RE: More research on resources, think it's all here

Easy.  The problem is here:

"A Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is a compact string of characters 
for **identifying** an abstract or physical resource."

In section 1.1
        " A resource can be anything that has **identity**

Verb or noun?  It can't be both.  

Identity is emergent, not native.   It is the "has identity" 
bit that confuses and confounds.  It might, but that is totally 
irrelevant to the act of identifying.

The URI is assigned to the resource by an agency that can 
identify the resource.  It is the prerogative of the agency 
(say authority) to say what a resource is or is not, is physical 
or abstract, etc.  Once done, a URI is assigned.  At that point, 
the use of the URI is a matter of habit formation, that is, the 
interpretive function is short-circuited.  Habit formation is 
how complex adaptive systems become predictable (say, reliable). 
Therefore the assertion that the URI uniquely identifies a single 
resource is as reliable as the authority making the assertion. 

In the words of E. Barrymore: "That's all there is. There isn't any more."

len


From: Tim Bray [mailto:tbray@textuality.com]

Well, members of the community, the evidence is before you.  What should 
the Webarch document say about these issues?  -Tim

Received on Friday, 20 September 2002 16:48:46 UTC