Re: Atom and RDF

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 09:18:44 -0700 (PDT), Dare Obasanjo <kpako@yahoo.com> wrote:

> XML nodes have a consistent structure that can be used
> for query as well. Semantics is all in the eye of the
> beholder so without concrete examples we'll be talking
> past each other if we I try to pick at your argument
> of "consistent semantics". 

I'm referring to semantics in the IT sense, broadly "The meaning
associated with a set of symbols in a given language, which is
determined by the syntactic structure of the symbols, as well as
knowledge captured in an interpretative model." [1] More specifically,
the formal logical semantics defined in the RDF and OWL specifications
[2], [3]. There are concrete examples in the specs.

> Sounds like A.I. pixie dust to me.

Well, ok, and I don't expect your opinion to be changed by mere
evidence and logical proof.  I'm afraid I haven't time right now to
find suitable links, coincidentally I've got some interesting
aggregator development work to do.
 
> RSF buys you a limited degree of extensibility if all
> you want to do is issue queries over data. Most of the
> valuable extensions that have shown up in RSS have
> little if anything to do with providing richer data
> that can be queried against but actually signal new
> tasks that aggregators need to be able to perform.

Hardly any of the extensions for general syndication (listed
previously by Ian) or those used in science publishing (listed
previously by Tony) signal new tasks. But even where new tasks are
involved, models like that of RDF can help to describe them
methodically and to interpret them consistently.

I don't deny there's a lot of interesting and useful stuff that can be
done with XML and desktop-style programming models. But it seems to me
that things get considerably more interesting and useful when you add
a Web-friendly data model like RDF's.

Cheers,
Danny.

[1] http://www.uhnres.utoronto.ca/ehealth/html/glossary/eh_glossary.shtml
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-mt/
[3] http://www.w3.org/TR/owl-semantics/

-- 

http://dannyayers.com

Received on Wednesday, 13 October 2004 10:13:35 UTC