uos-convene
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [uos-convene] Potential Killer-App for a standard upper ontology

To: "Upper Ontology Summit convention" <uos-convene@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: "Obrst, Leo J." <lobrst@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:04:06 -0400
Message-id: <9F771CF826DE9A42B548A08D90EDEA80010CDA94@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Excellent suggestion, Jim. I certainly will subscribe.
 
Thanks!
Leo
 
_____________________________________________
Dr. Leo Obrst           The MITRE Corporation, Information Semantics
lobrst@xxxxxxxxx       Information Discovery & Understanding, C2 Center
Voice: 703-983-6770 7515 Colshire Drive, M/S H305
Fax: 703-983-1379    McLean, VA 22102-7508, USA
 


From: uos-convene-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Schoening, James R Mr CIV USA AMC
Sent: Fri 9/28/2007 5:49 PM
To: Upper Ontology Summit convention
Subject: [uos-convene] Potential Killer-App for a standard upper ontology

Upper Ontology Summit (2006) Attendees, (Apologies for cross-posting)

-----Original Message-----
From: Schoening, James R Mr CIV USA AMC
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 5:35 PM
To: standard-upper-ontology@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Potential Killer-App for Upper Ontology and Semantic Web

SUO Subscribers,

        Here's more information on the Higgins open-source project and
why it could provide (with our help) a de facto standard core ontology
for the Semantic Web.  You can participate by subscribing to the
Person-Ontology list at
http://idcommons.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/person-ontology (or send
me an email).

        Higgins is a response to Microsoft Windows CardSpace, designed
to give individuals control over their personal information and the
ability to securely interface with vendors, governments, people, etc.  

        IBM, Oracle, Novel, and some dot-coms believe enough in this
potential to fund at least 20 full-time developers.  If this takes off,
it could grow quite large.  After all, who doesn't want better control
of their personal information.

        Users will see significant benefits.  For example, to shop for
auto insurance, they will answer the standard industry questions and
obtain instant competitive quotes, with no middle man charging a fee.
Plus, with the Higgins security, this will be private, so you're not
sharing your profile with the world.   

        As soon as a base of users emerges (or is anticipated), vendors
will be eager to interface with them.  Some will collaborate to release
industry-specific extensions to the core ontology. 

        Why an upper ontology?  It's probably not needed for a
stand-alone person-ontology, but would help with industry extensions,
especially when vendors want to offer package deals with other
industries, for example, if an airline wants to offer rental cars.
Also, if this works with the buy-seller portion of a business, it could
expand to other parts of the operation.  This could quickly become a
global standard for semantics.

        How do we help?  The current Higgins Ontology is bare bones.  We
can make it better.  We'll be starting out as a parallel effort, but the
Higgins leaders are eager to see if we can do this, and to migrate to
it.

        To monitor or join this open-source project, subscribe to the
Person-Ontology list at
http://idcommons.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/person-ontology or send me
an email.

        Initial issues we'll address:

                a. Should Higgins consider a more robust
person-ontology?
       
                b. If so, what ontology language should it be developed
in?
         
                c. Should the Higgins Person-Ontology be based on an
upper ontology?

                d. If so, what candidate upper ontologies should be
considered, and which should be selected?

        Below is my original posting, which privides more information
and links on the Higgins project.

        Please Reply with any comments or questions (to this SUO list),
or join us on the Person-Ontology list.  Thanks.

Jim Schoening


-----Original Message-----
From: Schoening, James R Mr CIV USA AMC
Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 5:49 PM
To: 'standard-upper-ontology@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: User-centric ontology needed by another project

 SUO Subscribers,
       
        Here's a project that needs our help; and in turn, could provide
a user base for an upper ontology.

The Problem:  We all have lots of data, but it's all inconsistent and we
don't have control over it.

Current Efforts:

        Microsoft Windows CardSpace (formerly InfoCard)(They don't need
our help.)

        Higgins Project:
http://www.eclipse.org/higgins/higgins-charter.php 
                This is an open source effort.  'Higgins' comes from a
name of mouse.
                Mission: To improve interoperability, privacy, and
security as well as empower users with more control over their personal
information.
                Higgins User-Centric Ontology
http://wiki.eclipse.org/Higgins_Ontology  Good start, but they need our
need and have welcomed it.  This message invites participation by all.
Please forward to others, who can subscribe by sending the message
SUBSCRIBE STANDARD-UPPER-ONTOLOGY to listserv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I propose we:

        1. Brainstorm and recruit particiation via this list for a
couple weeks, then move to a new list to focus.

        2. Review the current Higgins user-centric ontology
http://www.eclipse.org/higgins/ontologies/2006/higgins.owl and start
providing suggestions.

        3. Develop strawman ontologies based on different upper
ontologies. Evalaute, compare, and provide results to the Higgins
project, which might decide to base later releases on an upper ontology.


        If Higgins takes off, it could grow as fast as Myspace or
FaceBook, and of all the companies, organizations, and governments that
deal with these users, some will choose to use the same upper ontology.

        This kicks of the brainstorming, so please post your thoughts. 

Jim Schoening          
 _________________________________________________________________
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

 _________________________________________________________________
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    (01)
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>