RE: [xtm-wg] Grandfathered Public Topics [Was: lazy processing... ]

[Peter Jones <peterj@wrox.com>]

>but we need some real basic stuff like simple logical expressions.

Following some postings to the list, I had (a revelation) and an off-list
discussion with Steve N and Michel about this. Topic Maps (ISO 13250)
deliberately omit any logical stuff (e.g. operators and quantifiers,
disjunction types, term equivalence and substitution rules, etc.) from the
specification. This is because a Topic Map can (if you want) present a set
of denotations needed for the terms of a set of logical expressions in
whatever format/syntax those are expressed. That way it provides a resource
to existing syntaxes for logical expressions like Knowledge Interchange
Format without reinventing the wheel. Clever, eh? 
(I nearly fried my brain when I spotted that one.)

best,
Peter

-----Original Message-----
From: Murray Altheim [mailto:murray.altheim@eng.sun.com]
Sent: 20 July 2000 21:26
To: xtm-wg@egroups.com
Subject: [xtm-wg] Grandfathered Public Topics [Was: lazy processing...]


"Steven R. Newcomb" wrote:
[...]
> > 2) Who controls TM construction?
[Peter Jones replies...]
> 
> Yes and no.  At first, HTML didn't require gradual community
> development; it required that a few people make a gift of it to the
> world.  Only then, with HTML already at work, could the world adapt to
> HTML enough to make HTML better adapted to the world's needs.  I think
> the situation with topic maps is similar.  We have to complete the XTM
> Spec in such a way that conforming TMs, as you put it, can "fit
> together to make a coherent lookup table across the WWWeb".  That's
> the way 13250 works, and there's no reason why the XTM Spec can't work
> that way, too.  Contrary to what you say, I would argue that we can
> and must standardize the syntax and semantics of topic maps, in order
> to preserve the opportunities for merging.  What we *can't* do is to
> standardize limitations on the semantics of topics.  (Nor does anybody
> in Topicmaps.Org want to, as far as I can tell.)  We must also provide
> for the development of communities around sets of topics, and the
> development of sets of topics around communities.  13250 does that
> with the notion of "public subjects", and so can the XTM Spec.

With OCLC and the library community advertising that they've registered
their 44 millionth entry (!) in WorldCat [1], we might want to take
notice of other high-energy activities and try to rope them in.

  "The more than 44 million records in WorldCat represent more than 
   750 million items held in libraries around the world."

The fact that they use a common XML Dublin Core-based markup [2] 
suggests that we should bring existing communities into our activity
as much as possible, or at least contact and coordinate with them. 
This is why I think the library community should [and must, IMO] be
involved in XTM, to *both* of our advantage, as well as the obvious
public benefit. Additionally, we should look at other topic-oriented
classification systems that we could grandfather in as public topics,
such as Dewey or US Library of Congress (I assume there are some 
relevant European and Asian systems). There may be some standardized
relationship systems (ontological, mathematical, epistemological, 
architectural, social, etc.) that could be included -- "A Pattern 
Language" comes to mind, even, but we need some real basic stuff
like simple logical expressions.

As with the Web, it won't be the developers of the specs that make it
a success, it'll be the community at large. We can facilitate their
use of topic maps by bringing in existing public topics wherever they
exist, or at least showing how *they* could do that. Some type of 
white paper to this effect would be helpful.

The more we take advantage of other communities that have strong needs
for topic-based classification, cataloging and navigation the better. 

Murray

[1] http://www.oclc.org/oclc/press/20000628.htm
[2] http://www.oclc.org/oclc/corc/
...........................................................................
Murray Altheim, SGML/XML Grease Monkey     <mailto:altheim&#64;eng.sun.com>
XML Technology Center
Sun Microsystems, 1601 Willow Rd., MS UMPK17-102, Menlo Park, CA 94025

      In the evening
      The rice leaves in the garden
      Rustle in the autumn wind
      That blows through my reed hut.  -- Minamoto no Tsunenobu

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