Extinct Shared Public Spreadsheet
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An Extinct Shared Public Spreadsheet, is a Shared public spreadsheet that once existed but has since been deleted or rendered unusable for one or more of the following reasons:-
- The author, or another user with 'write' authority has deleted it.
- It has ceased to function properly (produces erroneous or spurious results).
- Its credibility has been compromised (see black box spreadsheet).
- It has no further relevance.
[edit] Dilemma
The effect of the removal of a Shared public Spreadsheet from public use is difficult to estimate. The Spreadsheet may have been previously used (and relied upon) by many other "down the line" spreadsheets to provide their input.
The effect is analogous to removing a section of code (a subroutine would be a good example of this) from an application program or other software.
The users of the Shared public spreadsheet would be required to replace the missing or non functional spreadsheet with another, before their spreadsheets would function 'as before'. The reliability of any replacement spreadsheet may initially be in doubt.
[edit] Mirror spreadsheet
As one possible solution to this potential problem, alternative known reliable "mirror" spreadsheets from another source fulfilling the same function (in terms of its input and output cells - at least!) might be defined to act as "backup" for the original SPS. It is possible to envisage competition between commercial spreadsheet vendors supplying functionally equivalent "templates" for such instances. Speculating further, this may lead to competition not just for reliable Shared public spreadsheets but for performance which could be benchmarked continuously by "trawling" through alternative suppliers looking for the fastest, most consistent & reliable results.
