- From: Alan Ruttenberg <alanruttenberg@gmail.com>
- Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 08:53:54 -0400
- To: mhepp@computer.org
- Cc: Danny Ayers <danny.ayers@gmail.com>, semantic_web@googlegroups.com, SW-forum <semantic-web@w3.org>
I think, in the direction Danny has started, that you would be better
off considering the question differently than as posed.
Instead of:
>>> How can we distinguish between ontologies and semantic networks, and
>>> in what respects are they similar.
how about: How have the terms "ontology" and "semantic network" been
used historically?
Each of these words has a history ("ontology" a somewhat longer one)
and certainly not a single consensus meaning that would enable one to
actually compare them outside the context that they have been used in.
Could I ask what motivates the question?
-Alan
On May 29, 2007, at 5:13 AM, Martin Hepp wrote:
>
> I would also stress that ontologies are *abstractions* over
> knowledge / knowledge bases, defining the *vocabulary* for
> expressing facts, whereas semantic networks are often used for
> representing various things e.g. conceptual entities plus
> associated knowledge.
>
> Best
> Martin
>
> Danny Ayers wrote:
>> [cc'ing semantic-web@w3.org]
>> On 28/05/07, james.jim.taylor@gmail.com
>> <james.jim.taylor@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> How can we distinguish between ontologies and semantic networks, and
>>> in what respects are they similar.
>>>
>>> I would appreciate any comments or references explaining that.
>> Mmm, homework...
>> Broadly speaking any graph-shaped knowledge representation (including
>> e.g. OWL ontologies, RDF data) could be described as semantic
>> networks. But if memory serves, historically semantic networks tended
>> to lack logical formalism, more along the lines of mindmaps - a
>> precursor to things like RDF/OWL.
>> John Sowa has a survey at:
>> http://www.jfsowa.com/pubs/semnet.htm
>> Cheers,
>> Danny.
>
Received on Tuesday, 29 May 2007 12:53:57 UTC