[sc34wg3] a new name for the Reference Model

[Steve Pepper]

At 10:50 02.01.2003 +0100, Lars Marius Garshol wrote:

>* Steven R. Newcomb
>|
>| [...] I'm now thinking that I'd prefer just-plain "TM Metamodel"
>| over "TM Information Aggregation Metamodel."
>
>I have to say I agree. If we are to stick more than just "topic maps"
>and "metamodel" in there we should have some idea about what those
>extra words are going to do. Apart from giving us a pronounceable
>acronym I don't see that "Information Aggregation" gives us anything
>much.

Saying what the thing is *for* doesn't give us anything much????

Of course, it's only marketing, so in one sense it's irrelevant.

But (despite the way we sometimes behave) I think we would all genuinely
like "topic maps" to succeed in the market place. Having a name that
immediately conveys some impression of the kind of business problems we
address is one way to market our product.

I liked Jim's suggestion:

At 13:02 31.12.2002 -0500, Mason, James David (MXM) wrote:
>So likewise, we could name the model "Information Technology - Topic Maps -
>Information Aggregation Metamodel". That would get both the long name and
>the short name.

On the other hand, I recognize (and share) Steve N's concern that this
could imply that the "SAM" (whatever name *it* ends up with) doesn't do
information aggregation...

The more I think about it, the more I like the simplicity of the following:

RM:   Topic Maps Metamodel
SAM:  Topic Maps Information Set

OK, so the acronyms are unpronounceable. But who's ever going to need them?
Us, perhaps, especially during development. But we can just talk about
"the metamodel" and "the information set" once the topic map context has
been established (which is the default in our discussions anyway...):

   [tmm  = "Topic Maps Metamodel"
         = "the metamodel" /topicmaps
         = "Reference Model" /former-name ]

   [tmis = "Topic Maps Information Set"
         = "the information set" /topicmaps
         = "Standard Application Model" /former-name ]

All those in favour?

Steve

P.S. How about changing the name of WG3 from "Information Association" to
"Information Aggregation"? Doesn't that better describe the business we
are in?)

--
Steve Pepper, Chief Executive Officer <pepper@ontopia.net>
Convenor, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34/WG3  Editor, XTM (XML Topic Maps)
Ontopia AS, Waldemar Thranes gt. 98, N-0175 Oslo, Norway.
http://www.ontopia.net/ phone: +47-23233080 GSM: +47-90827246