[sc34wg3] Use cases for occurrence variants

[Jan Algermissen]

Steve Pepper wrote:

> I would almost go as far as to say that without variants, occurrences
> are virtually useless. It surprises me that more people haven't thrown
> up their hands in despair. Maybe no-one is actually using topic maps?


There is a funtamental difference between a base name and an occurrence resource:

The basename is an abstract concept (that can be represented by various
information resources such as a string or a GIF image) while an occurrence
resource *is* by definition the infomation resource itself.

Unless we extend the notion of occurrence resource (now the information resource
that is relevant to the subject) to mean the abstract concept (as in the case of
basenames) variant occurrences just don't make sense. The desired occurrence
relationship between a topic and *various* information resources are (currently)
simply several different occurrence relationships.

Jan

> Steve
> 
> --
> 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
> 
> _______________________________________________
> sc34wg3 mailing list
> sc34wg3@isotopicmaps.org
> http://www.isotopicmaps.org/mailman/listinfo/sc34wg3

-- 
Jan Algermissen                           http://www.topicmapping.com
Consultant & Programmer	                  http://www.gooseworks.org