Re: [xtm-wg] Re: The Future of TopicMaps.Org

[Murray Altheim <altheim@eng.sun.com>]

Bernard Vatant wrote:
> 
>  [Murray]
> 
> > Before I attempt to answer such a loaded question, might anyone actually
> > *define* the "Semantic Web", and I don't mean some rather vague notion
> > of adding "knowledge on the web." What real problem(s) are you actually
> > trying to solve? What possible software do you plan to implement, or
> > could even conceive of implementing?  I don't know how anyone could
> > define a set of deliverables very well given the rather ambiguous or
> > nonexistent requirements. All I've seen so far are vague notions of
> > metadata and ontologies, technologies that already exist.
> 
> Did you read this article and does not it somehow address your question?
> 
> http://www.scientificamerican.com/2001/0501issue/0501berners-lee.html

Yes, I've read it. I consider that article marketing, not a technical plan.
I'm interested in hearing what someone who thinks they want to implement
"the Semantic Web" actually thinks it will be implentation-wise. Again,
what real problem is he trying to solve? It's not that there aren't 
technical problems to solve, but "Semantic Web" is currently just a bag
in which to throw a lot of ideas that have something to do with 
representing human knowledge outside of our heads, something humans have
been doing since they invented writing systems. Heck, we've been doing 
it since we started communicating with grunts:

  OG:  "Grunt, grunt, grunt!"
  UG:  "Grunt?"
  OG:  "Grunt, *grunt* [1]"
  UG:  "Grunt?"
  OG:  "Grunt. Grunt, grunt grunt grunt grunt!"
  UG:  (to himself) "I've got to talk to a lawyer about the IP on this one."

Murray

[1] http://interact.nps.navy.mil/Navigation/LandNavigation/htm/grunt-index.htm
...........................................................................
Murray Altheim                            <mailto:altheim&#x40;eng.sun.com>
XML Technology Center
Sun Microsystems, Inc., MS MPK17-102, 1601 Willow Rd., 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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