Re: Are generic resources intentional?

On Thu, May 28, 2009 at 8:48 AM, Jonathan Rees <jar@creativecommons.org> wrote:
> I've been puzzling over the question of how two generic-resources can
> have the same trace by virtue of a difference in meaning, e.g. the use
> case Tim gives where he and I both work at Burger King for a week and
> end up with identical-looking time sheets (same trace), that are
> really distinct generic-resources simply because of properties not
> reflected in the traces.
>
> Allow me to call this difference "intent" - I won't define this but
> Alan, don't jump all over me, build on what I say. It is the missing
> dimension, the resource's "essential characteristic" that is not
> conveyed in any wa-representation.

I'm going to ask questions until this point in the presentation and
defer further comment until after you have responded.

First, you say "how two generic-resources can have the same trace by
virtue of a difference in meaning". You write (defining trace)

> Z = a multidimensional parameter space
>  P = a point in Z
> I define the *trace* of G to be the function mapping each point P in Z
> to the set of wa-representations (possibly empty) that G has at P.

To be clear, is this the set of actual wa-representations of G, namely
those that are the content of some actual message, or are these the
set of all possible wa-representations of G.

If the former, having the same trace is trivially obtainable by there
not being any communication. Nothing interesting there. If the latter,
then I question the use case. For example, in this case it seems
reasonable that a possible representation of the first would include
the statement :timesheet dc:creator :tim, and the second :timesheet
dc:creator :jar. And not vice versa. Thereby having it be the case
that they do not have the same trace.

Thanks,
Alan

Received on Thursday, 28 May 2009 17:58:09 UTC