Re: Mapping files?

Michel Biezunski wrote:
> > Jon Udell did not "misunderstand" or "misrepresent" topic maps. Jon
> > Udell *did not use* topic maps. There is a difference - a big one.
> > Reread the article and you will see that he does not mention any of the
> > relevant topic map standards. IMHO, he simply wrote the article and used
> > the term "topic maps" without doing the research to find out that the
> > term was in use in a completely different context. So I withdraw the
> > "hijacking" remark which seems to have caused so much anxiety. Or
> > rather, I qualify it as "unintentionally hijacked".
>
>
> I am in favor of what you call "unintentionally hijacking topic maps". 
> I think this is exactly what is needed for making topic maps fly
> and get widely used.
>
> Although we tried to develop a model which would be simple and
> straightforward, the remarks on this list lead me to think that
> the Topic Maps model as currently existing and embodied in the 
> XTM/HyTm syntaxes might be *too* rich and *too* complex to 
> correspond to various needs which would be happier with a lighter 
> definition of topic maps. That for me is a strong argument in
> favor of a modular perspective on topic maps, which would not
> contradict or invalidate anything that currently exists, but
> would make the learning curve simpler.
>
> Just a thought.

I've been stuck in the house with a late winter cold for the past three 
days, I see a chance to blow out the pipes at the gym so I'm in a bit of 
a rush; the state of my health may have affected the tone of my earlier 
email. If so, my apologies. In addition, I wanted to wait a bit before 
responding to Kal and to anyone else who waded in on this. But... quickly.

I don't think TM concept or the specification itself over complex and 
I'd be leary of trying to simplify or modularize it. What I found 
difficult at the start was bridging the gap between the abstraction, the 
patently great idea of a TM and the application to my littel web world. 
Yes, I could see TM examples and applications, but I was still having 
trouble fitting it all into my personal hands-on experience. I couldn't 
figure out, given my limited time and technical prowess, how to show and 
tell a Topic Map on my own, self-designed, self-maintained website.

I've looked at and admired the Tequila software, but I think about the 
technical assumptions for use: comfort and working knowledge of the Java 
programming language; knowledge of Apache component installation, 
configuration; some webserver knowledge; in addition to TM design and 
implementation expertise. That's my perception and, if it's right, it's 
a big chew.

In an ideal future, what would serve someone like me is probably an 
application that, given some design guidelines for defining META tags in 
my site pages, using Dublin Core for example, there is an application 
that will crawl around my site and -- presto! -- there is a "site map on 
steroids" that happens to be a Topic Map with links in place and the 
smarts to repeat the process periodically or whenever the content 
changes. I wonder if this is feasible? I wonder if people would pay 
money for a tool like this? I wonder whether the economics of the 
proposition would make it worthwhile to build?

I have to go. I look forward to seeing responses with eyes clear of blear.

Regards.                    ...edN