[schema] Re: Web Ontology Working Group Consensus Review of RDF Core documents

>At 05:17 PM 2/20/03 -0500, Jim Hendler wrote:
>>-------------------------------------------
>>WOWG comments on the RDF Schema Document
>>--------------------------------------------
>>We believe that the design of the language, as reflected in the LC 
>>documents, is such that OWL can appropriately use RDF Schema and 
>>endorse this design.
>>
>>Raphael Volz of our group has prepared a detailed review of this 
>>document which he will send to the RDF Core WG.  The Web Ontology 
>>Working Group agrees with the spirit of his review (except for the 
>>comments on section 4, which was only supported by part of the WG). 
>>We summarize our main comments below:
>>
>>i. Although this document is called RDF Schema we think that the 
>>title "RDF Vocabulary Description Language" would be clearer, and 
>>make the difference from XML Schema (used for validation) more 
>>evident.
>
>I would support such a change (indeed, I thought this was our intent?).
>
>>ii. Although we did not reach consensus on this, several members 
>>felt that it was unacceptable that two graphs that differ only in 
>>their rdfs:comment content would not entail each other.
>
>Aha!  The rdfs:comment rubber hits the road!

If you read the Webont archives for 2003 you will see that there is a 
multi-vehicle pileup, with rescue crews using cutters to try to get 
the bodies out before the spilt diesel fuel catches fire.

>  To my view, having G1 entail G2, where G1 and G2 vary only in the 
>[content of] rdfs:comment statements would be a significant shift in 
>my understanding of the intent of rdfs:comment.  But I also think 
>that rdf:comment may be unfortunately named, since I could imagine a 
>view of rdfs:comment that is, by fiat, true in all interpretations.
>
>As specified, rdfs:comment might be understood as "informal 
>definition" rather than "something that might be said about".

Then why do we have rdfs:isDefinedBy as well as rdfs:comment??

>But the name suggests the latter.
>
>ALthough this impacts the definition of RDF, it does not do so in a 
>way that changes any existing software, so this might be a good time 
>to contemplate renaming rdfs:comment to (say) rdfs:intent, and 
>changing the semantics so that:
>   x rdfs:comment "some text"
>is true in all RDFS-interpetations.

I would be happy with that semantic change, though it strikes me as 
damn silly. But Ian feels very strongly about this one, and I don't.

Pat


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Received on Friday, 21 February 2003 15:33:38 UTC