Re: current version of Feature Synopsis document

From: pfps@research.bell-labs.com
Subject: Re: current version of Feature Synopsis document
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2002

> > > > The term individual-valued property is an improvement.
> > > > However, the ambiguous phrase "Individual IDs" remains.
> > > > Replacement of the term individual by resource would
> > > > simplify terminology.
> > > 
> > > I resist this change.  The term ``resource'' is, I feel, not 
appropriate 
> > at
> > > the level of this document. 
> > 
> > It seems that the context of the (Semantic) Web fixes the term for 
> > individual 
> > to be resource (as it fixes the term for binary relation to be 
property). 
> 
> RDF has a particular notion of the term ``resource''.  This may not be the
> same as what OWL needs for ``individual''.  If it is not, then OWL needs 
a
> different name, and no change need be made to the document.  If it is, 
then
> it is easy to change the OWL documents.  However, if the documents use
> ``resource'' before the situation is determined, then changing would be
> very hard.

OK.  I believe it is appropriate to make this point about the term 
'individual' explicit with a sentence in this (working draft) document.

Herman ter Horst