Re: Planned changes to the VIAF RDF

On Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 10:49 AM, Karen Coyle <kcoyle@kcoyle.net> wrote:

> I can see this becoming unwieldy, however.
>  person_123_who_was_walking_along_Main_Street_on_Saturday_July_7_2011
>
> It seems that there's a noun-verb struggle here. The person is the same
> person, the activity is different. I know that some of these distinctions
> are bound into our subject headings, but rather than change the identity of
> the person I would prefer that we use the name in a context where possible.
>
> George Bush --> served as POTUS --> dates
> George Bush --> author of --> autobiog
>
> It's the same person, but the activity of the person has changed, not his
> identity.
>

But as a subject, these make a bit of a difference (and, realistically, is
where narrower terms come in) and you'd (potentially) want to be able to
distinguish between them.

A book written about the executive branch of the United States in the first
decade of the 21st century probably should generate a significantly
different graph than book about the ownership of the Texas Rangers (although
there is, of course, one notable overlap).

If the subject is significant (and distinct) enough, we should be able to
specify it.  You're absolutely right, though, there is a limit to what's
practical.

-Ross.