Why Not to Use Boolean Datatypes in Taxonomies
Many taxonomies, especially well designed taxonomies with many facets, have dimensions that consist of very few, often just two categories, however this may cause more harm than it’s worth. Many taxonomies, especially well designed taxonomies with many facets, have dimensions that consist of very few, often just two categories. It is tempting to give these...Continue reading→
The Data-Centric Revolution: Data-Driven Resolution Planning
Perhaps the way to be ready for resolution is to flip from document-centric to data-centric. Build a system that expresses in real time, the on-going agreements between the many legal entities within the firm. Capture who is doing what for whom. We just completed a project with an Investment Bank, whose name you would recognize...Continue reading→
D3 the Easy Way
We’ve found ourselves working with D3(d3js.org) more and more lately, both for clients and for our own projects. So far we’ve really just begun to scratch the surface of what it can do (if you’re unfamiliar, take a moment to browse the examples). Despite our relative lack of experience with the library, we’ve been able...Continue reading→
Ontology and Taxonomy: Strange Bedfellows
Explore the relationship between Taxonomy and Ontology with this presentation by Michael Uschold from a keynote talk at the International Conference on Semantic Computing. Click Here to View The PDF The Menu (Taxonomy) vs. the Meal (Ontology) Taxonomy and Thesauri: Focus is on words, not concepts (the menu). Relationships are between terms: synonym, hyponym, broader/narrower...Continue reading→
White Paper: The Enterprise Ontology
At the time of this writing almost no enterprises in North America have a formal enterprise ontology. Yet we believe that within a few years this will become one of the foundational pieces to most information system work within major enterprises. In this paper, we will explain just what an enterprise ontology is, and more...Continue reading→
Concrete Abstractions
Gist is based on something we call “concrete abstractions” Most upper level ontologies are based on “abstract abstractions” that is, they are based on philosophical ideas that might be correct but are counter productive to try to convince business people and IT people what they are and what they mean. We have taken the...Continue reading→
Ontologies and Taxonomies
Are you struggling with how to make best use of your company’s knowledge assets that have grown overly complex? Have you wondered how to blend the more informal taxonomic knowledge with the more formal ontological knowledge? This has been a real head-scratcher for us for quite a while now. We described some breakthroughs we have...Continue reading→
How to Run a Project Over Budget by 300-500%
A Playbook you Don’t want to Follow A while back, I was working for a large consulting firm. When I was returning to the US from an overseas assignment, I was allowed to select the city I would return to. I told my boss, who was on the board of this firm, my choice. He...Continue reading→
Supersumption: Solving Common Object Oriented Problems
The idea of supersumption may solve some common Object Oriented problems. We’ve been doing training in Semantics and Description Logics lately, and have decided it’s worth emphasizing the concept of supersumption. Of course, supersumption is nothing but the inverse of subsumption: that is, if we say A subsumes B, then we have also said B...Continue reading→
The Treaty of Tordesillas
What history can teach us about semantics. Lately we’ve been grappling with the issue of how to get a Semantics Inference Engine and a Business Rules Engine to play nice in an Enterprise Architecture. Some long dormant neuron fired and the Treaty of Tordesillas was invoked as a possible exemplar. For those of you whose...Continue reading→
