[sc34wg3] Individual contribution on the U.S. N.B. positiononthe progress ion of Topic Map standards

[Jan Algermissen]

Kal Ahmed wrote:
> 
> I detect a leading question, but I shall rise to the bait anyway - at
> least partially :-)
> 
> I can load a topic map created by Ontopia into TM4J (and vice-versa) -
> I can exchange information between multiple applications that implement
> topic map processing as described by ISO 13250. I can describe existing
> classification systems; thesaurii; CMS meta data and even relational
> tables in terms of topic map constructs (as defined by ISO 13250).
> 
> That means I can exchange information between applications successfully.

Hmm...so what? Of course you can since you use a common syntax. To me, this
is data interchange, not information interchange. I think 'successfull
information interchange" is achieved if I can hand you (and your application)
my data *and* the semantics that govern the data (my "ontological commitments"
if you like) and you would be able to understand them with the result that
you would construct the exact same graph from the data that I do.

> 
> There is much more that can be done based on existing ISO 13250 - it
> needs time to be embedded in the information ecosystem and time for
> research to be done and to push the boundaries of what the standard
> provides. Why does *ISO 13250*  need to do more ?

ISO 13250 does not enable what I described because it does not provide
a mechanism to agree on semantics (what has been partly described
by 'no ability to document merging rules').

Jan
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kal
> 
> On Tue, 2004-03-30 at 21:24, Jan Algermissen wrote:
> > Kal Ahmed wrote:
> >
> > > ...and
> > > people are managing to create all kinds of systems and to interchange
> > > information successfully.
> >
> >
> > Kal--
> >
> > this is no attempt to start an argument here, the follwoing question
> > is meant seriously:
> >
> > You say that people manage to interchange information successfully. Can
> > you be more explicit what that means?
> >
> >
> > Can you give an example (an existing project or so)?
> >
> >
> > What does it mean to *fail* to interchange information successfully?
> >
> >
> > What does it mean to overcome this failure and how do especially
> > Topic Maps solve contribute to overcoming this failure?
> >
> >
> > Or in other words, what part of Topic Maps make it possible to
> > "interchange information successfully"?
> >
> >
> > Again: no intention to be picky, I just like this stuff straightened
> > out because I am not entirely clear about this myself.
> >
> >
> > Jan
> --
> Kal Ahmed <kal@techquila.com>
> techquila
> 
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-- 
Jan Algermissen                           http://www.topicmapping.com
Consultant & Programmer	                  http://www.gooseworks.org