Re: identifier to use

Hilmar Lapp wrote:
> That said, I'm thinking that maybe that doesn't need to have any 
> bearing on how resources are identified on the semantic web. 
This is the point.  Many identifiers, like ISBN, SSN, Passport Number, 
license plate doesn't have any bearing on the web. So, it doesn't have 
to use URI, let alone http-URI.  But if we want to talk about these 
things in the web, then the IDs should be somehow associated with a 
transportation protocol.  Here is the choice that should be made.

Since most often than not, the transportation protocol eventually falls 
on HTTP.  So, the cheapest way is to that we might as well just give 
these IDs a http-URI.  But conversely, a URI, though invented for use in 
the web, can be used in a non-web environment.  But whether this will be 
an accepted practice in real life is hard to say.  Just give an http-uri 
to anyone and ask them what it is, most will tell you it is a web page.

I think a more reasonable approach is (1) we should allow the invention 
of name but (2) discourage the invention of transportation protocol.  
Any newly invented URI scheme should be required to specify a straight 
forward mapping to HTTP transportation protocol.

Will this work for both sides?

Xiaoshu

Received on Thursday, 23 August 2007 13:23:03 UTC