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Grant for the Global Digital Format Registry

2006-01-13

The Harvard University Library got a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to make a Global Digital Format Registry.

The grant proposal (minus a few key appendices) is online. The people behind it have been working on this for quite some time, and have a pretty extensive plan.

I think this is a fantastic development, even if there is a lot of overlap with what I am trying to do here at FileFormat.Info. My goal for FileFormat.Info is to be the "Digital Rosetta Stone". The main differences that I see:

  • They have a much more structured approach. I am trying to make a place to store all the information available.
  • They are planning on asking permission. I think this will keep out a lot of useful information.
  • They are focusing on file formats. I am going to make sections for hardware and media information as well.

The grant covers a two-year period, and (as far as I can tell) includes three full-time people. It is a good sign that there is enough interest to fund something of this magnitude.

I am certainly going to try to be a peer on the GDFR network. The proposal says that the software will be open source, and fostering widespread disemination of the information is one of their goals, so hopefully I can integrate it into the information I have here.

Found via the File Formats Blog.

Tags: competitor gdfr standardbody

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