uos-convene
[Top] [All Lists]

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

To: "Upper Ontology Summit convention" <uos-convene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Mike Davis <davis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: "West, Matthew R SIPC-DFD/321" <matthew.west@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 15:34:17 -0000
Message-id: <A94B3B171A49A4448F0CEEB458AA661F02B9985F@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
I sympathise with Bill too.    (01)

Regards    (02)

Matthew    (03)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: uos-convene-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:uos-convene-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of 
> Bill Andersen
> Sent: 10 March 2006 06:11
> To: Upper Ontology Summit convention
> Cc: Mike Davis
> Subject: Re: [uos-convene] UOS Agenda and Logistical Details
> 
> 
> An open letter to the UOS organizers and all key participants.   
> Please read the whole thing.
> 
>       .bill
> 
> On Mar 9, 2006, at 19:24 , Adam Pease wrote:
> 
> > 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.
> 
> Let me amplify Adam's comments:
> 
> 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:
> 
>       http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?UpperOntologySummit/ 
> UosApplicationDialogMeeting_2006_03_15
> 
> 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?
> 
> We all deserve answers to these questions.
> 
> 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!!!!!
> 
> 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...
> 
> Can any of you explain any of this???
> 
> 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.
> 
>       .bill
> 
> 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
> 
> 
>  _________________________________________________________________
> Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/uos-convene/
> To Post: mailto:uos-convene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Community Portal: http://ontolog.cim3.net/
> Shared Files: 
http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/work/UpperOntologySummit/uos-convene/
Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?UpperOntologySummit    (04)


 _________________________________________________________________
Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/uos-convene/
To Post: mailto:uos-convene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Community Portal: http://ontolog.cim3.net/
Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/work/UpperOntologySummit/uos-convene/
Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?UpperOntologySummit    (05)
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>