Ingredients vs. Cakes Discussion

[jpradocueva]

Maintainer: Chris

Description

Summary:

In essence the group discussed strategies for managing the presentation of both detailed and summary data, using the metaphor of "cake" for summary data and "ingredients" for detailed components. They reached a consensus to consistently provide both types of data and to clearly define which types are included. The goal is to simplify data usage for practitioners, allowing them to access detailed information without requiring complex calculations. An action item was assigned to categorize all data fields accordingly and to identify any inconsistencies between summary data and its components. Additionally, the group emphasized giving practitioners control over data versions and schema configurations.

Discussion: [link to content]

Concept Clarification: The "Ingredients & Cake" metaphor was explained. "Ingredients" refers to the detailed, raw data elements, while "cake" refers to the more aggregated, processed data.
Importance of Detailed Data: Some members emphasized the need for detailed data to allow users the flexibility to perform their analyses and derive insights.
Balance Between Granularity and Usability: There was a discussion on finding a balance between providing detailed data and ensuring the data is user-friendly and useful for the community.
Current Issues: The conversation touched on the current challenges with commitment utilization columns, which require clarity on whether they should be treated as detailed data (ingredients) or more processed data (cake).
Proposal for a Document: It was suggested that a document should be created to outline the current understanding and approach to handling ingredients versus cake. This document would serve as a baseline for further discussions and feedback.
Member Involvement: It was proposed that a member of the community, rather than a maintainer, should take the lead in drafting this document to encourage broader participation and ownership.

Agreements Reached:

Create a Baseline Document: A document will be created to outline the approach to handling detailed vs. aggregated data. This will serve as a starting point for further discussions.
Member Lead: A community member will take the lead in drafting this document to ensure broader engagement and ownership.

[jpradocueva]

Folder: #494

Document: 24.06.25 Principles: Primitive vs Derived columns (Cake vs Ingredients)
Document: 24.06.24 - Derived Column Classification

[jpradocueva]

• TF-1 #494: Centralize Column Attributes: Michael will create a centralized spreadsheet to keep track of all columns and their attributes. To be added to Discussion-Docs folder

[jpradocueva]

Action Items, TF-1 July 9 call:

• TF1-#494 Joaquin: Create folder #404 in Google Workspace
• TF1-#494 Chris: Prepare a list of use case scenarios and questions to determine necessary columns for commitment utilization.

Agreement, TF-1 July 16 call:

The group decided to postpone discussing this topic because it was unclear whether a single definitive rule could be applied universally across all scenarios.