LISTSERV mailing list manager LISTSERV 16.5

Help for CODE4LIB Archives


CODE4LIB Archives

CODE4LIB Archives


CODE4LIB@LISTS.CLIR.ORG


View:

Message:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Topic:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Author:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

Font:

Proportional Font

LISTSERV Archives

LISTSERV Archives

CODE4LIB Home

CODE4LIB Home

CODE4LIB  November 2013

CODE4LIB November 2013

Subject:

Re: rdf serialization

From:

Alexander Johannesen <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

Code for Libraries <[log in to unmask]>

Date:

Wed, 6 Nov 2013 08:48:47 +1100

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (65 lines)

Ross Singer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> This is definitely where RDF outclasses almost every alternative*, because
> each serialization (besides RDF/XML) works extremely well for specific
> purposes [...]

Hmm. That depends on what you mean by "alternative to RDF
serialisation". I can think of a few, amongst them obviously (for me)
is Topic Maps which don't go down the evil triplet way with conversion
back and to an underlying data model.

Having said that, there's tuples of many kinds, it's only that the
triplet is the most used under the W3C banner. Many are using to a
more expressive quad, a few crazies , for example, even though that
may or may not be a better way of dealing with it. In the end, it all
comes down to some variation over frames theory (or bundles); a
serialisation of key/value pairs with some ontological denotation for
what the semantics of that might be.

It's hard to express what we perceive as knowledge in any notational
form. The models and languages we propose are far inferior to what is
needed for a world as complex as it is. But as you quoted George Box,
some models are more useful than others.

My personal experience is that I've got a hatred for RDF and triplets
for many of the same reasons Eric touch on, and as many know, I prefer
the more direct meta model of Topic Maps. However, these two different
serialisation and meta model frameworks are - lo and behold! -
compatible; there's canonical lossless conversion between the two. So
the argument at this point comes down to personal taste for what makes
more sense to you.

As to more on problems of RDF, read this excellent (but slighlt dated)
Bray article;
   http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2003/05/21/RDFNet

But wait, there's more! We haven't touched upon the next layer of the
cake; OWL, which is, more or less, an ontology for dealing with all
things knowledge and web. And it kinda puzzles me that it is not more
often mentioned (or used) in the systems we make. A lot of OWL was
tailored towards being a better language for expressing knowledge
(which in itself comes from DAML and OIL ontologies), and then there's
RDFs, and OWL in various formats, and then ...

Complexity. The problem, as far as I see it, is that there's not
enough expression and rigor for the things we want to talk about in
RDF, but we don't want to complicate things with OWL or RDFs either.
And then there's that tedious distinction between a web resource and
something that represents the thing "in reality" that RDF skipped (and
hacked a 304 "solution" to). It's all a bit messy.

> * Unless you're writing a parser, then having a kajillion serializations
> seriously sucks.

Some of us do. And yes, it sucks. I wonder about non-political
solutions ever being possible again ...


Regards,

Alex
-- 
 Project Wrangler, SOA, Information Alchemist, UX, RESTafarian, Topic Maps
 http://shelter.nu/blog  |  google.com/+AlexanderJohannesen  |
http://xsiteable.org
 http://www.linkedin.com/in/shelterit

Top of Message | Previous Page | Permalink

Advanced Options


Options

Log In

Log In

Get Password

Get Password


Search Archives

Search Archives


Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Subscribe or Unsubscribe


Archives

March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003

ATOM RSS1 RSS2



LISTS.CLIR.ORG

CataList Email List Search Powered by the LISTSERV Email List Manager