Re: Industrially Relevant Ontology Projects -- Request for Summaries
phayes@ai.uiuc.edu (Pat Hayes)
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Date: Fri, 29 Sep 1995 15:06:07 -0600
To: mudcat@ie.utoronto.ca
From: phayes@ai.uiuc.edu (Pat Hayes)
Subject: Re: Industrially Relevant Ontology Projects -- Request for Summaries
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Hi folks
Thanks for providing your definition of 'Ontology'. However, when looking
at it, Im at a loss to understand what it has to do with AI, even applied
AI. The glossary to which you refer us
(http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/WfMC/DOCS/glossary.html) doesn't seem to be an
application of AI to anything: it uses no formalism or ideas from AI, and
it is not geared to the construction of any programs or systems which might
exhibit any cognitive abilities. Just to read it requires proficiency in
English, and to understand it probably requires prior knowledge of the what
the authors are talking about, so its not a knowledge representation in the
AI sense. (It makes free use of such terms as 'thread of control' without
defining them anywhere, for example.)
Of course, one is pleased to learn that business people are trying to be
more careful in the ways they communicate with one another, but what has
this to do with our subject?
Best wishes
Pat Hayes
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