Symbols, Signs and Signals

["Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@ingr.com>]

In a noodling mood...

We need some thoughts on using our current schema.  We have 
discussed the use of physical properties in processes such as 
identification.  Identification is a process used to establish 
for the sake of another process, a quantifiable identity property. 

I am considering our semiotic categories for symbols, signs, and 
signals and how they would be used in a given process.
A process model has a lot of advantages and are well known 
in communications theory and real time contol.  Whereas many 
use object models these days, process models have some advantages 
of not being quite as abstract, but suitably abstract, and 
applicable to many kinds of human communications both formal 
and informal.   They would serve as a means to organize 
the our other categories into a flow (to orchestrate so 
to speak) can are suitable to emergent systems in that 
process/control models separate the controls and controls 
are the token of emergence.

A lot of the work that would make HumanML useful is the assembly 
of what are sometimes called code lists.  In effect, these are 
enumerations but with an added description for interpretation. 
We have lists of these per Joe's work and that is as good a 
place to start if any if we can fill in more detail such as 
descriptive information.

It seems we need:

1.  The emotion plus description.
2.  Symbol sets that can be used to represent it.
3.  A means to associate expressions of emotions to 
    their symbolic representations or gestures.

Our categories in the schemas are weak but I don't know 
how to tighten them up without examples so we should start 
somewhere.  The emoticons seem like a low hanging fruit.   

When a symbol, signal, sign or message type is added, we 
additionally should be able to associate to process types 
in which it is likely to occur.  A process would be defined 
pretty much as the original systems theory texts define it 
and as used in real time control systems.   This is a very 
basic model of inputs, outputs with associated control 
specifications.  A process can nest.  

Symbols, signals, and signs may have a culture associated 
with them particularly symbols.  Culture is in one sense, 
the old environment model, but it accounts for history, 
yet is not confined to location since culture is carried 
as an aspect of community.

This is a lot of stuff.

It seems trivial, but what if we mapped the known emoticons, 
eg, what Miriam had on her list as a symbol set of XML Schema 
simpleTypes using regexes?  We can make up a culture, say, 
webHeads or something of the sort and fill in as much detail 
as we can.  We don't have to be hindered by political correctness 
in this, so for an exploratory example, it is ideal.

len