Re: Redefining “resource”

On 5/25/12 10:59 AM, Dan Brickley wrote:
> On 25 May 2012 17:06, Kingsley Idehen<kidehen@openlinksw.com>  wrote:
>
>> We don't have to redefine 'Resource'. All we have to do is assume that
>> readers of the spec understand that a URI denotes an entity and URLs
>> identify resources.
> a) URL is not a current precisely standardised technical term
> b) Neither is 'resource'

Yes, so we can clarify what they are with regards to RDF, while being 
compatible with REST, and the rest of the data access world. Failing to 
do that ultimately guarantees vulnerability to old distractions that 
eternally impede coherent RDF conversations, evangelism, and training.

An Entity is any observation subject. Basically, anything.
An HTTP URI denotes an Entity.
An HTTP URI identifies a Resource (directly by via its location/address 
and indirectly via indirection).
Web Resources have mime types.
Web Resources are network accessible Files.

What is a File?

"*Files*are uniformly regarded as consisting of a*stream of bytes*; the 
system makes no assumptions as to their contents. Thus the structure of 
files is controlled solely by the programs which read and write them. A 
file of ASCII text, for example,*consists*simply of a stream of 
characters delimited by the new-line characters. The notion of physical 
record is fairly well submerged." -- Dennis Ritchie

The RDF spec is/should only be concerned about URIs as an Entity 
Denotation mechanism.

Linked Data (an *optional* application of RDF) is concerned about Entity 
Denotation and Resource Identification. Said concern arises from the 
fact that it combines Entity Denotation and Resource Identification, via 
implicit (hash) or explicit (hashless) indirection.

Kingsley
>
> Dan
>
>> That also means that a generic HTTP URI can denote an
>> entity and -- via magic of indirection -- identify a resource that's
>> comprised of RDF content that describes said URI's referent.
>>
>> We've finally separated 'Entity' and 'Resource'. Hence my comment in an
>> earlier post:
>>
>> http://dbpedia.org/resource/Paris  identifies a "resource" and "denotes" an
>> entity. As for the actual entity in question, this is clarified when you
>> de-reference the identifier and discern resource content.
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Kingsley Idehen
>> Founder&    CEO
>> OpenLink Software
>> Company Web: http://www.openlinksw.com
>> Personal Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen
>> Twitter/Identi.ca handle: @kidehen
>> Google+ Profile: https://plus.google.com/112399767740508618350/about
>> LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kidehen
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>


-- 

Regards,

Kingsley Idehen 
Founder&  CEO
OpenLink Software
Company Web: http://www.openlinksw.com
Personal Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen
Twitter/Identi.ca handle: @kidehen
Google+ Profile: https://plus.google.com/112399767740508618350/about
LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kidehen