RE: MS49 - possible definition of "metadata"?

Neither of these seems complete for an authoring tool. Here's some text I swiped from a document written recently by a colleague to explain metadata to federal judges:

Q.  What is Metadata?
A.  Strictly defined, metadata is data about data.  There are two broad views of metadata and both share the common characteristic that it is information associated with a file that does not get printed or displayed.  Most technical definitions do not make a distinction between types of metadata but we do here to give a better picture of where it comes from and how it is removed from a document. This is done to help understand the threat of inadvertent exposure of deleted or discarded information associated with a file. 

There are two types of metadata that are pertinent to us, revision metadata and file description metadata. Revision metadata is a transitory form of metadata that helps in the editing of a document. The user sees this data when reversing an edit or other change by using the undo command. This command is activated by clicking on the counterclockwise arrow or by typing Control + Z.  Revision metadata remains available until the document is saved using the save as command, but is not necessarily removed when using the save command.  File description metadata helps to manage the file and includes but is not limited to document summary, headers, footers, hyperlinks, OLE object information, and routing slip information. It is important to note that both types of metadata vary among software applications.  

Cherie

-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-au-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-au-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Roberto Scano - IWA/HWG
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 8:05 AM
To: 'Boland Jr, Frederick E.'; w3c-wai-au@w3.org
Subject: R: MS49 - possible definition of "metadata"?

Why don't refer to W3C definition?

http://www.w3.org/Metadata/

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Roberto Scano (rscano@iwa.it)
IWA/HWG International Project Manager and EMEA Coordinator W3C Advisory Commitee Representative for IWA/HWG W3C WCAG Working Group Member - W3C ATAG Working Group Member Expert of ISO/TC 159/SC 4/WG 5 'Software ergonomics and human-computer dialogues'
Expert of ISO JTC 1/SC 35 'User Interfaces'
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International Webmasters Association / HTML Writers Guild http://www.iwanet..org - http://www.hwg.org
E-Mail: emea@iwanet.org - w3c-rep@iwanet.org


-----Messaggio originale-----
Da: w3c-wai-au-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-au-request@w3.org] Per conto di Boland Jr, Frederick E.
Inviato: luned́ 6 giugno 2011 15:13
A: w3c-wai-au@w3.org
Oggetto: MS49 - possible definition of "metadata"?

For MS49 definition of "metadata" is needed.  Following is a possible
definition?:
http://www.techterms.com/definition/metadata

Thanks and best wishes
Tim Boland NIST

Received on Monday, 6 June 2011 19:21:06 UTC