On 2010/7/1 22:42, Kingsley Idehen wrote:
Pat Hayes wrote:

On Jun 30, 2010, at 3:49 PM, Kingsley Idehen wrote:

Pat Hayes wrote:

On Jun 30, 2010, at 1:30 PM, Kingsley Idehen wrote:

Nathan wrote:
Pat Hayes wrote:
On Jun 30, 2010, at 6:45 AM, Toby Inkster wrote:
On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:54:20 +0100
Dan Brickley <dan...@danbri.org> wrote:
That said, i'm sure sameAs and differentIndividual (or however it is
called) claims could probably make a mess, if added or removed...

You can create some pretty awesome messes even without OWL:

  # An rdf:List that loops around...

<#mylist> a rdf:List ;
      rdf:first <#Alice> ;
      rdf:next <#mylist> .

  # A looping, branching mess...

<#anotherlist> a rdf:List ;
      rdf:first <#anotherlist> ;
      rdf:next <#anotherlist> .


They might be messy, but they are *possible* structures using pointers, which is what the RDF vocabulary describes. Its just about impossible to guarantee that messes can't happen when all you are doing is describing structures in an open-world setting. But I think the cure is to stop thinking that possible-messes are a problem to be solved. So, there is dung in the road. Walk round it.


Could we also apply that to the 'subjects as literals' general discussion that's going on then?

For example I've heard people saying that it encourages bad 'linked data' practise by using examples like { 'London' a x:Place } - whereas I'd immediately counter with { x:London a 'Place' }.

Surely all of the subjects as literals arguments can be countered with 'walk round it', and further good practise could be aided by a few simple notes on best practise for linked data etc.

IMHO an emphatic NO.

RDF is about constructing structured descriptions where "Subjects" have Identifiers in the form of Name References (which may or many resolve to Structured Representations of Referents carried or borne by Descriptor Docs/Resources). An "Identifier" != Literal.

What ARE you talking about? You sound like someone reciting doctrine.

Literals in RDF are just as much 'identifiers' or 'names' as URIs are. They identify their value, most clearly and emphatically. They denote in exactly the same way that URIs denote. "23"^^xsd:number is about as good an identification of the number twenty-three as you are ever likely to get in any notational system since ancient Babylonia.

Yes, but ancient Bablyonia != World Wide Web of Structured Linked Data, slightly different mediums with some shared characteristics :-)

The World Wide Web is becoming a Distributed DBMS (in my eyes). Thus, unambiguous naming matters.

A topic for a longer discussion; but irrelevant here, since typed literals are as unambiguous as a name can possibly get.


Literal Subjects aren't a "show stopper" per se. (esp. for local RDF data). My gripe simply boils down to the nuisance factor introduced by data object name ambiguity in a distributed data object oriented realm such as the emerging Web of Linked Data.

What does ""23"^^xsd:number " mean to anyone in a global data space?

It means the number twenty-three, everywhere and for all time, because this meaning can be computed from the very syntactic form of the name. How unambiguous can something get?

Pat,

Re. RDF's triples, What is a Subject? What is an Object?.

If they are the same thing, why on earth do we use Names (with implications) to describe the slots in an RDF triple?

I've only once seen the RDF triple referred to as O-R-O (by @danbri) i.e., Object-Relation-Object.

In addition, I don't see Information and Data as being the same thing. Information (as I know it) is about Data + Context. Raw Data (as I know it) is about: a unit of observation and deemed worthy of description by its observer. You have to give Names to subject of a description. "23"^^xsd:number isn't a Name.

**
I guess my own subtle mistake (re. this thread) is deeming Identifiers and Names to be equivalent , when they aren't :-) Of course, one can use an Identifier as a Name, but that doesn't make them equivalent.
**


One clear point of divergence here is that I am focused on the Web as Dist. DBMS that leverages 3-tuples + HTTP URIs in the S, P, and optionally O slot (aka. HTTP based Linked Data).

To conclude:

Name != Identifier.
We can also question the role of URI. Because the location of resource pointed by URI and the content of URI are orthogonal. A location is interpreted by a set of locating operations, the locating result is only GUIDED, not CONTROLLED, by the content of URI. To realize this is very important!

regards

     Peng


I believe Subject == Name (an Identifier based Name) re. RDF triples otherwise the triple should be described as: O-R-O or O-P-O.

I believe an S-P-O triple is a piece of information (Data Object has a Name and at least one Attribute=Value pair).

What I desscribe actually has zilch to do with RDF as I am inclined to believe you see RDF :-) Thus, in a way, the literal-subject debate may simply help everyone understand and accept that RDF != Linked Data. Thus, providing additional proof that RDF isn't mandatory or even required re. delivery of HTTP based Linked Data.

RDF based Linked Data != RDF. They are different things, clearly. We can't have it both ways (** Pat: not for you, that's for those that deem RDF and Linked Data inextricably linked **).


BTW - I still have no idea if RDF and RDF/XML are really distinct. HTML and N3 built the Web of Linked Data, but N3 remains a 2nd or 3rd class citizen whenever we talk about the pragmatic aspects of what continues to be inappropriately labeled as an RDF virtue i.e. Linked Data.

Danbri:

I agree with the essence of your earlier post!


Kingsley



Pat


I know the meaning of: <http://km.aifb.kit.edu/projects/numbers/web/n23#this>, based on the resource I deref at: <http://km.aifb.kit.edu/projects/numbers/web/n23>



Kingsley



Pat Hayes


If you are in a situation where you can't or don't want to mint an HTTP based Name, simply use a URN, it does the job.



Best,

Nathan




--

Regards,

Kingsley Idehen President & CEO OpenLink Software Web: http://www.openlinksw.com
Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen
Twitter/Identi.ca: kidehen







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--

Regards,

Kingsley Idehen President & CEO OpenLink Software Web: http://www.openlinksw.com
Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen
Twitter/Identi.ca: kidehen







------------------------------------------------------------
IHMC                                     (850)434 8903 or (650)494 3973
40 South Alcaniz St.           (850)202 4416   office
Pensacola                            (850)202 4440   fax
FL 32502                              (850)291 0667   mobile
phayesAT-SIGNihmc.us       http://www.ihmc.us/users/phayes










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