RDM Demerit: Ignoring standards
Scenario
You are planning your project’s data workflow and you have to decide what format your data will take. People recommend you follow the well-known standard X, but you feel your data is special and just re-using a format used by every Tom, Dick, and Harry isn’t doing justice to your unparalleled thoughts and your unique dataset. We all had this impulse and often for very good reasons. However, this is usually a mistake and will produce problems later on, while your unique details get lost in conversions or missing documentation.
Solution
Unless you are really breaking new ground, miles away from any trodden path: Please follow established best practices and standards. The advantages of standardized ways of working beat any bespoke detail you might want to put into your own format. If you need to choose one from among many competing standards, avoid the temptation to develop an unifying new standard.