Re: [xtm-wg] For a general formalism of the semantic web - for more patient and formal work

[Robert Barta <rho@bigpond.net.au>]

Bernard Vatant wrote:
> Do you think Newton should have stopped war with Leibniz about calculus,
> saying "well, forget it, there will never be more than a few dozen people
> understanding that stuff anyway". 

That war lasted half a century.

> > 4) all specifications of the semantic web manipulates the same kind of
> basic
> > objects. Each specification has specialized some objects for their
> specific
> > need (ontology, index, complex document set...) and create their own
> syntax

Oh, oh, I smell something like the "big unified theory", "Weltformel".
Even if it existed, it would be pretty useless. The world follows the
20:80 rule:

   20% of the effort for 80% of the effect.

In other words: There will never, ever be a single theory.

In astrophysics we do our trajectories with Newton, but explain
solar activities with quantum-chromodynamics. Two considerable different
(and even conflicting) theories.

> > 9) I don't mean there is not specific issue processing a TM (as it has a
> > complex and rich structure) - I mean that it is important to have a basic
> > formalism to talk about the basic components of the semantic web, shared by
> > all the specifications.......

> > 11) the process may seem a little to long to some of us ..

Shall we meet in the next century and check out how far we got? ;-)

> > 12) I see a lot of argument against a formal description using the concept
> > of graph theory that say : I will not understand it, so I will  not use it,
> > so it is not useful.

Having myself quite some formal training, I have learned the 'Internet
lesson'
(or at least what I think it is):

   "Better simple than correct."

Not only helped it to build big businesses (no names, M$) but it
provided
people (millions of authors) a 'transition path'. If we start up with
anything
more complicated than a kitchen-sink than it will not take off.

Before the web there have been far better technical info-systems, not
suffering
from broken links: symmetric hyperlink systems, automatic integration
of multimedia, payment integrated. They were too complicated for the
authors.

\rho

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~>
Get great low international calling rates
from Net2Phone! Click Here!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/fBRVBB/kJXCAA/4ihDAA/2n6YlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------_->

To Post a message, send it to:   xtm-wg@eGroups.com

To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: xtm-wg-unsubscribe@eGroups.com 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/