[aprssig] [RFC] Power Source Data Extension (symbol update)

[Kenneth Finnegan]

On Mon, Feb 13, 2017 at 7:43 AM, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:

> To help correct some of the noted gaps in symbol overlays noted below, I
> just updated the symbol overlay definitions. http://aprs.org/s
> ymbols/symbols-new.txt
>

But you literally only added a power source overlay for the one example I
cited. I'd list all the other symbols which should also get power source
overlays, but this is twice already I've listed things I don't want added
to the symbols-new file that you go ahead and add anyways.


>  The intent of these symbols are to allow a user to indicate an unusual
> or relevant facet of his station or mobile at zero added overhead to his
> packet since the info is contained simply in his symbol.
>

I don't think it's better to instead rely on a user's cognitive load to try
and understand the alphabet soup coming out the other end.

It seems like you're driving towards defining a meaning for all 3496
symbols, but you don't seem to think that's a prohibitive number of letter
meanings or subtly different icons for users to learn while they're staring
at a map. What's the expected user experience where this isn't a huge
problem for new users?


>   For houses, there is no need for Utiiltiy or Mains since that is
> assumed as a default.
>

Then why are there 60Hz and 50Hz Utility overlays?


>
>
> I do not object to adding a Power extension, but abhor its suggestion of
> deprecating the Symbol Overlay indicators.
>

Then I'm not interested in promoting the PWR extension. I proposed this as
a way to focus the roll of symbols and get them out of the power source
business, not to add a second class way to represent the same information
when you clearly want to keep symbol overlays as the primary method to
indicate power source. APRS already has plenty of duplicate ways to
represent the same information; I don't want to add power sources to that
list.

--
Kenneth Finnegan, W6KWF
http://blog.thelifeofkenneth.com/
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