Re: [topicmaps-comment] RE: OASIS vs W3C

[Lars Marius Garshol <larsga@garshol.priv.no>]

* Sam Hunting
| 
| This is exactly the function that the topic map graph (TMPM4)
| performs -- handling all the pieces that are specialized in markup
| for interchange in a generalized way for database/knowledgebase
| uses.

This is a very dangerous thought! Whatever else PMTM4 may be for, it
is not for interchange. If it were to be used to for that it would
need an interchange syntax, which would increase the burden on
implementors to no gain for anyone at all. Topic maps already has an
interchange syntax: XTM 1.0. I don't see any role for PMTM4 in
interchange. 

As for whether PMTM4 is generalized or specialized I think it occupies
a very awkward position in between those states. Anyone who implements
it directly will be forced to both generalize it and extend it.
 
* Thomas B. Passin
|
| Another potential difference is the support each system gives for
| ontology and logic building.  Here, RDF has RDF Schemas, while Topic
| Maps has nothing but some PSIs so far.
 
* Sam Hunting
|
| Again, the templating mechanism in TMPM4 can perform this function.

Like Holger says the templating mechanism in PMTM4 is too weak to
really be useful for anything other than cause confusion by
representing a useless alternative to the real solution, TMCL.

Another thing is that to mix the schema language into the foundations
of the data model is likely to lead topic maps to come down with a
very severe case of gordic knot of the bootstraps.

The templating mechanism may have merit as part of PMTM4, but it needs
to stay at a single level for reasons of structural soundness.

| At a 30,000 foot level, I think the differences are clear -- at
| least in RDF schema, I'm struck by how often it is stated that RDF
| is for machines -- whereas topic maps are for both humans and
| machines ("humans are the ultimate arbiters of subject identity.")

Could you explain what this means? How is topic maps for humans in a
way that RDF is not, and what practical consequences does this have?

--Lars M.