decentralized network to exchange public data

[klmhsb42]

Dear Catmaid developers, I don’t know if this issue was already asked, but I thought about a decentralized network to exchange public data of all Catmaid servers all over the world. The idea would be to have (1) more standardized description (by input fields) about image type (z-stack or only x/y; resolution; EM, FLM or CLEM, data size), about the microscope types (SEM, TEM, FIB-SEM, SBF-SEM, cryo-, SIM, STORM, …), about methods (fixation, HPF,…), (maybe also the topic (biology or which part of it, maybe some other research fields (?) material science (?), …), about the species, which organ, about the tissue type, … (2) to have then a button in the admin panel to submit data description (only if data set is public accessible) + link to data (maybe + snap shot image) into a list (3) the list would be hosted by same server of official Catmaid website (4) and maybe downloaded by each Catmaid user server (to back-up this list) (5) and then to add a search field (see attached screenshot/scheme) to all Catmaid servers to search in the official list (or in own list, if the server is not accessible) (6) and to have alternatively a button/site to browse this list (7) and that searching and browsing has the options to filter and sort the list (8) and then have a link on each object to the original data (9) (and in best case to have a web crawler or some script, which checks if links are still existing and removes them otherwise, but this could be hard because maybe the link is existing, but the server is down for some reason…) I’m not able to add this, so those are just ideas or wishes. Let me know, what you think about it. Best, Sebastian

[unidesigner]

Hi Sebastian, Nice idea! In fact, I have recently setup something along very similar lines of ideas, the https://braincircuits.io platform for comparative connectomics. I try to link to existing CATMAID projects/servers as much as possible. It would be straightforward to add a full-text search that uses CATMAID as keyword to get pretty close to what you are suggestion. If you have input/improvements to the site (e.g. the suggest page form etc.) or want to contribute something, feel free to contact me at contact@braincircuits.io. Cheers, Stephan

[klmhsb42]

Hi Stephan, Thanks for supporting the idea and your efforts. The idea was coming up, when I thought about to enable public access to image stacks, not only of neuronal tissue. I think CATMAID is also just a very nice image stack viewer via browser, e.g. because you can add as many layers as you want, e.g. for CLEM. So, I thought about a larger collaboration network than just connectomics. I think the idea to have a central repository as many disadvantages, but I think this is the only existing possibility at the moment. I like about your project, that you are considering other software such as KNOSSOS as well. So, it would be even better to have an open standard, e.g. your website (or your data base) to allow searching or implementation into CATMAID and KNOSSOS and other software… But, I think this might be not the way you want to go with your project? Maybe I will summarize my ideas, which information could be in such a standardized form format… Best, Sebastian

[acardona]

Hi @klmhsb42 and @unidesigner, this conversation is meta, beyond the scope of CATMAID's software issues. Perhaps the best place to continue it would be the CATMAID mailing list: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/catmaid

[unidesigner]

@klmhsb42 Feel free to write me directly, or to the CATMAID mailing list as @acardona suggested.