-----Original Message-----
From: ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ontology-summit-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John F. Sowa
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 9:50 PM
To: Ontology Summit 2008
Subject: Re: [ontology-summit] [Quality] What means (01)
Barry and Pat, (02)
The word 'science' is not an honorific that implies truth. The
majority of publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals
become obsolete within a few years after publication.
*PRB* I believe truth to be a relative term in both space and time, also the
term "Scientific" just like "Industrial strength" is a form of branding and
its value depends on the public perception of the scientific community which
as we know has had its own ups and downs. (03)
Furthermore, the term 'standard' applies to engineering artifacts,
not to scientific theories. The purpose of a standard is to stabilize
an engineering design at a stage where it can provide a fixed,
reliable platform for the development of products and applications. (04)
*PRB* "Standard" now there is an interesting term indeed and again not so
sure there is anything true or absolute about a standard. Standards are
commercial vehicles for influencing the market. Companies spend their money
supporting standards because it gives them an advantage, having said this
you also frequently find that the individuals designated to represent a
company are in fact capable of acting in the best interest of the community
as a whole even if this is not apparently in the best interests of their
employer, typically they defend this using the "long term" vs. "short term"
argument. (05)
A fixed design, however, is an obstacle to innovation in the platform
itself, although it is valuable for promoting innovation in applications
that use the platform. In order to support fundamental research while
providing a stable platform for applications, it's important to
recognize that engineering, not science requires standards. (06)
*PRB* I would put it differently in that industry and commerce need
guidelines and frameworks but that these must be capable of evolving as
reference system itself is subject to change. (07)
BS> Biologists like easy ways. Also biologists need guidelines as to
> what they should be doing when they first recognize the need for
> ontologies. Alternatives (drive on the right; drive on the left;
> it's up to you) defeat this need. (08)
Are you talking about biologists doing pure science, or biologists
doing applied science (engineering)? The pure scientists should not
be restricted by any constraints by standards committees of any kind.
The engineers, however, must abide by standards that determine how
their products fit with products designed by other engineers. (09)
(And by the way, the terms 'pure' and 'applied' should not be
considered honorifics. For many, or perhaps most, purposes
applied science or engineering is more valuable.) (010)
The OOR resides in an ambiguous position between science and
engineering. For scientific purposes, it should be open to all
submissions, but for engineering purposes, it should support
some methodology for developing standards. (011)
But the question is who should develop the standards? The OOR?
Or engineering organizations that are closest to the applications? (012)
John (013)
Regards,
Peter Benson
Executive Director and Chief Technical Officer
Electronic Commerce Code Management Association (ECCMA)
peter.benson@xxxxxxxxx
P: +1 610 861 5990
F: +1 610 861 5992
Mobile: +1 610 462 5923
"Accurate descriptions start with ISO 8000-100 quality master data" (014)
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