CF Convention, including its Standard Names list, may be asked at the [CF-Metadata Mailing List](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/). +Questions about the CF Convention, including its Standard Names list, may be asked by raising new `question` issues in the [CF discussion GitHub repository][cf-discuss-issues]. CF community members usually respond within a day to simple questions, but allow more time if you have an advanced technical topic. ### How do I propose a change? -Changes to the CF standard and the Standard Names are generally proposed first on the [CF Discuss GitHub repo][cf-discuss-repo] as an [issue][cf-discuss-issues]. +Changes to the CF standard and the Standard Names are generally proposed first on the [CF discussion GitHub repository][cf-discuss-repo] as an [issue][cf-discuss-issues]. See [How do I ask for a new standard name?](#how-do-i-ask-for-a-new-standard-name) to learn more about changes to the Standard Names list. -A change to the CF standard itself may be discussed initially in a [CF Discuss issue][cf-discuss-issues], but must be presented and agreed to in detail as a [CF Conventions issue][cf-conventions-issues], where the explicit change being requested can be refined. +A change to the CF standard itself may be discussed initially in an issue in the [CF discussion GitHub repository][cf-discuss-issues], but must be presented and agreed to in detail as a [CF conventions issue][cf-conventions-issues], where the explicit change being requested can be refined. ### What is the process for accepting a change to the CF convention? @@ -213,7 +207,7 @@ CF offers a rich set of options for specifying coordinate axes. Here is a short ### How can I describe a file with multiple time coordinates (e.g., run time AND valid or forecast time)? -There are several ways that multiple time coordinates may be handled; you may wish to review the details in [this list message](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/2006/001008.html). +There are several ways that multiple time coordinates may be handled; you may wish to review the details in [this list message](https://cfconventions.org/mailing-list-archive/Data/1007.html). CF's standard name for the valid or forecast time is `time` (also used for the time of an observation). CF also has a standard name for the time the analysis was performed (its 'run time'): forecast_reference_time. @@ -336,7 +330,7 @@ Variables with different standard names are presumably not directly comparable. Of course users must review the details of variables, particularly their `long_name` and `source` attributes, to assess whether they are truly interoperable. References: -* J Gregory, 2008: [what standard names are for](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/2008/052334.html) +* J Gregory, 2008: [what standard names are for](https://cfconventions.org/mailing-list-archive/Data/2098.html) ### How can I find the standard name I need? @@ -349,10 +343,7 @@ If you can't find any matches, send an email to the CF-Metadata list describing ### How do I ask for a new standard name? -You ask for a new standard name by sending an email to the [CF-Metadata Mailing List](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/). -You should sign up to the mailing list before sending your email, so you can follow the discussion of your request. - -In the email specify the following for each standard name you want to request: +You ask for a new standard name by raising a new `standard name` issue in the [CF discussion GitHub repository][cf-discuss-issues]. In your issue, specify the following for each standard name you want to request: * its name, * its description, and @@ -447,13 +438,13 @@ There is no adopted grammar for the standard names. Many investigations or partial forays into a standard grammar have been made. Among these efforts: -* Karl Taylor ([list post](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/2008/052705.html)): A different approach to standard name construction -* Robert Muetzelfeldt ([list post](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/2010/053657.html)): [A grammar for CF standard names](http://envarml.pbworks.com/w/page/8988920/FrontPage) / 1103 names +* Karl Taylor ([list post](https://cfconventions.org/mailing-list-archive/Data/2500.html)): A different approach to standard name construction +* Robert Muetzelfeldt ([list post](https://cfconventions.org/mailing-list-archive/Data/2517.html)): [A grammar for CF standard names](http://envarml.pbworks.com/w/page/8988920/FrontPage) / 1103 names * An interesting [page of keywords](https://cfconventions.org/Data/cf-standard-names/79/build/kwic_index_for_cf_standard_names.html) that resulted -* Jonathan Gregory et al ([list post](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/2010/048064.html)): [standard name grammar/Parsing CF standard names](http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~jonathan/CF_metadata/14.1/) / 2072 names -* Rob Raskin ([list post mention](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/2009/047768.html)): [mapped CF standard name list to SWEET-based ontologolical representation](https://wiki.earthdata.nasa.gov/download/attachments/50792120/SWEET_SPG.ppt?version=1&modificationDate=1435254939370&api=v2) (Powerpoint) / 2149 names +* Jonathan Gregory et al ([list post](https://cfconventions.org/mailing-list-archive/Data/3450.html)): [standard name grammar/Parsing CF standard names](http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~jonathan/CF_metadata/14.1/) / 2072 names +* Rob Raskin: [mapped CF standard name list to SWEET-based ontologolical representation](https://wiki.earthdata.nasa.gov/download/attachments/50792120/SWEET_SPG.ppt?version=1&modificationDate=1435254939370&api=v2) (Powerpoint) / 2149 names * John Graybeal (no list post): [auto-generated pseudo-CF names from CF components](https://github.com/graybealski/cf-conventions-work/blob/master/CF_SWEET_201401_Redacted.xlsx) (Excel) / 2523 names -* Michael Piasecki/Peng Ji ([list post](https://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/pipermail/cf-metadata/2012/055875.html)): CF standard names organized by facets [("need reference: old `edscvs.ccny.cuny.edu/cf/index.php?tema=4448` link no longer working")] (TemaTres) / 9981 concepts + ### Are there mappings of the standard name terms to other terms? @@ -600,3 +591,4 @@ However, as noted above, this should first be agreed with the person overseeing [cf-website-repo]: https://github.com/cf-convention/cf-convention.github.io [cf-website-issues]: https://github.com/cf-convention/cf-convention.github.io/issues [cf-website-pulls]: https://github.com/cf-convention/cf-convention.github.io/pulls +[mailing-list-archive]: https://cfconventions.org/mailing-list-archive/Data