----------------------------Original message---------------------------- [Reposted on GIS-L and MAPS-L. We were having problems with our systems when we tried to post it, so I'm not sure that it ever made it to the lists.] As many of you know, the (US) Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is developing a content standard for spatial metadata. The preliminary revised draft of the standard, dated July 23, 1993, is available by anonymous FTP from waisqvarsa.er.usgs.gov [130.11.51.187], directory wais/docs, in file metadata.893.text. We plan to complete the revised draft by the end of January, and will post the new text at the same site. There seems to be much interest in using the standard to track current data holdings, to provide information during transfer, and to provide information to data clearinghouse, brokers, etc. We also have received comments that the draft (like many standards) is hard to use. We would appreciate your suggestions of means of encouraging the use of the standard. What tools would make the standard usable? Training aids? Software? How should the software be implemented? I'll summarize the comments for the list. Thanks in advance for your suggestions. Michael A. Domaratz FGDC Executive Secretary [log in to unmask]