On 9/15/13 12:49 PM, John F Sowa wrote:
> Paul,
>
> I agree with some of your points, but I'd like to qualify and extend
> others. My major disagreement is with the word 'complete':
>
> PT
>> Along with XML, HTML, HTTP, and related W3C standards, we have
>> a complete suite of tools for delivering documents containing
>> the information needed to the people who need it to act for the
>> success of the enterprise.
> I suggest that you replace the phrase "complete suite of" with
> "useful first cut at". (01)
John, (02)
I've created a new subject heading so that theme of this discussion
thread is a little more obvious to others. (03)
Additional comments are placed inline below.
>
> PT
>> I like Kingsley's "data-de-silo-fication" theme. (In fact, I'm soon to
>> give an internal tech talk called "Down With Silos! How linked data is
>> beautifying the information landscape").
> Yes, but... And the major "but" is that context is essential. I don't
> want to defend silos. But I do want to defend the three key terms in
> Tim B-L's DAML proposal of Feb 2000:
>
> Diversity, heterogeneity, and interoperability
>
> Tim B-L in http://www.w3.org/2000/01/sw/DevelopmentProposal (04)
Diversity, heterogeneity, and interoperability are the very goals that I
have in mind when I refer to data-de-silo-fication . Basically, when
dealing with Data, this is about making the critical transition from
Open Database Connectivity (as delivered by DBMS and/or OS specific
APIs) to Open Data Connectivity (which is what making Data webby or
web-like via hypermedia resources enables). (05)
As you know, the Semantic Web vision marketing kinda took place back to
front i.e., too much emphasis was placed on the endgame at the expense
of critical requisite infrastructure such as Linked Data (aka. webby or
web-like structured data). (06)
>> The Semantic Web concept is to do for data what HTML did for textual
>> information systems: to provide sufficient flexibility to be able to
>> represent all databases, and logic rules to link them together
>> to great added value. (07)
HTML made documents webby (or web-like) via hypermedia. (08)
RDF enables webby (or web-like) structured data representation via
hypermedia. It also enables incorporation of semantics (entity
definition and relations) as part of the aforementioned endeavor.
Unfortunately for RDF, its virtues have been cloaked by a series of poor
narratives. Examples include: (09)
1. conflating RDF model theory and data representation formats as
exemplified by the entire RDF/XML debacle
2. more recently, the tendency to conflate webby structured data
representation, RDF, and predicate logic. (010)
>> ...
>> The goal of interoperability between heterogeneous components that we
>> build is one that will test the extent to which the Semantic Web is
>> achieving its promise.The more diverse the systems interoperating,
>> the greater the merit of the Semantic Web.
>> ...
>> The diversity of systems successfully interfaced to the Semantic Web
>> will be an important indicator of success.
> There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all tool or notation for
> representing, using, relating, or reasoning about any aspect of human
> knowledge. (011)
I don't believe Paul is insinuating that one-size-fits all. Decoupling
data from applications is something that's facilitated by simply using
de-referencable URIs as denotation mechanisms with regards to structured
data representation. For instance, using HTTP URIs to denote entities
enables web-like structured representation (aka. Linked Data)
construction via the age-old entity relationship model. (012)
> The main reason why natural languages are so difficult to
> analyze is that they have achieved the ultimate level of flexibility:
> they can represent anything that anyone may want to say.
>
> There are also many important reasons for partitioning the Web and
> blocking access, as TBL says:
>> In the Semantic Web we can represent the whole range of policies
>> as logical assertions using classical logic with quoting and some
>> axioms about digital signatures. We replace the fixed structure
>> of groups and accounts in the web server with a component that
>> verifies assertions of the form...
> This is a critical issue that current IT systems handle with partial
> success, but everyone knows that more is needed. But the current SW
> tools have done nothing to help. (013)
With RDF based Linked Data in place, you can actually address pressing
issues such as privacy, attribute-based-access-controls (ABAC) [1][2]. (014)
Note, when I refer to RDF based Linked Data, it's a specific emphasis on
the fusion of RDF model theory and webby structured data representation
i.e., a variant of structured data representation endowed with human-
and machine-readable semantics (entity definition and relation
semantics). What Pat Hayes refers to as Blogic [3]. (015)
>
> PT
>> One of the hallmarks of "legacy" systems is the unfortunate choice
>> to closely couple these components.
> There are many good and bad features of current systems. But it is
> counterproductive for SW advocates to use the word 'legacy' as a
> general put-down of systems that solve mission-critical problems
> -- especially when the SW toolkit cannot begin to address them. (016)
The issue of 'legacy' ultimately boils down to how folks seek to work
with data (as Ed outlined in his earlier post). Personally, I believe
that open data connectivity (where data and database management systems
are loosely coupled) is now replacing open database connectivity (which
is dbms engine and host operating system constrained) at the apex of the
data-exploitation-value-pyramid [4][5]. Put differently, contemporary
agility pursuits (for individuals or enterprises) are no longer best
served by conventional SQL RDBMS technology which actually suffers
(massively) from a one-size-fits-all approach to everything :-) (017)
Links: (018)
[1] https://plus.google.com/112399767740508618350/posts/BBGtT6P3Cvv --
Attribute Based Access Controls (ABAC)
[2] http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/drafts/800-162/sp800_162_draft.pdf
-- Attribute
[3] http://www.slideshare.net/PatHayes/blogic-iswc-2009-invited-talk --
Blogic
[4] http://bit.ly/14QWb4N -- post about Open Data Connectivity and Open
Database Connectivity
[5] http://bit.ly/1aNpdFY -- Time for RDBMS Primacy Downgrade is Nigh! (019)
Kingsley
>
> John
>
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> (020)
-- (021)
Regards, (022)
Kingsley Idehen
Founder & CEO
OpenLink Software
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