RE: Denotation of URIs

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ext Miles Sabin [mailto:miles@milessabin.com]
> Sent: 04 April, 2003 15:35
> To: www-rdf-interest@w3.org
> Subject: Re: Denotation of URIs
> 
> 
> 
> Patrick Stickler wrote,
> > Ambiguity in the SW is anathema, and will always be detrimental.
> 
> Au contraire ... ambiguity in the SW is ubquitous and ineliminable.

Sorry, but I don't see the two statements above, yours and mine, to
contradict each other. I agree with both.

Yes, ambiguity will be a real part of the SW.

But also, ambiguity will always be detrimental. The greater the
ambiguity, the greater the detriment.

> It'd be a much better idea to learn how to deal with it than play at 
> King Canute.

I've stated several times that SW agents will have to deal with
ambiguity, so evidently you are not reading my posts thoroughly
enough.

Whether SW agents should be overly burdened with gross ambiguity
is another matter entirely. The more ambiguity a SW agent has to
deal with, the less effective it will be.

I do not concede that arbitrary ambiguity on the SW is a good or
acceptable thing, and I challenge anyone to produce a clear and
motivating example of how ambiguity is a good thing and necessary
for some useful functionality of the SW.

Patrick

--
Patrick Stickler, Nokia/Finland, (+358 40) 801 9690, patrick.stickler@nokia.com

Received on Friday, 4 April 2003 07:57:37 UTC