BCNGroup Glass Bead Games -> .
communications to portal@ontologystream.com
5/4/2004
3:41 PM
“SICoP’s purpose is to implement knowledge
representation techniques that have been proven to enhance interoperability of
current information structures. “
Enhancing can be done marginally. In fact “enhancing” some aspects of something can be done in a way that actually inhibits other things and makes things overall worse.
The question is about what is enhanced and what is not enhanced.
For example, enhancement by Cyc Corp ontology can lead to false sense making (Weick’s term) and thus to failures of government to protect against terrorist attacks. This issue, regarding the value of Cyc ontology when compared with the expectations developed by Doug Lenat (Cyc Corp founder), has been discussed in various forums. A deep issue remains at the core to the mismatch between what AI has promised, what has been promised by Cyc Corp investments, and what eventually was delivered. This issue has to do with the confusion that computer science makes with respect to how successful natural systems like business systems, or social systems, can be modeled using classical logics.
The other hidden issue here has to do with “current information structures”. These current information structures might have the property that no enhancement will produce an information system that can be compared with the Orb-based (Anticipatory Web) alternative.
The metaphor is about almost any generation of “technology” when compared with the technology that eventually displaces that generation.