Re: Replace outdated social models in OWL2 primer


> On Mar 17, 2025, at 11:49 AM, Marco Neumann <marco.neumann@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I believe the best way forward is to replace the "rules" with new "rules" and supersede past actions with new ones. The historical record, the old laws, standards, etc., should be kept as a reference to evaluate documents and the process of evolution in a historical context. 

I agree, and this is essentially what I was suggesting. The W3C already does an exemplary job doing this with whole documents, such as versions of (what might become) recommendations. But its approach is a bit sclerotic when it comes to more minor changes, such as updating examples.

In this specific case, it would be interesting to rework the examples to demonstrate how OWL can mediate between two incompatible views of the world in order to allow partial communication between them. (Something we are already in practical need of.)

I use the current OWL2 Primer in my teaching, but only in a negative way, as an example of misunderstanding data modeling as describing “what is clear to any human reader” rather than as describing some specific community’s consensus or dictate regarding how describe some part of the world relevant to them.

Received on Monday, 17 March 2025 16:08:19 UTC