ontolog-forum
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Database and Ontologies [was-Re: [ontolog-forum] A problem]

To: "[ontolog-forum]" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Duane Nickull <dnickull@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2006 09:14:26 -0700
Message-id: <C1089272.1D31%dnickull@xxxxxxxxx>
Some clarifications:    (01)

According to most common definitions of the terms, information is either
structured or unstructured.  How can it be "semi-structured"?  If is has
some structure, then it is structured ipso facto.    (02)

What is more relevant to programmers for structured information is
determinism.    (03)

The data dictionary approach has been largely discredited based on the
mathematical explosion of contexts or general lack of context and the age
old "you say toe-may-toe; I say Tah-ma-toe" issue.  Some improvements have
been made in recent years such as the UN/CEFACT Core Components Technical
Specifications Context methodology and the notion of structured terms (comes
from UDEF).  Both of these can incrementally improve the overall chances of
such a dictionary succeeding but a dictionary by itself should fail to
scale.    (04)

UN/CEFACT's contribution included an 8 dimensional matrix to overlay a
mapping from a abstract conceptual classes to the instances of ontologcical
classes.  UDEF's useful contribution was the notion of using structured
terms for denoting ontological concepts.  Although the current iteration of
UDEF had some flaws, the structured terms are very valuable IMO.  If I give
you a word like "unmorgiddable", because of its' inferred structure (the un
at the beginning and the "able" as a suffix), you might get a general clue
as to what it means even though the root "morgidd" is not defined.    (05)

Of course, take this all with a grain of salt.  I think the entire field is
still in its' infancy.    (06)

Duane    (07)

On 8/16/06 5:45 AM, "Roy Roebuck" <Roy.Roebuck@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:    (08)

> I would submit that a domain or broader enterprise thesaurus may be used as a
> form of advanced "data element dictionary" regarding the database metadata and
> as the "unifying" foundation for the full vocabulary present in the domain or
> enterprise-bounded unstructured, semi-structured, and structured content
> (metadata and data).
> 
> As part of that, selecting a definition for each thesaurus entry from an
> online dictionary such as WordNet, or adding your own definition (e.g., using
> Pat Cassidy's recent tool for building commonly understandable definitions
> using LDOCE, referenced below) would give you the specific "sense or meaning"
> of each thesaurus term in a given use or context.  It would also give you the
> means to identify "synonyms" and such of each term, as well as the
> "enterprise-preferred" and "domain-variant" terms.  This puts you into the
> position to technically implement multi-lingual (as well as multi-domain) term
> translation.
> 
> Then you start a "term refinement and standardization process" as part of a
> normal improvement, development, modernization, and enhancement effort, all
> within a more encompassing spiral life cycle management process for the domain
> or enterprise, encompassing the value-chain of the enterprise within its
> environment.  I have diagrams and such on this generalized-management-process
> spiral life cycle for anyone that is interested, available at no cost under a
> Creative Commons license.
> 
> See ANSI/NISO Z39.19-2005 ISBN 1-880124-65-3, Guidelines for the Construction,
> Format, and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies.  There are also
> related ISO standards for monolingual and multi-lingual controlled
> vocabularies.
> 
> See Longman's Dictionary of Contemporary English (also called LDOCE.  Longman
> Publishers Ltd., London: http://pewebdic2.cw.idm.fr/)
> 
> Roy
>  
> CommIT Enterprises, Inc.
> Enterprise Architecture for Enterprise Management, Security, and Knowledge
> 
>  
> Roy Roebuck III
> Senior Enterprise Architect
> 2231 Crystal Drive, Ste 501
> Arlingon, VA 22202
> roy.roebuck@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> mobile: 
> fax:  
> direct:
> +1 (703)-598-2351
> +1 (703) 486-5540
> +1 (703) 486-5506
>  
>  
>  
>  
> Add me to your address book...
>  
>  
>  
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Marcel van
> Mackelenbergh
> Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 6:12 AM
> To: [ontolog-forum]
> Subject: RE: Database and Ontologies [was-Re: [ontolog-forum] A problem]
> 
> Hi, 
> 
> I would like to join the merge-database/ontologies challenge. What I
> would like to understand is what an agent needs to do to interpret
> correctly what is meant by the information in the database/ontology. I
> want to prevent that information is interpreted in the wrong way because
> the agent did not have the context for which the information was
> developed.
> 
> Marcel
> 
> Marcel van Mackelenbergh
> Be Value
> Apeldoorn, the Netherlands
> mvanmackelenbergh@xxxxxxxxxxx
> www.be-value.nl
> Phone: +31 55 - 599 4400
> Cell:    +31 6 - 270 44 918
> 
> 
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ontolog-forum-
>> bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Peter P. Yim
>> Sent: dinsdag 15 augustus 2006 17:26
>> To: [ontolog-forum]
>> Subject: Database and Ontologies [was-Re: [ontolog-forum] A problem]
>> 
>> Thank you for the post, Tanya.
>> 
>> 1. Problem with registration: I'll try to resolve this with you
>> offline.
>> 
>> 2. Database and Ontologies:
>> 
>>> [TM] I am very interested to participate in discussions and
>>> research about merging databases and ontologies, bringing
>>> database practices to ontological development and other
>>> issues related to databases and ontologies.
>> 
>> [ppy] presumably, (almost) anything related to ontologies would
>> be within scope for us at Ontolog. Obviously how database and
>> ontologies relate to each other in the next generation
>> semantic/knowledge-based applications would be an area well worth
>>   delving into.
>> 
>> Let's find out who else is interested ... ANYONE?
>> Like what Tatiana has done here, if anyone is interested or
>> working in this area, please indicate by responding to this
>> thread, and suggest what you want to see and/or what you can
>> bring to the table, as far as this topic is concerned.
>> 
>> ... Being a community of practice (ref:
>> http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?CommunityofPractice) this
>> topic will get addressed if there is adequate interest and energy
>> behind it from the community.
>> 
>> Thanks you for highlighting this important topic, Tanya.
>> 
>> Regards.  =ppy
>> --
>> 
>> 
>> Tatiana Malyuta wrote Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:51:30 -0400:
>>> Peter,
>>> 
>>> I am terribly sorry to bother you with such silly things. I wanted
> to
>>> participate in the conference calls and many times tried to register
> at
>>> the site that is in the bottom of your invitation emails. However, I
>>> failed to do so. I emailed the Customer Support of the site, but
> haven't
>>> recieved any response. That is why I haven't participated and did
> not
>>> respond to the invitations.
>>> 
>>> Maybe you could tell me what possibly I am doing wrong.
>>> 
>>> In general, I am very interested to participate in discussions and
>>> research about merging databases and ontologies, bringing database
>>> practices to ontological development and other issues related to
>>> databases and ontologies. Can you direct my here? Please disregard
> if
>>> you are not involved with this.
>>> 
>>> Sorry again and thank you,
>>> 
>>> Tanya
>>> 
>>> P.S. Please disregard the previous email--I hit Enter by mistake.
> Sorry.
>> 
>> _________________________________________________________________
>> Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Config:
>> http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
>> Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
>> Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
>> To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> 
>  
> _________________________________________________________________
> Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
> Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Config:
> http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
> Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
> Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
> To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>  
> 
> _________________________________________________________________
> Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
> Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Config:
> http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
> Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
> Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
> To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>     (09)


_________________________________________________________________
Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Config: 
http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    (010)
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>