[vorbis] File Extension .OGG

[Erik Moeller]

On 5 Jul 2000, at 15:12, Monty wrote:

> If the launcher is totally transparent, the average user won't even
> notice there's an issue (the whole point)

You have to install the launcher. Either you force the user to 
install it separatedly, or you convince all possible player makers to 
include it. Then you have to explain to users who have never seen 
such a thing why it is necessary. "But I change the file associations 
under View|Options|File Types, why can't I do that for OGG?" And 
frankly, I couldn't answer that question. Or you make it invisible -- 
then it's practically useless since users can no longer change the 
associations easily.

That's clumsy: One more program to install, which people will not at 
all understand, since no other audio or video format requires a 
"launcher". (Well, Real has something called similar, but that's a 
tool that is used to spy on their users.)

More annoying for me would be the fact that if I have a directory 
full of downloaded stuff, I couldn't easily see which ones are movies 
and which ones are audio. AFAIK, even under Linux, the listing 
problem persists, since if file explorers do at all try to list 
different files with different icons, they usually check the 
extension, not the file headers.

> where the power user now has
> flexibility they didn't have before.  You can use Sonique *or*
> Quicktime *or* Winamp *or* OfficialOgg!  

I can easily do that if I have two different extensions. No additions 
required. Prog1 can register *.vox (audio), prog2 can register *.mox 
(movies). I would see on FTPs and in search engines and on IRC and 
everywhere else whether the file that is offered is audio or video.

> > that is there if you use 
> > OGG for both audio and video files. It's your decision (and I know
> > you want to keep OGG because you wrote it everywhere), but I predict
> > that it will eventually backfire. And it's not only a Windows-issue.

> I'm interested in hearing where else this would be an issue....

As has already been pointed out, practically everywhere where you get 
a list of files without further information about their content, be 
it on Gnutella, FTP, IRC, often Usenet as well -- the additional 
subroutines required to read out the info would be simple, but that 
doesn't mean that they will be included, just like many programs 
don't display the bitrate for MP3 files. That is a pain in the ass, 
but unavoidable. Collisions between audio and video are avoidable.

> My argument is that if one opens the extention can of worms, you both
> start colliding with other things (who was it that suggested .vbs for
> Vorbis only files?) 

I think that was a joke. But given the popularity of LOVELETTER, 
perhaps it ain't such a bad idea ;-).

> but also the problem that Ogg will not exist in a
> struct audio-only video/audio split.  The stream type is much richer
> than that.  Will things be 'Vorbis' and 'everything else'?

The rule of thumb here is "different extensions for different media 
types". A single picture should not have the extension for audio or 
video, just like JPG doesn't use AVI or MOV. But animations or 
slideshows should be recognizable by the movie extension.

And mind you, mox and vox even rhymes on OGGs! And according to 
www.wotsit.org, they are both not taken.

Best regards,
Erik Moeller

-- 
Scientific Reviewer, Freelancer, Humanist -- Berlin/Germany
Phone: +49-30-45491008 - Web: <http://www.humanist.de/erik>
The Origins of Peace and Violence: <http://www.violence.de>

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