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Re: [ontolog-forum] Data Models v. Ontologies (again)

To: "[ontolog-forum]" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: "Len Yabloko" <lenya@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 15:09:23 +0000
Message-id: <W697152547304501212073763@webmail21>
Sean, Ed and John     (01)

I think even drifted so far as it seems off topic this discussion is still 
highly relevant to the question of data modeling and ontologies. I would 
formulate main question as: can any methodology developed by trial and error 
from bits and pieces of unrelated efforts serve as sufficient basis for 
industrial engineering? (I hope not every word in this sentence needs 
definition). Needless to say - my answer is - NO.     (02)

EB> So did the medieval master builders apply some unifying paradigm like
the theory of evolution? No. Did they get consistent scalable
production? Yes, by the hundreds! Were they engineers?    (03)

I don't think they had any choice! Nor did the people who followed their 
orders. I find it very ironic that today anyone would try to learn from 
practices of "dark ages". Whatever great accomplishments of medieval times - 
were made despite oppression of ignorance and with enormous waist of time and 
human life.    (04)

In fact it is return to forgotten ancient Greek culture (philosophy included) 
that even made Renaissance possible. I would argue that renaissance men and 
women where looking for unifying principles and found it in Greek art and 
philosophy. And I believe that we should follow their example.    (05)

Later another such "paradigm shifts" led to enlightenment and industrial 
revolution and to modern technological revolution. And I dare to suggest that   
failures of AI are simply a call for yet another paradigm shift. By the way if  
Renaissance people were so proud of their immediate predecessors and so 
dismissive of philosophy - the would be no Renaissance.    (06)

And let me remind all of you how this discussion began:
>EB: We are talking about knowledge engineering, and in that field, "ontology" 
>is a term for a model of knowledge. 
http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/cgi-bin/mesg.cgi?a=ontolog-forum&i=W751621645178191211477052%40webmail1    (07)

In my view "ontology" is that new paradigm, it offers us all ingredients for 
next big step. As for term 'model', which we almost forgot with all the 
excitement of medieval cathedrals, - it needs to be applied with full rigor    
to both software engineering and knowledge (not yet)engineering. 'Model' is 
fundamentally a set of constraints, which must be applied universally and 
uniformly to all products of information engineering. Where is it in knowledge 
engineering?       (08)






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