[ithacaartist]

It would remove a lot of confusion to standardize some terms. A glossary of such could also include variations identified by descriptively accurate names. People have gotten together before, put some thought into it, and created such things (the Constitution comes to mind) in attempts to make sure everybody is on the same page and communication is clear as possible.

These days, we can communicate much more easily than relying on letters, phone calls, and the occasional gun show or visit. Seems like a good time to do something about it.

Consider that text, even with pictures, may not even be the most effective medium in which to lay all this "book" out. I have a notion of one big graphic. It would be based on a timeline and have branches/bars that represent variations in manufacturer, contract, configuration, or whatever you like laid out on the timeline, and relating to each other and keyed as such in a visual manner like color, cross-hatching, etc..

/crazy uncle stuff