[metrics-bugs] #24470 [Metrics/Analysis]: Distinguish point events from ongoing events in metrics timeline

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#24470: Distinguish point events from ongoing events in metrics timeline
------------------------------+------------------------------
 Reporter:  dcf               |          Owner:  metrics-team
     Type:  enhancement       |         Status:  new
 Priority:  Medium            |      Milestone:
Component:  Metrics/Analysis  |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal            |     Resolution:
 Keywords:  metrics-timeline  |  Actual Points:
Parent ID:                    |         Points:
 Reviewer:                    |        Sponsor:
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Comment (by dcf):

 I've been brainstorming ways to represent the distinction.

 === Idea 1 ===

 Put a mark (like `x`, `/`, `.`) in the `end date` column of point events.
 Leave the "end date" blank for ongoing events.

 ||=start date =||=end date =||=description =||
 ||2017-10-05 ||/ ||geoip database updated. ||
 ||2017-10-07 || ||Increase of users in Romania. ||

 === Idea 2 ===

 Put a keyword like `?` or `ongoing` in the "end date" column of ongoing
 events. Leave the "end date" of point events blank.

 ||=start date =||=end date =||=description =||
 ||2017-10-05 || ||geoip database updated. ||
 ||2017-10-07 ||ongoing ||Increase of users in Romania. ||

 === Idea 3 ===

 Combination of !#1 and !#2. Could help to prevent errors. Entries with a
 blank "end date" would have an undefined meaning.
 ||=start date =||=end date =||=description =||
 ||2017-10-05 ||/ ||geoip database updated. ||
 ||2017-10-07 ||ongoing ||Increase of users in Romania. ||

 === Idea 4 ===

 Have the date of point events span both columns. Looks nice(?), greatly
 complicates downstream parsing.

 ||=start date =||=end date =||=description =||
 ||2017-10-05 || ||geoip database updated. ||
 ||
 {{{#!td colspan=2 align=center
 2017-10-07
 }}}
 ||Increase of users in Romania. ||

 === Idea 4 ===

 Point events simply have "start date"="end date". Doesn't allow to
 distinguish point events from timespans than happened to start and finish
 on the same day. (Not currently a problem, as the only such timespans we
 have so far are additionally disambiguated by timestamps.)

 ||=start date =||=end date =||=description =||
 ||2017-10-05 ||2017-10-05 ||geoip database updated. ||
 ||2017-10-07 || ||Increase of users in Romania. ||

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/24470#comment:1>
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