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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>R</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>oger,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>One slight extension/modification I would like to see
is that I would really like to see the polymorphism more like Java interface
implementation than Java class extension (i.e. “multiple inheritance”
may be a good thing if suitably controlled, e.g. by namespaces). My point
here is that I want it to be easy for our data providers to make use of all
relevant polymorphisms (extensions) when serving their data. Darwin Core
is my model here. If we develop a range of extension vocabularies to
augment Darwin Core in describing a taxon occurrence, providers should be able
to serve data including any subset of those vocabularies.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>This may be so obvious as not to need saying, but I wanted
to be sure it was captured.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>By the way, I thoroughly agree with your other points
and believe that we should focus on the small shared vocabulary you
describe. If we define these anchor points, subgroups can address
everything that we need to flesh out these classes for use in applications
(including defining properties that relate their objects to objects of other
classes).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Donald<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><br>
---------------------------------------------------------------<br>
Donald Hobern (<a href="mailto:dhobern@gbif.org">dhobern@gbif.org</a>)<br>
Programme Officer for Data Access and Database Interoperability <br>
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Secretariat <br>
Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Copenhagen</st1:City>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Denmark</st1:country-region></st1:place><br>
Tel: +45-35321483 <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mobile</st1:place></st1:City>:
+45-28751483 Fax: +45-35321480<br>
---------------------------------------------------------------</span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:windowtext;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 color=black face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:windowtext'> Tdwg-tag-bounces@lists.tdwg.org
[mailto:Tdwg-tag-bounces@lists.tdwg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On
Behalf Of </span></b>Roger Hyam<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> 22 February 2006 16:50<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Tdwg-tag@lists.tdwg.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Tdwg-tag] Object Model /
Ontology Management - how we kick it off.</span></font><font color=black><span
style='color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Hi All,<br>
<br>
It is generally agreed that we need an representation independent object model
or ontology of some kind. I would like to put together a list of the things
that need to be agreed or investigated in order to do this.<br>
<br>
Firstly the things I believe we can all agree on (stop me if I am wrong).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<ol start=1 type=1>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>It should be representation independent (i.e. we
should be able to move it between 'languages' UML, OWL, BNF etc).<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>It should be dynamic (i.e. capable of evolving
through time).<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>It should be polymorphic. This is a result of it
being dynamic. There will, at a minimum, be multiple version of any one
part of the model when new version are introduced.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>It should NOT attempt to be omniscient i.e. it
will not cover everything in our domain, only the parts that need to be
communicated.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>It will be managed in a distributed fashion.
Different teams will take responsibility for different parts of it.<o:p></o:p></span></font></li>
</ol>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>My first Question is:<br>
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Does the centralization of the ontology need
to go beyond a small shared vocabulary of terms or base classes?</span></b> <br>
<br>
I envisage this ontology containing things like Collection, Specimen,
TaxonConcept, TaxonName but not defining the detailed structure of these
objects. It would contain a maximum of a few 10's of objects and properties.
TDWG subgroups would be responsible for building ontologies that extend these
base objects but that generally didn't refer to each other - only to the core.
If this is true then I think the definition of the top level object falls
within the remit of the TAG ( in consultation with others). <br>
<br>
If this is not a valid way forward what are the alternatives?<br>
<br>
Are their questions we should ask before this one?<br>
<br>
Once again I'd be grateful for your thoughts.<br>
<br>
Roger<br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<pre><font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>-- <o:p></o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>-------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> Roger Hyam<o:p></o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> Technical Architect<o:p></o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> Taxonomic Databases Working Group<o:p></o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>-------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> <a
href="http://www.tdwg.org">http://www.tdwg.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> <a
href="mailto:roger@tdwg.org">roger@tdwg.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> +44 1578 722782<o:p></o:p></span></font></pre><pre><font
size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>-------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></pre></div>
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