Re: Survey on titles for OWL2 Semantics documents

On 19 Sep 2008, at 16:03, Ivan Herman wrote:

> Can somebody (eg, Uli:-) explain what is meant by the remark:
>
> "DL Semantics" and "RDF-Based Semantics" (But Uli says it's not DL.)
>
> I know she said that on the call, but I did not really grasp that  
> at the
> time either...

Let me hazard a guess and test my understanding.

The RDF-Based semantics are worth calling such because they depart  
significantly from standard first order logic style model theory.  
(Yes, it's first order, but it is definitely not Ye Old Principa  
Model Theory.) Whereas the "DL semantics" are just regular old first  
order semantics. (Really more propositional modalish in presentation,  
but in the structures it's plain old normal semantics).

Someone coming to the documents with a model theory background is in  
for far far far less of a shock (if any) when confronting the "DL"  
semantics. Indeed, it would be confusing because it would suggest  
something DLish about them. The name "RDF-Based" does the right thing  
by signaling that there *is* something different and giving a cue  
where to go.

Cheers,
Bijan.

Received on Friday, 19 September 2008 15:11:14 UTC