[topicmapmail] eXchangeable Faceted Metadata Language

[Lars Marius Garshol]

* Conal Tuohy
| 
| I had come across it while reading a bunch of Information
| Architecture websites, and it struck me as being more towards IA,
| versus XTM at the KM end of the spectrum, too.

I don't think this is a real difference, actually. XTM seems to me
perfect for IA purposes, even though it is much more powerful than the
very limited tools IA practitioners have so far been accustomed to
using. XTM *can* be used for KM, but it does not *need* to.
 
| I was wondering whether the relative simplicity of XFML would make
| it more suitable (than XTM directly) for modeling the IA of a
| website, supporting the HTML etc. and itself based on an underlying
| XTM, i.e. as a layer in a website's software architecture (whether
| distributed or not).

That's rather like saying "the relative simplicity of a bicycle makes
it more suitable (than a car) for getting around". It's not directly
false, but it's not true in all contexts, either. XFML is simpler, and
if something simplem is all you need, then it may be better or just as
good to go with XFML. 

However, XFML won't always be enough. There is a *lot* you can do with
XTM that XFML doesn't even let you dream of.

-- 
Lars Marius Garshol, Ontopian         <URL: http://www.ontopia.net >
GSM: +47 98 21 55 50                  <URL: http://www.garshol.priv.no >