[Sigia-l] Question about the use of the term 'ontology'

[Heather Hedden]

How about calling it "topical classification" instead of "subject-based
classification"?

What is being exluded in this description is the classification of named
entities (named people, organizations, brands, etc.)

Yet controlled vocabularies could certainly included named entitites.

Heather Hedden
Hedden Information Management
http://www.Hedden-Information.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Melzer" <jamesmelzer at gmail.com>
To: "Peter Van Dijck" <peter at poorbuthappy.com>
Cc: <ruth at ruthkaufman.com>; <sigia-l at asis.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] Question about the use of the term 'ontology'


> I'm with Peter - I think the word 'subject' is leading us astray
> here... subject in LIS means aboutness; but in topic maps it is the
> actor, as in "subject-verb-object." Now having your actor at the
> center of things makes sense, but I've never heard that concept
> described as 'subject-based', since that is a pretty standard LIS
> concept.
>
> Therefore, I'd venture that "subject-based classification" is not at
> the top of the hierarchy of classification schemes - ontology is.
> Remember - these are product descriptions we are talking about. In a
> faceted scheme, a product may be described with loads of different
> controlled vocabularies that have nothing to do with subject
> (aboutness) - in fact subject is one of the least relevant aspects of
> product description (unless you are a media publisher).
>
> Controlled vocabulary is the general term for any agreed upon
> language, whether it be the lowly list or a taxonomic hierarchy or a
> full-blown ontology (or topic map). Ontology is technically more
> correct for defining this space, but ontology implies a certain amount
> of specificity in the relationships whereas CV does not. For example,
> a simple list is an ontology with one relationship type: "list
> membership" and one parent concept: "the list". That's a pretty wonky
> way of looking at the world and people will look at you like you're a
> nut if you try to explain it that way, so I'd recommend sticking with
> CV as your term.
>
> ~ James
>
>
>
> On Thu, 31 Mar 2005 15:54:49 -0600, Peter Van Dijck
> <peter at poorbuthappy.com> wrote:
> > Terminology alert. "Subject" in the topicmap world isn't the same as
> > "subject" in the library science (or IA) world. I think. Lars?
> >
> > Peter
> >
> > > Interesting. I was under the impression that topics are reified
subjects
> > > (from
> > > reading the paper called The TAO of Topic Maps -
> > > http://www.ontopia.net/topicmaps/materials/tao.html#d0e657), so how
can
> > > they be
> > > nested within a taxonomy of subject-based classifications? In other
> > > words, I
> > > don't see a topic as a type of subject, but as something that a
subject may
> > > become. I'm possibly jumping to a conclusion that wasn't intended --
> > > that by
> > > nesting topic maps under subject-based classification, that topics
would be
> > > nested under subjects... thoughts?
> > >
> > > By the same token, I'd think that subject-based classifications reify
> > > ontologies. Maybe what we need is a way to express the way these
things
> > > become
> > > each other -- a sort of state change diagram perhaps?
> > >
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> > --
> > Contact me:
> >
> > peter at poorbuthappy.com
> > (or petervandijck at gmail.com)
> >
> > Cell: +1 646-549-1513
> > (or +1 212 202 06 14)
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> >
> > -----
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> >
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> >
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>
> -- 
> James Melzer
>
>
> --------------------------------------
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