Re: [xml-dev] A Systematic Approach to using Simple XML Vocabularies to Implement Large (Complex) Systems

RDF is not XML. That statement has saved me a lot of time when 
describing RDF. A lot of people have the preconception that it is XML. 
XML is a tree, RDF is a graph. RDF describes (and references) resources. 
XML is just a way of serializing RDF.

I agree that a simple ball and stick diagram is the best way to explain 
the structure of RDF. Psychologists use a ball and stick diagram to 
represent semantic networks, this is a natural way for people to think.

Karl Dubost wrote:

>
> Le 17 déc. 2004, à 12:31, Danny Ayers a écrit :
>
>> On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 11:11:29 +0100, Danny Ayers 
>> <danny.ayers@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>> We're certainly aware of a very close coupling from what we have to
>>>> and from RDF.  However, RDF isn't exactly something you can explain to
>>>> a business analyst in 10 minutes and expect them to understand.
>>>
>> I don't know if it's the semantics or what, but for some reason RDF
>> just comes across as too geeky for the business side of the house.
>
>
> 10 minutes might be more than enough to explain RDF to a business 
> analyst.  There might be a lot of possible approach, but you have to 
> climb down from your chair or accept to do it. :)))
>
> As an exercise to all people here on the list, try to find the 
> strategies, you have used to explain RDF to your siblings, children, 
> parents, SO, etc. and share your experience here.
>
> To explain RDF Graphs, I have often used this metaphor:
>
>     "Most of you are able to draw circles and arrows. If you say yes 
> to this
>     extremely difficult question, it means that you know how to draw 
> graphs
>     and then how to draw RDF graphs. I would not be surprised that you 
> have
>     done RDF graphs for a long time, and you have started at your 
> first years
>     of school. As a child you have learned to associate objects or 
> family of
>     objects by drawing arrows and circles.
>     An image of a chicken, an image of a farm and you drew an arrow 
> with a
>     color which says this chicken is an animal of the farm. This is it 
> you
>     have done RDF, even before to know how to write. You have establish a
>     labeled relationship between two things: chicken and farm. You 
> expressed
>     the meaning which links things.
>
>     You have learned to create and to organize the world around you.
>     Making your business RDF Friendly starts by taking a piece of 
> paper and
>     to draw to figure out how your business is organized and what is the
>     meaning of things, processes, actions, you do each day. It's all 
> about
>     making explicit the meaning between the daily things you are dealing
>     with every day."
>
> The rest of the explanation depends on the kind of profession and the 
> person you are discussing with. If you want to convince someone else, 
> you have first to learn about his/her world. There's no way you can 
> ask someone to modify his/her way of doing things in their reality, 
> because they know better than you. The only thing you can do is try to 
> understand what they do, learn about their work, and they answer some 
> of their questions, solve their problems.
>
>

Received on Wednesday, 22 December 2004 02:04:03 UTC