RDF, again

[Shaw Tim]

Given a piece of data, described by a name within a namespace, I would like
to be able to determine the 'equivalent' data (and it's name) within another
namespace. I don't mind 'finding' the data, but I need to be able to
determine it's 'new' name within the new namespace.
I think that, the way things are going (and have always been), it's
necessary to have such a mechanism. From my (limited) understanding of RDF,
it's not able to give me the 'hook' to do this.
This, to my mind, is the equivalent of automated natural language
translation, where XML is the alphabet, the Namespace is the Dictionary and
DTD's or Schemata are the Grammar (and the data is the ...? - analogy breaks
down here in my overloaded braincell!).

We (humans) have always had a problem communicating across language
boundaries - can we not define a mechanism such that we do not propagate
this problem to XML?
People will continue to define their own grammars for specific purposes -
what about asking them to 'translate' their Dictionary into Esperanto so
that others can use their ... whatever words would map to (meaning?).

I'm all for encouraging diversity, but if people want to share something
they need to be able to define it in such a way that it can be understood by
others - without having to worry exactly _which_ others. We are in danger of
splitting it all up into dialects understandable only to small groups - and
that, it seems to me, is exactly why we went for XML in the first place! 

tim

> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Megginson [mailto:david at megginson.com]
> Sent: 03 December 1999 15:08
> To: 'xml-dev at ic.ac.uk'
> Subject: Re: RDF, again
> 
> 
> Vane Lashua <vlashua at RSGsystems.com> writes:
> 
> > The difficulty with the definitions below, for instance, is 
> that "name" is a
> > collection of characters whose context is not clear without 
> a reference.
> > Namespaces, it seems to me, are absolutely necessary, but 
> they tend to
> > encourage diversity where convergence would be a more 
> enlightened tendency.
> 
> Namespaces encourage innovation.  Innovation is the first stage in
> development, and it needs to be followed by standardization where
> demand warrants.
> 
> In ordinary language, Namespaces let people invent stuff, but 
> it's our 
> responsibility to look at what's being invented and standardize the
> things that are being done over and over again.  It's a good idea to
> let the market have a say first; if you skip the innovation stage and
> try to standardize in advance, your standards will often miss 
> the mark.
> 
> 
> All the best,
> 
> 
> David
> 
> -- 
> David Megginson                 david at megginson.com
>            http://www.megginson.com/
> 
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