RE: uri, urn and info

Patrick Stickler writes, in part:

> But "hiding" the denoted resource behind an info:
> URI (even if it can eventually be "found" via ad hoc
> resolution schemes)  is hindering, not helping, the
> web and SW.

It is not at all clear to me why uncoupling identity and resolution in any
way hinders the web, semantic or otherwise.  Quite the contrary.

As Eric Hellman pointed out:

> ...the absence of inherent dereference is a selling point to large market
segments."

This is particularly true in the many cases where there is no expectation of
resolution - the declaration of terminologies.  It is precisely the broad
availability and use of such terminologies in the Web that will make it
possible to achieve the 'semantic' bit.

Establishing and maintaining an http/DNS identifier for each concept in such
a vocabulary is one means of making them available, but will simply not
happen widely. Few of the organizations that manage such vocabularies
(LCCNs, Dewey numbers, many others) have any incentive or business case to
'webulate' them.  But users cannot realize their value in the digital domain
unless they can be declared and identified in a consistent way. 

The INFO URI proposal affords a straightforward mechanism to support
declarations of such namespaces, requiring no additional effort beyond the
normal maintenance of the vocabulary (except the initial registration act).


stu

Stuart Weibel
Senior Research Scientist
OCLC Office of Research
+1 614 764 6081
weibel@oclc.org

Received on Thursday, 9 October 2003 13:42:02 UTC