RE: Summary of the QName to URI Mapping Problem

> Again, I take your point, but I think you mis-state the case. Nobody 
> is saying that arbitrary XML Qname usage is expected to follow RDF 
> rules. But if someone sets out to use RDF, then why would it be 
> unreasonable to expect them to abide by the published RDF 
> conventions? Isn't that the point of publishing a spec, to "impose" 
> the conventions on anyone who chooses to use the system being 
> specified?

But arbitrary QName usage (or rather namespace selection) is an 
unavoidable fact of the SW.

Because the SW is supposed to be based on the syndication of knowledge
from a broad range of disparate sources -- sources who's authors may
not even realize where their knowledge is being used -- and therefore
RDF cannot presume that every single namespace in every single case
is going to be non-collisive with any other namespace for all names
involved. You are naiively presuming a level of control and syncronization
that does not and cannot exist on a global scale.

The core mechanisms of RDF *must* preserve the integrity of all data.

If RDF wishes to e.g. require that namespace URIs used for RDF
serializations *must* end in a non-name character, fine. But so
long as it is legal and possible for two sources to define qnames
in total ignorance of one another which may collide and introduce
ambiguity into the knowlege base, then this is an unnaceptable
state of affairs.

Think global.  Think chaotic.  Think WWW.   Eh?

The present mapping function works fine for closed systems where
all content is owned and controlled by a single authority, but
that's *not* how the SW is supposed to work!

No?

Cheers,

Patrick

--
Patrick Stickler                      Phone:  +358 3 356 0209
Senior Research Scientist             Mobile: +358 50 483 9453
Software Technology Laboratory        Fax:    +358 7180 35409
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Visiokatu 1, 33720 Tampere, Finland   Email:  patrick.stickler@nokia.com

Received on Monday, 20 August 2001 03:58:13 UTC