About Mixtures.info

group Contributors

The data avalaible on Mixtures.info is the labour of these people. We thank them from our very hearts 💜 !

help_outline Frequently asked questions

• sms_failed I found wrong data !

  Despite the care we put into it, it is possible that errors appear on this application. Please contact us at [email protected] to report any content you feel to be incorrect.

  It is also possible to suggest modifications using the dedicated forms using the create icon on the interaction cards.

  If your contribution meets our data quality criteria, even better.

• group_work How can I contribute?

  Thank you for being willing to help us! If you wish to enrich our database, please send your contributions to [email protected]. Please read our data quality criteria beforehand.

  If you wish to make periodic contributions or if you represent an association, please contact us at [email protected] in order to obtain personalized access to the publishing interface.

  Mixtures.info is a collaborative project that cannot exist without contributions!

• star_half What is the "reliability" variable?

  In a concern of transparency, the information provided by Mixtures.info is accompanied by a reliability index, which indicates the level of certainty of the delivered information.

  • Hypothetical: the sources are not sufficient to reach a conclusion, because they are rare or contradictory. It is necessary to make hypotheses from the properties of the substances or from a few testimonies.
  • Inferred: the data is based on a large number of testimonies. Some scientific studies can support them.
  • Proven: the data are the result of a solid convergence of testimonies and scientific knowledge.
• vertical_split Why separate Synergy and Risk?
  • The Synergy section compiles information about the effects of a combination and the mechanisms behind it, without assessing its dangerousness. It addresses a goal of accessibility of knowledge.
  • The Risk section is for people who would like to know more concretely what is involved in mixing two substances. It addresses a goal of harm reduction.

  Separating these two sections allows us to be more precise, to integrate more information, and to better address the needs of the readers: knowledge, safety, or both. People who want to integrate our data into third-party applications can choose the ones they are interested in.

• face Who is behind Mixtures.info ?

  This application is the brainchild of Tridimensionnel, editorial coordinator, and xyzt_, software engineer. However, Mixtures.info would be nothing without its wonderful team of contributors.

• all_inclusive Did you lose your mind with gender-inclusive writing?

  That's how it is (and that's final).

• bug_report I found a bug!

  Oops! Designing applications is not always easy, and it is possible that some defects have slipped into the source code of Mixtures.info. You can report any anomaly by opening a ticket on our bug tracker.

  For any suggestion, remark or amazing idea, you are also very welcome on our bug tracker.

playlist_add_check Data quality and reliability

The quality of the data provided by Mixtures.info is a subject we are particularly concerned of.

Each piece of information must be sourced, i.e. accompanied by a link to a resource testifying the validity of the information. Mixtures.info is ideally not a place to produce original research, but a place to gather verifiable information. Note that while wikis or forums are valuable tools, often linked to many high-quality sources, they are not in themselves sufficient sources.

Moreover, all information must be moderated in accordance with the quality of its origin. It is thus appropriate to distinguish:

• Sources of low to average reliability, such as testimonials or cross-checking of testimonies;
• Sources of reasonable reliability, such as valid scientific studies cross-checked by testimonies;
• Highly reliable sources, such as valid meta-studies cross-referenced with testimonials.

Example of an invalid contribution:

Polyuse of stimulants and depressants leads to more abuse than with each product alone. There is a high risk of addiction.

Example of a valid contribution:

This study shows that polyuse of stimulants and depressants would correlate with more risky practices and side effects than stimulant use alone. For example, in this testimony, the author's addiction to alprazolam was a consequence of their weekly MDMA use.

In the valid contribution, each piece of information is linked to its source: here, a study and a testimony. The study is probably a more solid source than the testimony, but it is not always possible to find one: the important thing is to be explicit about the nature of the source ("this study", "this testimony"), to not make information seem more reliable than it is. Also, since a single study is not very strong evidence, a conditional tone is used ("would be correlated").

In the end, the same thing was said as in the first example, but without asserting anything on its own and giving an accurate picture of the state of knowledge. These differences may seem minor, but applying these guidelines allows the reader to verify the information. False data can be life threatening, hence it is unthinkable to ask to be taken at face value.

lock_open Open source and open data licenses

Mixtures.info is a free, open source software, distributed under the GPLv3 license. Its entire source code is available on GitHub. This means you are free to understand the inner operation of this application, but also to contribute to it or copy it, as long as you respect this license.

The data provided by Mixtures.info is also free, since it is distributed as open data. They are however distributed under the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.

Please consult the relevant licenses to find out what you can and cannot legally do.

build Technologies used

Mixtures.info is programmed in Python using the Django framework. The display uses the Materialize framework. The application is now hosted on the wonderful fly.io platform, since Heroku kicked us out by changing their pricing policy. For an exhaustive list of software libraries in use, please see the source code.