- From: Pat Hayes <phayes@ihmc.us>
- Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 10:52:57 -0500
- To: nathan@webr3.org
- Cc: Toby Inkster <tai@g5n.co.uk>, Linked Data community <public-lod@w3.org>, Semantic Web <semantic-web@w3.org>
On Jul 6, 2010, at 4:02 PM, Nathan wrote: > Pat Hayes wrote: >> However, before I lose any more of my SW friends, let me say at >> once that I am NOT arguing for this change to RDF. > > so after hundreds of emails, I have to ask - what (the hell) defines > RDF? Well, the current specs do. And they include a lot more than the semantics. In particular, they include syntactic restrictions on what can be in what part of a triple, like no literals in the subject position. When I say that the RDF semantics works fine for a more general version, what I mean is only to reassure folk who know that it would be only an editorial matter to change the specs to allow more general forms for triples, but who worry (as many folk do) that such a change might break something basic in the RDF semantics, which is known to be a deep, subtle complicated thingie - to reassure them that this will not break the semantics, in fact. Of course, the 'rdf semantics' document would need some revision, since it gives for inference rules for RDFS which presume that the syntactic restrictions are in place, things like that. But these changes would actually simplify the way the document is written compared to its present form. > > I've read that 'The RDF Semantics as stated works fine with triples > which have any kind of syntactic node in any position in any > combination.' > > Do the 'RDF Semantics' define RDF? or do the serializations? The specs do, which include the RDF graph model as well as the RDF/XML serialization, both normative. > > simply - does RDF support literal subjects or not Right now, it does not. > - I've read the aforementioned sentence to read 'RDF Semantics > support literal subjects' or should I be reading 'RDF Semantics > could support literal subjects' or 'does support literal subjects' or? Could support (with some work, but not too much) is closest to the mark. See above. Pat > > Just seeking a definitive bit of clarity on 1: what defines RDF, 2: > what is *currently* supported in that definition. > > Preferably a serialization unspecific answer :) > > Best & TIA, > > Nathan > > ------------------------------------------------------------ IHMC (850)434 8903 or (650)494 3973 40 South Alcaniz St. (850)202 4416 office Pensacola (850)202 4440 fax FL 32502 (850)291 0667 mobile phayesAT-SIGNihmc.us http://www.ihmc.us/users/phayes
Received on Thursday, 8 July 2010 15:54:20 UTC