03.31.11
The Power of Words
[Cartoon]
Does the power of words actually have any credibility or is it the contexts in which words are used? If you follow the work done on defining the semantic web, then it is the context that is important. This importance is shown by describing things in terms of axioms. Names are only important to label a particular thing or individual.
The names used to describe things in the semantic web are real things, so the names do come with preconceived ideas. For example, the pizza ontology developed by the University of Stanford is about pizza. It is a great example, since most everyone knows what goes into making an Italian pizza. Having this understanding makes it easier to understand the axioms presented in the ontology.
The real power of ontology comes from describing things that are not so well understood. The knowledge of those that do understand can be made available to others. Others may use the ontology to better understand the subject, or they can simply use the ontology to validate other information. Preconceived ideas can be tested by using a well-defined ontology.
Retail organizations having multiple brick-and-mortar stores have multiple meanings for the word store. The word can be used to describe a building at a specific location. It can also mean only one part of the operation at a location such as the food store, the pharmacy, or the yard & garden store. The same name can be used to describe categories of people and things, such as store personnel, store equipment, and store operations. In these cases, do these names refer to one location or all locations?
Retail organizations cannot easily state how many stores they have. From a real estate perspective, the total number of stores includes those in operation, those still standing but closed, and those under construction. Store operations only include stores that are currently servicing customers.
When words have multiple meanings, there can be serious communication problems. The only way to clarify the use of words is to provide context. This context can be provided by using automated ontology. In the example of a retail organization with multiple locations, this would mean providing a unique ontology for each of the different uses. Each ontology would have its own namespace (the context) so the use of the same word would be acceptable.
The power of words from the perspective of web-based ontology is in the axioms that define the word. So yes, there is power in words, but only when the context of the use of the word is clearly understood.
Enterprise Architects are well-aware of the continuing evolution of technology. They creatively look for technology convergence that can provide breakthroughs in thinking. We are at one of those convergent junctions today. What is about to happen will give non-professional information technologists control of their use of automation in their business. No longer will they simply peer through windows and see only what applications let them see. They will be able to go inside, see how things work, and control their automation. – Enterprise Architects Masters of the Unseen City
Closing the Business / IT gap.
