Hello Rex and Everyone,
<Rex> How should cultural modules be structured
to accomplish this for
situations involving the kind of contextual
information and
cross-cultural translations we have posited?
</Rex>
The only way to deal with cross-cultural translations
("CultureML") is to take an ad hoc approach whereby we develop a set of
standard forms that will need translation, a core cultural schema that can
allow translational reckoning between two or more sets of individual cultural
schemas.
Of course these modules will all fall under HumanMarkup,
since it would not be wise, or manageable for that matter, to splinter the
project into separate (read: completely divisible) modules. Each HumanML
schema, be it XML or RDF, can be denoted by the particular type of referent
that we are addressing, being it cultural, social, political, etc. All
referent schemas should be linked to a core HumanMarkup framework so that all
things are connected under the aegis of the HM specifications. Cultural
translations will be a very important part of HumanMarkup, but of course it is
one of many other areas of focus.
Harkening back to Len's prior discussions about "loose
coupling" of various domains, the only effective solution is to provide forms
that are translatable between each other. What does this particular greeting
mean to this culture? What does a nod mean in Turkey versus China? Simply put,
by encoding basic forms of cultural domains (dress, artifacts, gestures, etc)
we can translate, via XSLT templates or some other method, what each item
means among the communicants.
From another technical viewpoint, I proposed some time ago
that XML SOAP be considered for translational interchange.
The HumanMarkup SOAP
Request:
*****************************
<SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
<SOAP-ENV:Body>
<xmlns:HumanML="http://www.humanmarkup.org/Christian"
/>
<HumanML:GetWordMeaning>
<Word>heaven</Word>
</HumanML:GetWordMeaning>
</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
The HumanMarkup SOAP
Response:
******************************
<SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
<SOAP-ENV:Body>
<xmlns:HumanML="http://www.humanmarkup.org/Buddhist"
/>
<HumanML:GetWordMeaningResponse>
<Meaning>nirvana</Meaning>
</HumanML:GetWordMeaningResponse>
</SOAP-ENV:Body>
</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>
This simple and quite imperfect example is but one possible
solution. Whatever technical platform we use for cross-cultural translations,
we must start with good schemas that are extensible, broad, and continually
refined. I have always considered that HumanMarkup will always be a work in
progress and the continual refinement of cross-cultural communications will
never be a job that can be ultimately completed in any traditional sense.
Cordially,
Joe Norris
jwnorris@humanmarkup.org