[topicmaps-comment] subject indicator technology

[David Dodds <drdodds42@hotmail.com>]

Hello all

here is my 2 bits and some questions.
Some Lisp systems use a thing called gensysmb, which amounts to g followed 
by an integer, as in g3918427 etc. They always start with a g and always are 
integer numbers after the g. all gensymb names are unique, which is to say 
that no integer is ever used twice.
so what you have is a unique name. in a sense a gensymb type name can be 
seen as a name or label for a point. unless the location of such a point in 
some reference spatial system is provided the point itself is neutral in 
meaning/"has no particular meaning". same with teh gensymb name per se.

problem with it is though that it doesnt convey anything itself, so one then 
has to have attributions which point at it or reference it in order to 
provide it with a meaning. Now we are back to the problem that Steve has 
pointed out, when multiple authors have DIFFERENT attributions pointing at 
or referencing the same point or gensymb label/name.

It seems we are all in agreement that there is a need to provide 
attribution/description to subjects but there is a need to make them either 
enforcibly unique utterly or to provide a context mechanism which we and 
programs can use to define/declare a context and thusly sort/ weed out/ 
delete from purvue /ignore any references/pointers to a given point/gensymb 
name not within the meaning/intent of the context be used at a given time.

In the dictionary words have numbered nuances. It seems like a weak method 
to me but perhaps something like that can be used as a context to decide 
which links/references/pointers to "allow"/"use"/"pay attention to" at a 
given usage/reference instance when a point/gensymb name has multiple 
attribution/description perhaps because of multiple authoring.




David Dodds


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp