[sc34wg3] a new name for the Reference Model

[Michel Biezunski]

From: Michel Biezunski <mb@coolheads.com>
To: <sc34wg3@isotopicmaps.org>
Subject: Re: [sc34wg3] "Topic Map" or "Topic Maps"?
Date: Thursday, January 02, 2003 12:12 PM

> Then I noticed that SRN - equally consistently - was using the plural
> ("topic maps paradigm"). Not quite sure how long he's been doing this, but
> it's definitely not forever. In Baltimore the lack of consensus became all
> too clear when I formulated N372, so I consistified - in line with SRN's
> practice. (As this was one issue I wasn't going to stand up and fight
over,
> who better to defer to than the inventor himself :)

It's not a personal SRN practice. The name of the standard
has always been "Topic Maps" (plural and capital letters). We
have tried to popularize this practice. (Apparently with not
100% success).

> We need to decide once and for all which way to go. Do we accept SRN's
> usage and rename TMCL and TMQL -- all of which I am happy to do? Or do
well
> allow TMCL and TMQL to establish a precedent that we all stick to?

I prefer the plural (and the capitalized form) because it
makes it clearer that we are speaking of a brand name
(the standard), as opposed to instances of user-created
topic maps. (Note the lower case letters).

Here is how it works:

"Topic Maps is an international standard that let users
create their own topic maps. A topic map can be interchanged
using an XML-based syntax or an SGML-based syntax. A topic
map can be displayed using a topic map browser that accepts
documents conforming to the Topic Maps standard. Etc. Etc."

Michel
===================================
Michel Biezunski
Coolheads Consulting
402 85th Street #5C
Brooklyn, New York 11209
Email:mb@coolheads.com
Web  :http://www.coolheads.com
Voice: (718) 921-0901
==================================