Phew, thank goodness I got that right then! ;-)
From: Bashioum, Christopher D [mailto:cbashioum@mitre.org]
Sent: 16 November 2011 15:31
To: Peter F Brown; Laskey, Ken
Cc: soa-rm-ra@lists.oasis-open.org
Subject: RE: further thoughts on identifier and identity
This is a good point. Actually, it is probably the main point that should be made in the RAF.
From: Peter F Brown
[mailto:peter@peterfbrown.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 7:34 AM
To: Laskey, Ken; Bashioum, Christopher D
Cc: soa-rm-ra@lists.oasis-open.org
Subject: RE: further thoughts on identifier and identity
Ken,
Careful – “Some set of identifiers of a resource give rise to its identity”
No, identity is an equality between two sets of properties, nothing more, nothing less. In many (in digital world, all) transactions, we accept to compare a small sub-set of properties that fall short of the “true”, “complete”
identity of a person or entity in the real, analogue world. We need identity essentially to establish uniqueness and disambiguity, usually the latter: I don’t care if there are many Kens in the world, there is only one on the OASIS SOA-RM mailing list, so
that is sufficient for a particular context.
We can say therefore that “some set of properties of an entity can be considered as validly identifying that entity in a particular context”. Those properties indeed serve to “identify”
the entity but that is not the same as being the entity/resource’s identity. Something, btw, W3C still have all screwed up… ;-)
This is why I do not want to go into including Identity in any formal model because unless it states:
it will be wrong….
J
Peter
From: Ken Laskey
[mailto:klaskey@mitre.org]
Sent: 03 November 2011 13:59
To: Bashioum, Christopher D; Peter F Brown
Subject: further thoughts on identifier and identity
Good discussion yesterday on this. let’s see if I can remember the insights that came to mind as I was going to bed last night.
-
Some set of identifiers of a resource give rise to its identity. More colloquially, they identify the resource.
-
Some identifiers are assigned, e.g. your parents gave you a name. Some identifiers are inherent, e.g. (we believe) your retinal scan is unique to your physical being.
-
The necessary and sufficient identifiers to uniquely identify a resource may vary depending on the situation. (Note, while the retinal scan of Mark Twain may have been unique to the physical being, it seems
less relevant in identifying the historical figure. Also, while some situations would find the name Mark Twain to be a sufficient identifier, others might use Samuel Langhorne Clemens.)
-
For SOA, identifiers will be chosen/assigned that provide adequate identity; specifying those identifiers is beyond the scope of the SOA-RAF. (Chris: specifying those identifiers in our recent experience is
an annoying diversion from settling on what we need to do with identity should it be established.)
-
Description will certainly reference identifiers that unambiguously WITHIN A CONTEXT point to what is being identified.
-
That said, I think our previous definitions of Identity, Identifier, and Description hold nicely.
Note, there are numerous places in the RAF where we still talk about identity. I think making these points in section 3 would clarify what we mean and what are the limits we consider in scope
without drowning in philosophical arguments.
Ken
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Kenneth Laskey
MITRE Corporation, M/S H305 phone: 703-983-7934
7515 Colshire Drive fax: 703-983-1379
McLean VA 22102-7508