[Sigia-l] Taxonomies & Navigation

[Field Mark]

-----Original Message-----
From: sigia-l-bounces at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-bounces at asis.org] On Behalf
Of Ziya Oz
Sent: 27 August 2007 21:28
To: SIGIA-L
Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] Taxonomies & Navigation

Ruth Kaufman:

> A taxonomy is a classification system that can be used to classify 
> things in the world -- classify, not address. It's an overlay.

As an exercise: given a set of 'objects', is there one and only one
taxonomy?

- Probably never. Unless we can create a taxonomy of objects which in
reality each have only a single facet. So, as real world objects will have
more than facet, they will be described by several taxonomies.

If not, can the notion of having multiple taxonomies approach the concept of
'navigating' that set of objects?

- If you wish, and it fits user requirements. It is a valid approach, which
is often succesful. It is a good way of accommodating many different user
views of the same system of objects.

In practice, can taxonomies be designed so that they can also serve as
navigational schemes?

- Again, if you wish, and the resulting schemes fit user requirements.

When is a sufficiently structured 'navigational' system not a taxonomy?

- When it is a front page which resembles Foucault's 'Celestial
Classification...' - and even then, any recorded valid view of reality
rendered to node-and-relation is, arguably, a taxonomy.

Can there be taxonomies without navigational systems?

- There are thousands. Mostly written in faded black ink on very old paper.

If taxonomy can describe every instance of its domain's objects past and
present, how is that different from (addressable) navigation?

- See a subsequent answer on the non-addressability of taxonomic description
of objects per se.

In a future that's not doc-centric, isn't the notion of 'navigation' just
obsolete?

- Crikey, I hope not.

Just sayin'.

- And it's 'preciated. Mark

Ziya
Nullius in Verba 



Mark Field
Intellectual Capital Exploitation Team Dstl KIS 

Direct Dial  01980 614360 (96801 4360)
Mobile 07881 841936
Email  mfield at dstl.gov.uk

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