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Re: [uos-convene] UOS Agenda and Logistical Details

To: Upper Ontology Summit convention <uos-convene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Mike Davis <davis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Bill Andersen <andersen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 01:10:52 -0500
Message-id: <CA98463D-2203-49FF-A479-D40BC022AACD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
An open letter to the UOS organizers and all key participants.   
Please read the whole thing.    (01)

        .bill    (02)

On Mar 9, 2006, at 19:24 , Adam Pease wrote:    (03)

> Peter,
>   That's good to hear.  My suggestion, with all respect to Mills,  
> would be to have Doug, Nicola and myself each present our views for  
> 1/2 hour each from 9am to 10:30am.  That's still quite limited, but  
> might give the group at least some of the groundwork needed to make  
> progress on an upper ontology summit.    (04)

Let me amplify Adam's comments:    (05)

For this proceeding to be taken seriously, there needs to be a clear  
focus, clear goals, and ample time given to discuss some very  
difficult topics.  All three are lacking from the proposed agenda.  I  
completely agree with Adam on his earlier points about lack of proper  
focus.  Now, let me move on to another topic.  Upon reading Adam's  
post I decided to look at the agenda myself:    (06)

        http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?UpperOntologySummit/ 
UosApplicationDialogMeeting_2006_03_15    (07)

I discovered that Wednesday morning's agenda is a platform for  
commercial vendors of "ontology" tools to talk about and demonstrate  
their products and/or positions.  This is a completely inappropriate  
activity to be mixed in with a scientific discussion of upper  
ontology and an attempt at reconciliation of UOs as engineering  
efforts.  I had absolutely no idea such an activity was planned.  Had  
I known I would have protested.  Who is the audience for this?  Why  
where these particular parties selected?  Who selected them?  Is the  
press invited?  What statements have been prepared to give to the  
press regarding these commercial interests?    (08)

We all deserve answers to these questions.    (09)

I have given freely of my valuable time to help shape the wording and  
agenda for the summit.  I work very hard to keep my life as an  
academic researcher in this area separate from my interest in my  
company.   Now I find out that my efforts and name and reputation and  
even that of my company are being used in part to foster the  
commercial interests of those in competition with us?  This is an  
absolutely unheard of outrage!!!!!    (010)

I can't speak for Adam or for Doug Lenat, but If you're going to have  
demos, then why not include demos of Ontology Works IODE, Cyc, and  
Sigma – the most mature products in existence that have REAL upper  
ontologies in them.  Either open it up to anyone with an actual ULO- 
based product, or kill the commercial content altogether.  I suggest  
killing the commercial content so we can stick to the science and  
engineering.  So...    (011)

Can any of you explain any of this???    (012)

If not, then I will formally (and *very* publicly) withdraw my  
personal support and that of my company for the UOS effort.   
Moreover, I will in the strongest possible terms urge my commercial,  
academic, and government colleagues to do the same.    (013)

        .bill    (014)

Bill Andersen (andersen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Chief Scientist
Ontology Works, Inc. (www.ontologyworks.com)
3600 O'Donnell Street, Suite 600
Baltimore, MD 21224
Office: 410-675-1201
Cell: 443-858-6444    (015)


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