RE: [data-model] Proposed Abstract for Web Annotation Data Model Spec

I’ve never cared much about abstracts but as long as this is open for discussion ….

“Annotation is the act of creating associations between distinct pieces of information”

I have always thought that as a definition, this is way too general.  I think this is better:

“An Annotation asserts information about a resource”

I would then change the beginning of the second sentence, currently:

The Web Annotation Data Model specifies an interoperable framework for creating associations between related resources, annotations,  ….

To:

The Web Annotation Data Model specifies an interoperable framework for creating annotations,  ….

Thus the abstract would begin:
“An Annotation asserts information about a resource. The Web Annotation Data Model specifies an interoperable framework for creating annotations,  ….

Ray

From: Robert Sanderson [mailto:azaroth42@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 2:54 PM
To: Doug Schepers
Cc: W3C Public Annotation List
Subject: Re: [data-model] Proposed Abstract for Web Annotation Data Model Spec


Thanks Doug!

R

On Wed, Nov 12, 2014 at 11:01 AM, Doug Schepers <schepers@w3.org<mailto:schepers@w3.org>> wrote:
Hi, Rob, Paolo–

Here is my proposed abstract for the Web Annotation Data Model spec [1]. I tried to reuse parts of the Introduction and Aims of the Model sections, with a little expansion to provide more context for those who might wonder what this is at all.

[[
Annotation is the act of creating associations between distinct pieces of information. The Web Annotation Data Model is to provide a standard structured description mechanism for sharing Annotations between systems. Web Annotations can be exchanged between client and server, between different annotation services, between different applications, between users of ebooks, phones, tablets, or desktop computers, or any other reading and commenting system.

The goal of this specification is to provide a data model simple enough for the most common use cases, such as attaching a comment or tag to a single web page or image, to more complex requirements like attaching arbitrary content to data or to timed multimedia resources.
]]


If you adopt this, or some variation of it, you might consider working the displaced substance of the current abstract into the Introduction and Aims of the Model sections.

[1] http://w3c.github.io/web-annotation/model_fpwd/


Regards-
-Doug



--
Rob Sanderson
Technology Collaboration Facilitator
Digital Library Systems and Services
Stanford, CA 94305