[sc34wg3] Are topic maps about knowledge representation?

Sam Hunting sc34wg3@isotopicmaps.org
Thu, 11 Jul 2002 09:47:31 -0400 (EDT)


> > Personally I would relegate whatever claims one wants to make about 
> > topic maps to marketing literature and similar genres but don't feel 
> > it is worth the group's time to debate where such claims should be made. 
> 
> I agree whole-heartedly with this. In fact, I intend to still use the 
> k-word when speaking to those who I know will get the "buzz" from it. In 
> fact, I think the more important point is the pigeon-holing of TMs as a 
> "knowledge technology". This is an area in which TMs could play 
> strongly, but is it really the only one ?
> 
> Still, I'm sure there are other, more controversial things that this 
> group can discuss than the use of the k-word.

True -- if this were not the first paragraph of the introduction, starting
with the words "Topic maps are..." Since it will be going up in PowerPoint
slides all over the world, it will be one of the most important sentences
in the standard, which I imagine why Steve Pepper is focusing on it. So it
behooves us to get it right. 


Sam Hunting
eTopicality, Inc.

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