RE: Bitzi File Metadata RDF Dump

On Wed, 26 Sep 2001 Patrick.Stickler@nokia.com wrote:

> > You seem to have created a new URI scheme for bitprints:
> >
> > bitprint:3KIZIJB64XP3NCXAE4ISQZT3QNCTF7VDNK5UNR8ZPQ5MFASNGVB5M
> > ISV7ESUSB2MN5R3IY2
> >
> > AFAIK, this URI scheme is unregistered. Why go to all this
> > trouble when these bitprints already have URIs? I think it'd be
> > much better to just use:
> >
> > http://bitzi.com/lookup/3KIZIJB64XP3NCXAE4ISQZT3QNCTF7VDNK5UNR
> 8ZPQ5MFASNGVB5MISV7ESUSB2MN5R3IY2
>
> I have to respectfully disagree with your recommendation here, Aaron.

And I'll merrily disagree with the pair of you. The cheapest way to deal
with this is as a textual property of the resource. Bitzi (or maybe
MusicBrainz?) just need to define an RDF property, eg. 'bitprint' whose
values are strings calculated using the specified algorithm.


I could then write:
<xyz:Song> (or whatever...)
  <bit:print>3KIZIJB64XP3NCXAE4ISQZT3QNCTF7VDNK5UNR8ZPQ5MFASNGVB5MISV7ESUSB2MN5R3IY2</bit:print>
  <dc:title>The URN URL URI Song</dc:title>
</xyz:Song>

"http://bitzi.com/2001/09/bit#print" would be a perfectly reasonable
name for such a property. As would one under musicbrainz.org, w3.org,
purl.org... anywhere that takes care to manage names carefully.


> Names are names. Locations are locations. The URN/URL distinction
> is valid. Let's not encourage folks to blur it any further, eh?
>
> I encourage Bitzi to register and use their bitprint: URN (URI)
> scheme and not resort to further misuse (IMMHO) of the HTTP URI
> scheme for abstract resource names.

The URN/URL distinction isn't as clear cut as you suggest.

HTTP names can perfectly well be used to name 'abstract' resources,
distinct from their various bit-stream representations and associations
with particular Internet-connected Web services.

For example, I offer: http://www.w3.org/Icons/w3c_main

Is this an address? of what? In my view it names an abstract resource
whose (various, content-typed) bit-stream representations are accessible
from a variety of Internet-connected servers. The http: scheme gives us a
head-start on urn: names if we care to go to the Web to investigate
representations of the resource.

Dan

Received on Wednesday, 26 September 2001 12:04:23 UTC