[xtm-wg] [ISS : URN] Subject Identifier Resolution

["Kal Ahmed" <kal@ontopia.net>]

In considering the specification of subject identifiers (be they URNs or
some other syntax), I think it is worth considering the aspect of
resolvability. I think this issue has been raised a couple of times on this
list, but not completely nailed. So I would like to raise a proposal for
kicking around.

I like the open-ended scheme that was discussed at the Swindon meeting,
which enables any one to declare any form of locator resolution mechanism
(which may or may not be a scheme implementatble in software) and then
provide a locator that corresponds to that mechanism (which may be
unecessary, if the resolution mechanism does not require a locator string).
However, it would also be useful to define and declare, a single, standard
resolution mechanism for XTM to work on the web. I propose a format like
this:

urn:<NID>:topicmaps.org:01122000:Internet Subject Resolution Standard:<xtm
spec version>:<encoded URL>

The way that the 'Internet Subject Resolution Standard' specifies resolution
of the encoded URL is simple. Follow the URL and you will receive (encoded
in text/xml), a topic map, conforming to the version of XTM specified in the
urn, which will contain at a minimum one, named topic with the entire URN as
one of its public subject identifiers. The characteristics of that topic can
then be assumed to describe the subject in question. The topic map received
may contain other topicmap constructs which the receiving application may
choose to use to further characterise the subject for the user.

This would enable the internet-based resolution of subject identifiers, but
a) would not require it and b) would ensure that those who want to perform
this sort of resolution have a standard way of doing it which does not
require the defining of any new mechanisms or syntax beyond that of the urn
scheme itself.

Thoughts / comments welcome

Cheers

Kal


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