[Versa] Issue 1, better literal and datatype support

[Michael Olson]

>
> Which is a big change in semantics from the original RDF specs.  In
> effect it changes the meaning of a literal node, from unidentified node
> to unnamed node, and fudgees them together with resources in the core
> semantics.
>

Not quite.  The anonymous nodes are internal to the system.  now what  
you have is mapping from

named node --> anonymous node
blank node --> anonymous node
literal --> anonymous node


Now you can talk about them all the same through the rest of the spec  
which IMHO simplifies things.

> This is a really bad conceptual mistake: on the scale of the
> topic/occurence distinction in Topic Maps.
>


OK.  This will be one of those issues that we don't agree on (where are  
we tracking those ?:)


>>
>>>
>>>>>   To what extent does this bloat the
>>>>> model?
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It actually helps in so many ways (having just implemented it).   
>>>> Both
>>>> in model size (now a statements table only needs three columns not
>>>> four),
>>>
>>> You mean "column count", not "model size", right?
>>>
>>
>> No, and model size.  No identical literals have the same blank node
>> they reduce the number of string literals in the model.
>
> OK.  I had to understand that these RDF specs have now conflated
> identity with value.
>
> *sigh*.  RDF is going down slowly down the drain for me.
>

I guess I don't see it.  As a user it is irrelevant.  a --> b --> "c"  
still exists.   You never could modify "c" so if there are "n"  
statement pointing to _c what does the user care?

As an implementor it does restrain you some.  That would be the biggest  
down side to me.  No that I have to use anonymous nodes to implement  
the model.  Luckily, I think its a good idea and have already  
implemented it that way several times....
>>
>> If only it was so easy on a Mac.....
>
> Wow.  It's hard to imagine an MUA in the 21st century that doesn't have
> reply-to-list, but I googled, and checked Lori's computer, and it seems
> Apple.Mail does lack this.
>
> I'll see if I can find out more.  Might be a buried pref.
>
>

Mac's have less preferences then Window......  For now I'll just try to  
remember to fix the response reply headers by hand.


Luckily I think may days as a Mac user are about over...

Mike


> --  
> Uche Ogbuji                               Fourthought, Inc.
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-----------------
Mike Olson                                                Principal  
Consultant
mike.olson at fourthought.com                +1 720 253 4662
Fourthought, Inc.                                       
http://Fourthought.com
PO Box 270590,                                       http://4Suite.org
Louisville, CO 80027-5009, USA
XML strategy, XML tools, knowledge management