Re: Planned changes to the VIAF RDF

Hi Ed,

I guess I am one of the people being referenced about arguing about it in
IRC, since we've argued about this a lot :)

I am, admittedly, torn on this subject.  There are definitely cases where I
agree with you, dcterms:subject should point at <
http://id.loc.gov/authorities/n88102106#thing>.

The thing I have a hard time justifying is that KOS vocabularies (SKOS
included) exist in some sort alternate reality -- rightly or wrongly -- (cue
Simon with a quote from Svenonius or somebody here) that gets hard to
reconcile.

Does Barbara Tillett have broader/narrower resources?  "Tillett,
Barbara--Criticism", "Tillet, Barbara--Biographies", etc.  This is where I
have a hard time leaping.

A skos:Concept seems as much the cultural perception of a thing as it is a
reference to the thing.  It is also scoped very much towards the
ConceptScheme in which it's a member.

I actually completely agree with your concern about the proliferation of
URIs, I just don't know how to reconcile *this* particular situation.

-Ross.

On Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 8:50 AM, Ed Summers <ehs@pobox.com> wrote:

> Hi Jeff,
>
> First, let me just say I'm a big fan of the simplifications that you
> and Thom are proposing ... they are clearly a big improvement. But I
> am wondering about the foaf:focus pattern that you are promoting.
>
> I know I've said this before privately in IRC to various people, but
> it's probably worth asking aloud here. Is it really necessary to use
> URIs to distinguish between the thing itself, and the concept of the
> thing? If we do, how would we like to see these resources used in RDF
> descriptions?
>
> For example, if loc.gov were to follow your advice [1] and assert that:
>
>    <http://id.loc.gov/authorities/n88102106#concept> a skos:Concept ;
>        skos:prefLabel "Tillett, Barbara B." ;
>        foaf:focus <http://id.loc.gov/authorities/n88102106#thing> .
>
>    <http://id.loc.gov/authorities/n88102106#thing> a foaf:Person .
>
> Would you want to see an assertion that Barbara Tillett wrote
> "Bibliographic relationships : toward a conceptual structure of
> bibliographic information used in cataloging" (assuming the book URI
> was legit) done like this:
>
>    <http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/17832769#book> dcterms:creator
> <http://id.loc.gov/authorities/n88102106#thing> .
>
> And an assertion that the article "An Interview with Barbara B.
> Tillett" is about Barbara Tillett would be:
>
>    <http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/440932158#article> dcterms:subject
> <http://id.loc.gov/authorities/n88102106#concept> .
>
> I think lesser minds (at least mine) often have difficulty knowing
> when to use a URI for the Information Resource (aka Document) in their
> descriptions as opposed to a URI for the Non-Information Resource (aka
> Real World Thing). I think further distinguishing between the Concept
> of the Thing and the Real World Thing (both as Real World Things?)
> actually compounds the problem.
>
> Personally, I would prefer to see loc.gov only mint one identifier for
> Barbara Tillett:
>
> <http://id.loc.gov/authorities/n88102106#i> a foaf:Person ;
>        foaf:name "Tillett, Barbara B." .
>
> And let people use that identifier in their descriptions:
>
>    <http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/17832769#book> dcterms:creator
> <http://id.loc.gov/authorities/n88102106#i> .
>
>    <http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/440932158#article> dcterms:subject
> <http://id.loc.gov/authorities/n88102106#i> .
>
> I'm generally worried about this tendency of proliferating URIs, in
> the absence of guidance on how the URIs are to be used. I also think
> that the motivations for minting separate resources can often be
> appeased by refined notions of how the resource URIs are to be used in
> descriptions [2].
>
> //Ed
>
> [1] http://www.mail-archive.com/code4lib@listserv.nd.edu/msg10116.html
> [2] http://dfdf.inesc-id.pt/tr/web-arch
>
> On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 10:21 AM, Young,Jeff (OR) <jyoung@oclc.org> wrote:
> > Thom Hickey posted a blog entry about our plans to streamline the VIAF
> RDF.
> >
> >
> >
> > http://outgoing.typepad.com/outgoing/2011/04/changes-to-viafs-rdf.html
> >
> >
> >
> > I can elaborate on the listserv if anyone wants to discuss the changes.
> >
> >
> >
> > Jeff
> >
> >
> >
> > ---
> >
> > Jeffrey A. Young
> > Software Architect
> > OCLC Research, Mail Code 410
> > OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
> > 6565 Kilgour Place
> > Dublin, OH 43017-3395
> > www.oclc.org
> >
> > Voice: 614-764-4342
> > Voice: 800-848-5878, ext. 4342
> > Fax: 614-718-7477
> > Email: jyoung@oclc.org
> >
> >
>
>