[xtm-wg] Identified Objects vs Conceptual Subjects [Re : Formal semantics ...]

["Bernard Vatant" <b.vatant@wanadoo.fr>]

"formal semantics" looks to me a weird association if any :

<sam> Semantics : That on what we cannot agree </sam>

Damn' good definition ! But I would add : that on what "we" *have* to agree
somehow  anyway, by some sort of consensus, ready to change this consensus
terms depending on who is "we" and what "we" are about.

"Formal" means "syntax". Hence "formal semantics" means "syntax
semantics" ? Help !

To avoid this kind of mismatching may we could distinguish two fundamental
Topic Classes :

1. Identified "Objects" : Individual people, Registered Trademarks,
Referenced Products, Domain Names, Geographical Administrative Subdivisions
... any thing with legal, normative, numerical existence and/or non
ambiguous identifier. (even Planet Mars could be one of such, for all
purposes). For TM authors, this kind of Topics *is* its unique identifier.
Topics of this class should be merged in any TM merging without any
semantic question. "John Lennon" *is* "John Lennon" in any context.

2. Conceptual "Subjects" : have only semantic definition, depending on the
map context, and should never be merged without explicit agreement of map
authors. e.g : "Musicians" and "Planets" are at this level.

My present line of thought is to consider a valid TM architecture should
clearly begin by sorting out those two levels, and there should not be
"ontologic" or "semantic" questions at the first level, with some pragmatic
consequence: if a semantic question raises at this level, then drive it to
second floor office, where ontologists serve coffee 24/24.




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