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Re: [ontology-summit] Invitation to a brainstorming call for the 2011 On

To: ontology-summit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: David Price <dprice@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:03:53 +0000
Message-id: <4D090309.5020502@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
On 12/15/2010 10:16 AM, Matthew West wrote:
>
> MW: Well if OWL was just an abstract syntax for these fragments I doubt if
> anyone would be half as excited. What I think causes a collective groan
> amongst those that have been around for several decades in this space is the
> XML implementation on top of RDF. It is like inventing a square wheel when
> you have a round one sitting in the corner (SQL) and then layering something
> uncomfortably on top of it.
Hi Matthew,    (01)

It's hard to see how a standardized *Web* ontology language could have 
worked over SQL given the vendor lock-in strategy that's such a large 
part of the RDB market. Perhaps it could have been done, but we might 
still be waiting for it to happen. However, at least that complaint is 
based in industrial reality. The XML complaint isn't unless John and 
others also hate UML or expect everyone to use one, and only one, UML tool.    (02)

While the diagrams are nice, the normative UML interchange/computational 
format is XMI. Perhaps John and others are unaware of the failure of XMI 
for UML tools? I was shocked myself as I tried moving/processing 
UML/SysML models. At the OMG meeting where the model interchange group 
got started I made the statement that 'XMI is a complete failure in 
industry' and nobody, not even the UML vendors, could disagree. It's 
OMG's dirty little secret I guess. Humorously, a DOD guy banged his hand 
on the table in mock horror and read a prepared statement about DOD's 
requirement for OMG to fix this for UPDM. BTW UPDM testing still hasn't 
started and that meeting was 18 months ago. At least RDF/XML works and 
the W3C has improved the situation for those who dislike XML with 
turtle, etc. in OWL 2.    (03)

FWIW in our Semantic Web training we specifically talk about users with 
a DL focus vs. those that use software engineering practices to manage 
'OWL Full', and more with SPIN/SPARQL, and less with RDF(S).  So at 
least 600+ potential users have been exposed to the fact that there's 
more than one way to use OWL and related languages. We do what we can ...    (04)

Cheers,
David    (05)

-- 
Principal Consultant
TopQuadrant, Inc.
US Phone +1 336-283-0606
UK Mobile +44 7788 561308    (06)


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