Re: [httpRange-14] What is an Information Resource?

Ian Davis wrote:
> ...
> As an additional data point for this issue, today I noticed that the
> SPARQL rec [2] says:
> 
> "The FROM and FROM NAMED keywords allow a query to specify an RDF
> dataset by reference; they indicate that the dataset should include
> graphs that are obtained from representations of the resources
> identified by the given IRIs (i.e. the absolute form of the given IRI
> references)."

Try the same structure from the imaginary manual of an imaginary,
but otherwise moderately conventional, programming language:

/ "The FLIM and FLIM NOBBLE keywords allow a quibble to specify a list of integers
/ by reference; they indicate the list should include
/ the values that are obtained by dereferencing the variables
/ identified by the given names (i.e., the fully-qualified form of the given
/ names)."

[N.B., in the penultimate lines "form" should be "forms"]

> and [3]:
> 
> "The FROM NAMED syntax suggests that the IRI identifies the
> corresponding graph, but the relationship between an IRI and a graph in
> an RDF dataset is indirect. The IRI identifies a resource, and the
> resource is represented by a graph (or, more precisely: by a document
> that serializes a graph)."

/ "The FLIM NOBBLE syntax suggests that the name identifies the
/ corresponding integer, but the relationship between a name and an integer
/ is indirect.  The name identifies a variable and the variable dereferences
/ to an integer (or, more precisely: dereferences to a bit-pattern which
/ is interpretted as a 32-bit two's complement integer)."

> I think this is consistent with the view that graphs are information
> resources that can serve representations of themselves (documents that
> serialize the graph).

/ I think this is consistent with the view that integers are variables
/ that can be dereferenced to....

Oops, I can't make up a plausible sentence which could make sense
here.  I wonder why as the previous analogies seemed to fit OK.  :-)

> Taking the alternate view, that graphs are not information resources,
> would suggest that SPARQL is conflating the URIs for graphs and their
> serialized descriptions.

/ Taking the alternate view, that integers are not variables
/ would suggest that MASTQL is conflating the names for integers and their
/ bit patterns.

Again, this doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.  Integers don't
have names.  How could you, therefore, conflate the name of the
integer with the name of its binary representation?

Graphs can't be information resources any more than integers can
be variables.

An information resource is in many ways not like a variable, but
it's more like a variable than it's like an integer.  At least,
that's how I've been thinking about the matter.

Ed.

Received on Friday, 1 February 2008 00:37:46 UTC