Re: [tm-pubsubj-comment] TM Fragments (was: tuesday conference)

[Lars Marius Garshol <larsga@garshol.priv.no>]

* Lars Marius Garshol
|
| [extracting fragments from topic maps]
| 
| OK. Let's say that you want the topic "Puccini" from the Italian
| Opera topic map. What should we send you? "Puccini" is an instance
| of "composer", it has names in the scopes "normal form" and "short
| name"; which of those topics should we send you, and how much of
| them? And how many of the topics needed to understand *their*
| characteristics should we send you?

* Thomas Bandholtz
|
| What would the user want to learn about "Puccini" first
| (semantically)?

That's the relevant question, but I think the answer to it is
application-dependent. That's why I think making a generic algorithm
for fragment creation is inherently difficult.
 
* Thomas Bandholtz
|
| This is one aspect I do not like about XTM. Types are Topics. Scopes
| are Topics .... Everything is a Topic. I see some trends even to
| make associations a Topic. This is an intersting philosophical
| discussion, but not a working formal syntax.
| 
| Something like this has never been defined in the ISO standard
| itself - only in XTM, an interchange format. But this is another
| story. See my thread about "formal syntax".

The HyTM syntax *does* treat types and scopes as topics. As for ISO
13250 that now includes both HyTM and XTM.
 
* Lars Marius Garshol
|
| And, most of all, I am not at all sure that this is in any way
| relevant to published subjects.
 
* Thomas Bandholtz
|
| I think this is the most relevant aspect. If we are publishing
| information that not really has been requested by the user, he will
| not consult us the next time.

I don't understand this. Published subjects are not about the users,
but about creating identifiers for abstract subjects. The concerns of
the users certainly do enter the picture, but only after the subjects
have been identified.

When you publish subjects you are *not* talking to users, you are
creating a binding point. There is an additional level (the
assertions) between you and the users.

-- 
Lars Marius Garshol, Ontopian         <URL: http://www.ontopia.net >
ISO SC34/WG3, OASIS GeoLang TC        <URL: http://www.garshol.priv.no >