Re: Reification quoting in RDF/N3 was: A note comparing Conceptual Graphs and RDF/Semantic Web

> > > @prefix : <#>
> > > :bill :loves :jane
> >
> > Sure. Now are we giving them a URI before we serialize this stuff
> > up and send it on its way,
>
>Serialize and send on its way? "Bill (the URI)" would be described in the
>file itself, or linked to a schema URI: in other words, something that
>asserts that the uri <#bill> is a representation for a human... from the N3
>primer:-
>
>     "Not everything has a URI, as you can talk about something
>     by just using its properties. But using a URI allows other
>     documents and systems to easily reuse your information."
>     - http://www.w3.org/2000/10/swap/Primer
>
>We just had these conversations about representing people by their
>mailboxes on RDF IG... that's what I'm taking my cue from.
>
> > or are we giving incoming string literals URIs?
>
>We're tying properties to a URI, that's all. The URI itself isn't
>important: it doesn't need to exist - we're just talking about it. When you
>talk about it, you talk about something that has the same properties as
>Bill, e.g. :bill = Bill.

Please, let's keep things straight here. Bill is a human being. Human 
beings do NOT have the same properties as, and are NOT identical to, 
URIs.

In fact, most human beings don't even have associated URIs, so when 
we say 'all humans' in N3 we don't actually mean all humans, an 
unfortunate consequence of a related confusion.

Pat Hayes

---------------------------------------------------------------------
IHMC					(850)434 8903   home
40 South Alcaniz St.			(850)202 4416   office
Pensacola,  FL 32501			(850)202 4440   fax
phayes@ai.uwf.edu 
http://www.coginst.uwf.edu/~phayes

Received on Friday, 19 January 2001 15:19:49 UTC