Re: owl:sameAs - Is it used in a right way?

On 3/20/13 10:58 PM, David Booth wrote:
>
> Thus, to be very clear, under the existing RDF Semantics 
> specification, a given URI does *not* necessarily map to only one 
> resource. 

True, but I don't think the statement above always provides the clarity 
intended.

"Resource" is a synonym of "Entity" as *now* clearly stated in the 
latest RDF concepts guide [1]. Once we get over the conflation inherent 
in "Resource" and look towards "Entity" the issue starts to get much 
clearer, as exemplified by RDF based Linked Data [2] and its specific 
use of URIs to denote "Entities" while also identifying their 
"Descriptor Documents".

All "Resources" aren't of the same medium. The Web, Internet are mediums 
distinct from the medium we *refer to* as the real-world. Thus, the 
claim that everything is a "Resource" without medium specificity is one 
of the ultimate recipes for unproductive debate and confusion, as a 
zillion mail threads over the years have demonstrated.

In the context of RDF, a URI denotes an Entity.
In the context of RDF based Linked Data, a URI denotes an Entity in a 
manner that enables it resolve to a Web Document (denoted by its own URI 
which is usually a URL) that describes the denoted entity (aka. URI 
referent) .


Links:
1. http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf11-concepts/#resources-and-statements -- 
showcasing the critical "Resource" fix
2. http://twitpic.com/cbk8ul -- illustrating HTTP URI duality and the 
Semiotic triangle .

-- 

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