Re: Semantic Layers (Was Interpretation of RDF reification)

John,

> Eventually, we are planning to make the FMF platform available
> as open source software and to make a business out of building
> and selling modules.  Think Lego blocks for computer systems.
> We give people a starter kit and make money after they're
> addicted -- somewhat like the tobacco companies.
>
I know you like to quip. I'm unsure about that analogy though.
But I am already hooked. Any idea of when?
Meanwhile, the more serious point is that we do need these alternatives and
open source is now a model for gaining market share (perhaps traction is a
better word) that is very difficult to avoid.
On a related point I am looking at the EU budget spending in the 6th
framework where the keyword semantic appears.
I would like to suggest that some project that entails your work could be
founded. Assuming it isn't at present I certainly think it should be!
I am attempting to analyse the figures for 2006 but the are returned in a
most unhelpful format. I will post a few line summary when I have it.
On 30/03/06, John F. Sowa <sowa@bestweb.net> wrote:
>
>
> Hans,
>
> I'm glad that you liked the article.
>
> > When I read that architecture article I thought:  Wow,
> > I'd like to have that FMF! But at the same time I realized
> > that it would be too complex for "normal" IT persons working
> > in the industry. Grand designs are thoroughly mistrusted in
> > our industry.
>
> Au contraire.  The design is extremely simple from the
> developer's point of view.  Each module can be as big or
> small as you like, and all it does is to respond to input
> messages and generate output messages.  The message format
> contains six fields:
>
>   1. Message id.
>
>   2. Sender id.
>
>   3. Recipient id (if blank, the message is posted to a
>      Linda Blackboard, where it can be associatively
>      retrieved by any module that knows what to do with
>      messages that match the patterns it's looking for).
>
>   4. Speech act, which specifies why this message is being
>      sent.
>
>   5. Language identifier, so that any recipient can determine
>      how to read it or where to send it for translation.
>
>   6. Message in whatever language is specified in #5 for
>      whatever purpose is specified in #4.
>
> That's all.  The real power comes from the collection of
> modules that are made available.  And for ease of development,
> we have a GUI that allows developers to build new modules as
> combinations of existing modules or to construct a complete
> system (which may be stand alone or a module or both) -- and
> you can even have a complete FMF system nested inside any
> module.  They can be nested as many levels deep as you like.
>
> And you can even take any existing system and put a wrapper
> around it to make it look like an FMF module.  We have already
> done that for some relational DBMSs so that any module can
> send them SQL queries and updates and get responses from them.
> We also have modules that translate RDF and OWL to Common Logic
> for communication with modules that process CLIF or CGIF.
>
> Eventually, we are planning to make the FMF platform available
> as open source software and to make a business out of building
> and selling modules.  Think Lego blocks for computer systems.
> We give people a starter kit and make money after they're
> addicted -- somewhat like the tobacco companies.
>
> > ... we really have to do our utmost to hide the complexities
> > of our OWL implementation for "normal" users and IT persons,
> > and still make it maintainable and extendible.
>
> A couple of points:  We have modules for converting Common Logic
> to and from CLCE (Common Logic Controlled English):
>
>     http://www.jfsowa.com/clce/specs.htm
>
> So we can let any human monitor the activities of the agents by
> reading their messages in CLCE (at least for those messages that
> are written in a dialect that can be translated to CLCE or other
> humanly readable format).  And the human can communicate with the
> FMF modules by sending them messages -- i.e., by using a module
> that translates the human GUI or text input to FMF messages.
>
> Modules can run on any operating system, even on cell phones.
> You can even take a tiny little sensor and make it a module
> that generates messages about temperature, humidity, or whatever
> RFID tags happen to be in the vicinity.
>
> Summary:  The FMF can be extended or updated at any time just by
> adding new modules or putting wrappers around any kind of hardware
> or software.  Instead of embedding "device drivers" into the OS,
> you just put a wrapper around any kind of device, and it becomes
> a module.  If you don't know what kinds of printers are connected
> to the system, you just send a message with a blank recipient id,
> and ask "Can anybody print this message?"  But don't tell Microsoft,
> because the FMF makes the operating system irrelevant.
>
> John
>
>
>