Re: [humanmarkup-comment] ARTICLE: GSA: Human Markup Language -- asData and Within Data

[Rex Brooks <rexb@starbourne.com>]

Good Work Ranjeeth!

I just wanted to congratulate you on your effort here. I know great 
an effort this was and I want to say that it paid off, regardless of 
how well GSA responds, though I expect they will respond positively. 
I say that because this is a fine short summary white paper on its 
own.  I suggest we edit it for that purpose, which can be 
accomplished simply by slightly toning down the emphasis on 
governmental services and substituting or adding a few business 
applications, but we can work on that later.

Thanks,
Rex

At 3:10 PM -0500 11/26/01, Ranjeeth Kumar Thunga wrote:
>I wanted to share an article draft I wrote for the GSA Newsletter (part of
>the US Gov't).  I didn't get a chance to incorporate many of your input's
>during time constraints, but they had mentioned it should only be an
>introductory essay anyway.
>
>
>
>I've been away from discussion for a while, and probably for some more time
>due to non-HumanMarkup constraints, but I do have some important ideas to
>share (and some past work to assemble).  I do invite all of you to develop
>formal documents which may explain aspects of our work to this date, or
>ideas you may have, in a summarized format.  This will be of tremendous
>help.
>
>
>
>Ranjeeth Kumar Thunga
>
>
>
>----------------
>
>
>
>Title: Human Markup Language--as Data, and Within Data
>
>
>
>As a society, and within our government, we have celebrated having immediate
>access to data.  Recent technical advances have enabled us to transmit and
>exchange information instantly and reliably.  XML standards are starting to
>become very promising as universal formats of data representation and
>exchange.   We may conclude that these proposed solutions will finally
>eradicate our data communication problems.  Yet, something essential still
>appears to be missing.
>
>
>
>Systems based on current XML formats are able to deliver data in a manner
>all platforms can readily interpret, transfer, and store.  Yet, when all is
>said and done, we must sit back and answer the following questions as well:
>Is the data clear, not only in its content, but also in its context?  Does
>this data adequately represent the individuals it is supposed to?  Is this
>data meaningful for you, for them, for us?  And, does this data truly
>reflect a system of government "of the people, by the people, and for the
>people"?
>
>
>
>Very often, this isn't the case.  Very often, fundamental human
>characteristics within data are ignored, abandoned or even deliberately
>removed.  Thus, Human Markup Language (HumanML) has been launched as an XML
>specification designed to represent and embed human information explicitly
>as data and metadata.  What is this human information?  This is any
>characteristic that uniquely describes aspects of us as human beings.  This
>can include our basic physical characteristics, as well as our intentions,
>motivations, socio-cultural descriptors, beliefs, values, and behaviors.
>Further, constructs representing our mindsets, or psychological schemas, can
>be made explicit through a combination of several different HumanML modules.
>
>
>
>Anecdotal summaries, which have so far been the only means of qualitatively
>representing human characteristics, cannot be interpreted or parsed by
>applications.  Thus, it is now up to us to design systems that can make
>human information available as explicit, parsable data.  Data representation
>of human characteristics would have to be fluid, flexible, and contextual,
>yet at the same time adhere to universal standards.  All these needs can be
>met through XML.  Thus, by designing an XML framework of human
>characteristics, we can greatly clarify the scope, purpose, and context of
>information by effectively representing human information as data.
>
>
>
>There are numerous ways in which HumanML can improve current systems.  An
>obvious example is in the enhancement of electronic records management.  In
>current systems, a minimal set of human information may be described.  These
>may include the name of the person, appropriate contact information, and
>perhaps geographical address.  However, these systems may be neglecting
>other human characteristics that may be absolutely essential for proper
>interpretation.  These characteristics could include the individual's
>background, motivation, intention, attitude, psychological state, personal
>perspective and belief.  Although these human details may never have been
>assembled before as explicit data, they may very well be essential in
>interpreting records within their proper context.
>
>
>
>Human information may be used not only as metadata, which provides context
>for preexisting data, but also as data itself.  We can adapt current
>systems, which already have the function of representing human data, towards
>XML based representations of the same data.  For example, public safety and
>social services databases, which currently may store human information,
>could soon adopt a universal format for exchanging data based on XML,
>through HumanML.  This would allow far more precise descriptions of
>individual characteristics and far more efficient exchange of data between
>one another.  Culturally and contextually specific frameworks can be easily
>customized and elaborated on to the degree they are needed, in an explicit
>fashion, through HumanML.
>
>
>
>When these systems are developed, they would have to inevitably address some
>important concerns-namely, the privacy, invasiveness, and security of such
>information.  It would be up to each application and agency to determine how
>to best gather, represent, and utilize this data in a manner that is
>representative and helpful, without being obtrusive.    We are continuing to
>explore a means by which we can provide individual access to a unified
>repository of human data, which can then be shared with appropriate
>agencies.
>
>
>
>An example of using a HumanML based data repository could be in allocating
>resources to individuals for various types of government assistance,
>including disaster relief.  Unique human considerations need to be taken
>into account in all solutions provided.  For example, during tragedies such
>as the WTC incident, custom tailored action plans could be automatically
>generated based on a HumanML representation of the cognitive framework of
>individuals.  For refugee relief or foreign aid, cultural context and
>individual specifics could be embedded directly within data.  This would
>allow us to accurately develop solutions that automatically take these
>factors into account.  Ultimately, a system of describing human
>characteristics through XML could allow for far more precise, targeted
>appropriation of government efforts than either impersonal statistical
>information or anecdotal summaries could provide on their own.
>
>
>
>How can such a system be technically developed?  Since HumanML is in fact
>XML, we can use all of the related XML technologies to help build this
>infrastructure.  Current XML based technologies can be used to transform
>(XSLT), message (SOAP), represent (XSLFO), query (XQuery), validate (XML
>Schema), and annotate (RDF) this information.
>
>
>
>Our effort, which had begun in early 2001, is being sponsored by OASIS as an
>official HumanMarkup Technical Committee
>(http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/humanmarkup).  OASIS is an
>international Internet consortium working with several hundred individual,
>corporate, government, and NGO members, as well as the United Nations, in
>developing universal non-proprietary open standards of information exchange
>through XML.  Additionally, we have recently organized HumanMarkup.org, Inc.
>as a separate non-profit company designed to support this work, by
>developing solutions and applications based on these specifications.
>
>
>
>We are currently in Phase 1 of the effort, which involves identifying the
>requirements and frameworks we will represent within HumanML.  This is an
>open source effort, and thus everyone is invited to participate in the
>discussion.  Additionally, we are hoping to develop formal relationships
>with government agencies especially interested in implementing these
>solutions by further inquiring about the needs as they currently exist.
>HumanMarkup.org, Inc. has been designed exclusively for this function.
>Thus, feel free contact us if you are interested in exploring these
>solutions.  With human specifications in place, we can ensure that our
>government truly does represent "We the People".
>
>
>
>Ranjeeth Kumar Thunga
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
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-- 
Rex Brooks
GeoAddress: 1361-A Addison, Berkeley, CA, 94702 USA, Earth
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