Re: ANN: The Vehicle Sales Ontology - Cars, Bikes, Boats on the Web of Data - http://purl.org/vso/ns

On 09/09/10 06:09, Pat Hayes wrote:
>
> Um... don't the (natural) categories of powered boat, sailboat and 
> rowboat capture the needed distinctions here quite adequately? I have 
> no idea whether a kayak is usually called a rowing boat, but it 
> clearly belongs in a natural class of boats propelled by arm muscles 
> holding a paddle or oar. BTW, there are, or once were, sea-going ships 
> in all these three categories.
>
>

No, rowing and paddling are two completely different actions, though I 
have some sympathy for a properly named class for "natural class of 
boats propelled by arm muscles holding a paddle or oar" (as long as this 
isn't called rowing).

Since you mention sea kayaks by the way, these can violate 
"traditionally has a covered deck" (is 'traditionally' useful in a 
definition?) and furthermore I wonder if a distinction can be drawn 
(within the continuum in reality) between transport kayaks (including 
sea kayaks), surf skis and, at the extreme, stand-up paddle surfboards 
in a 'vehicle' ontology.

What I mean is that I'd venture there's no historical use of a paddle 
surfboard for transport. (I also wonder whether anyone would accept a 
surfboard as a boat, though it possibly doesn't contradict the 
definition other than in this regard).

Barry

Received on Thursday, 9 September 2010 07:13:11 UTC