SUO: RE: Re: Standard Upper Ontology Procedure Topics
If this exercise of defining our basic terms before we get started is to
have any value, it must be in clarifying the meaning of those terms so, in
using them among ourselves, we are likely to use them in a more consistent
way, and thus be less likely to misunderstand one another.
Not wishing to be offensive, I still have to say that the definitions given
below not only fail to clarify the meanings of the terms, they make it more
likely that we will deviate from standard usage and end up misunderstanding
one another. See the embedded TJ remarks below.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-standard-upper-ontology@majordomo.ieee.org
[mailto:owner-standard-upper-ontology@majordomo.ieee.org]On Behalf Of
Jon Awbrey
Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2003 9:09 AM
To: SUO; Matthew West
Subject: SUO: Re: Standard Upper Ontology Procedure Topics
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SUOPT. Note 2
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JA = Jon Awbrey
LC = Lewis Carroll
MW = Matthew West
SUO Group, Procedure Project Leader,
I will record Matthew's first thoughts on the list in progress
of Procedure Topics and then sort them to the appropriate bins
for further discussion. If people use the <Reply To> function
on their mailer, and are not working from behind the screen of
the wrong kind of firewall, then their comments will be logged
in the neigborhood of the Topic's nominal space in the Archive.
Re: SUOPT Page 1. http://suo.ieee.org/email/msg11635.html
Copied with corrections of intention by the author here:
JA: Toward a more organized discussion of SUO Procedure,
I have made up an initial list of Topics that have
come up already, or that I think I can foresee
will come up quickly as we proceed with the
analysis of the task before us.
JA: I have tentatively organized these Topics as follows, and
will proceed to insert thread headers in the SUO Archives.
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Audience
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Definition
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Deliverable
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Example
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Issue
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Objective
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Principle
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Procedure
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Process
JA: Those are the topics that arise in my mind for the time being.
There will no doubt be others arising in the fullness of time.
JA: It goes without saying that you go without saying at your own risk.
JA: So I said it anyway.
Matthew's initial -- prompt if hasty -- replies are here:
MW: Well I guess I should claim
Alice in Wonderland rights
and give the meaning
I intended.
Matthew is likely referring to Humpty Dumpty's speech
in 'Alice Through the Looking Glass' by Lewis Carroll:
LC: | "When 'I' use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone,
| "it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less."
|
| "The question is," said Alice, "whether you 'can' make words mean so
| many different things."
|
| "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master --
| that's all."
|
| http://www.sabian.org/alice.htm
| http://www.sabian.org/Alice/lgchap06.htm
Still, there are indeed many pertinent passages about
meanings to be found in 'Wonderland', to instance two:
LC: | "Speak English!" said the Eaglet. "I don't know the meaning
| of half those long words, and, what's more, I don't believe
| you do either!" And the Eaglet bent down its head to hide
| a smile: some of the other birds tittered audibly.
|
| "What I was going to say", said the Dodo in an offended tone,
| "was, that the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucus-race."
|
| http://users.starpower.net/linker/wonderland/final/ch3.html
LC: | The Mock Turtle sighed deeply, and began,
| in a voice sometimes choked with sobs,
| to sing this:--
|
| Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
| Waiting in a hot tureen!
| Who for such dainties would not stoop?
| Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
| Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
|
| http://users.starpower.net/linker/wonderland/final/ch10.html
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Audience
MW: More properly Target Audience: Those who the document is
intended to address and who need to be able to understand it.
TJ: could someone be a member of a target audience of a document, and not be
able to
understand it? Perhaps Newton presenting a copy of the Principia to the King
of England? Or
my writing a requirements document for a financial data mart, and putting
the CIO's name on
the address list? I think the King, and the CIO, are part of the target
audience.
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Definition
MW: The meaning with which this term is
used in the context of this document.
TJ: this is a joke, right? Or else a perfectly reasonable refusal to attempt
a definition.
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Deliverable
MW: The desired output of a project or programme of work.
TJ: (a) weekly status reports are a desired output of most projects, but
they're not deliverables.
(b) What is a programme of work vs. a project?
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Example
MW: Some members of the class exemplified.
TJ: "exemplified" used to define "example"?
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Issue
MW: A definition of Formal Issue is given in the revised document.
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Objective
MW: A state of affairs that is desired by the
organisation/project stating the objective.
TJ: (a) so an objective is a desired state of affairs of a project, and a
deliverable is a desired
output of a project. (b) Is a functioning Sales History Data Mart a state of
affairs, or an "output"?
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Principle
MW: A guiding truth, but note that you should neve let
your principles prevent you from doing what's right.
TJ: Does anyone understand "guiding truth" any better than he understands
"principle"? (This is actually
THE question to ask of any definition.)
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Procedure
MW: A sequence of tasks to achieve an objective.
TJ: how about "some ordering" of tasks? Sequences are just one kind of
ordering, viz. the kind that doesn't
allow any tasks to be carried out in parallel.
SUOP Topic :> Definition Of Process
MW: Synonym for Procedure
TJ: pretty non-standard definition, in my opinion. There are procedures for
carrying out some processes,
but not all. I don't have a procedure for getting a group together to go out
to lunch. But getting the group together is a process. (Maybe, alluding to
CMM terminology, a procedure is what makes a process a "repeatable process"
(CMM Stage 2).)
JA: Those are the topics that arise in my mind for the time being.
There will no doubt be others arising in the fullness of time.
JA: It goes without saying that you go without saying at your own risk.
MW: So I've had my say.
TJ: again, with apologies for the frankness, but does anyone really think
that the exercise of producing these definitions created anything
worthwhile? Are any of these definitions clearer than the definiendum?
Dully recorded,
Jon Awbrey
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