[IGSMAIL-0814] Assigning 4 character IDs

[Jeff]

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IGS Electronic Mail      Mon Dec 19 16:13:40 PST 1994      Message Number 0814
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Author: Jeff Freymueller
Subject: Assigning 4 character IDs

I've been thinking for a while about the problems of assigning unique
4 character IDs to sites. I think we can all agree that 4 characters
are not really enough, and also that we will have to live with the
4 character IDs for some time. I was finally prompted to write this
because the new site at Villafranca (Spain) has the same ID as
Villavicencio (Colombia), a (campaign occupation) site which I have used
for almost 7 years now.

At present, the Checklist for establishing an IGS station says that the
IGS Central Bureau will assist in selecting a 4 character ID for a proposed
new IGS site.

I propose that we use the IGS mail to include more input in the process.
A message could be sent out via IGS mail announcing a future new site
(a few weeks before it would come on line, or earlier), and proposing
a 4 character ID. Anyone who cared enough about it could then reply
to the original sender (not IGS mail!) to comment. It is probably impossible
to prevent using the same ID as some campaign site somewhere in the
world, but at least we can try to keep the IDs unique among the institutions
which regularly use IGS data. As permanent sites proliferate in the future,
this will become more of an issue as time goes on.

I suggest that the IGS mail is the ideal way to do this because everyone
who is interested in using IGS data (as opposed to IGS products) almost
certainly reads the IGS mail. Users of IGS products will not be concerned
about the names of IGS sites unless they need to use those sites in their
regional solutions.

Jeff


[Mailed From: jeff at cotopaxi.Stanford.EDU (Jeff Freymueller)]