"the graph" WAS RE: [xtm-wg] Reification of topic map constructs

[Sam Hunting <sam_hunting@yahoo.com>]

Comments inline. I'm going to try to snip this such that anything
resolved by Dallas is left out (ie, this discussion is now "academic"
in the best sense of the word).

[daniel]
> If the vocabulary of graph and node is considered helpful, then by
> all means let's use it. It will also have the merit of being familiar
> to the RDF community. Any vocabulary that can help to build bridges
of
> understanding between communities is good, as far as I'm concerned.

We need to make sure that the spec is easily absorbed and meets the
space constraints mandated by the AG.

If in fact there are three layers presented, of markup, processing
model, conceptual model, with three notations to master (XML, graphs,
UML) that may be too much for the "Desperate Topic Map Hacker" to
absorb, and lengthy to boot. I will gladly trade partial understanding
by early adopters for ubiquity.

Therefore, explicating what Steve calls "the graph" is best left in a
supplementary (though authoritative, ie XTM-branded) monograph. We
don't want to end up building a boat in the basement -- though perfect
in concept and construction, it is too big for the basement stairs, and
hence cannot actually sail anywhere. 

[daniel]
> For me, the topic map graph *is* the topic map.

Well, as was famously said in another context, it depends on what the
meaning of "is" is. To me the topic map "*is*" the markup (my mission,
if you will, is about long-lived content, and "data outlives
programs"). About this we are not likely to agree, and need not even
argue, as long as we agree (which we do) that "the graph" is the result
of a topic map markup as processed (presumably by a topic map engine). 

Making this distinction to naive users and early adopters may be hard,
which is another reason for reserving explication of graphs for a
supplementary monograph. In fact, I don't ever recall hearing that
anything about "the graph" should be in 1.0 at all -- perhaps I
shouldn't have brought the subject up. Consider this a pre-emptive
strike...

S.


=====
<?-- "To imagine a language is to imagine a form of life."
     - Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations -->

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