[topicmapmail] Why Topic Maps (a collaborative effort)

[Marc de Graauw]

Jan wrote:

> Why should topic maps be used for information organisation ?
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> * Topic maps appear as an additional navigation and access layer
>   on top of existing information resources, they DO NOT require
>   that these information resource be modified, nor do they interfer
>   with any existing processes these resources are involved in.
>
> * The topic naming constraint fulfills one of the primary objectives
>   of information organisation: vocabulary control.
>
> * The modularization capabilities of the topic maps paradigm support
>   distributed and/or iterative development of knowledge structures.
>
> * Topic Maps provide the semantics to distinguish between addressable
>   subjects (information resources themselves) and non-addressable subjects
>   (subjects that information resources are about)
>

Especially points 1 and 4 were - for me - major attractions of Topic Maps. 
Points 2 and 3 I think should be provided by ANY information organisation 
technology, and are not so much what sets Topic Maps apart. This is not the 
case when we add merging to the third point, so I would like to amend 3 to:

* The modularization and merging capabilities of the topic maps paradigm 
support distributed and/or iterative development of knowledge structures.

I have one to add:

* With scope Topic Maps provide a means to limit the validity of statements (or 
assertions, or topic characteristic assignments) to certain situations.

Marc