Ppy/Yim_Ontolog_20051110.ppt/Nov-2005 1 The Ontolog Community: Differentiation & Potential...

ppy/Yim_Ontolog_20051110.ppt/Nov-

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The Ontolog Community: The Ontolog Community: Differentiation & Potential Differentiation & Potential

ContributionContribution

Ontology Community Efforts: Differentiation & Ontology Community Efforts: Differentiation & SynergySynergy

by

Peter P. Yim <[email protected]>

ONTOLOG, co-convener / CIM3, CEO

presented at the: Joint SICoP-Ontolog Panel Discussion: Joint SICoP-Ontolog Panel Discussion:

November 10, 2005( v 1.02)


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ONTOLOGONTOLOG (aka. (aka. Ontolog ForumOntolog Forum) est. ) est. Apr.2002Apr.2002

• 3 co-conveners 3 co-conveners - PeterYim; LeoObrst & KurtConrad• Hosted Hosted on the CIM3 collaborative work environment

infrastructure• CharterCharter - Ontolog is an open, international, virtual

community of practice, whose membership will:: Discuss practical issues and strategies associated with the

development and application of both formal and informal ontologies.

Identify ontological engineering approaches that might be applied to the UBL effort, as well as to the broader domain of eBusiness standardization efforts.

Strive to advance the field of ontological engineering and semantic technologies, and to help move them into main stream applications.

• ActivitiesActivities:: Weekly conference calls of active members Monthly virtual Invited Speaker events Scheduled Technical Discussions Specific Projects: like [CCT-Rep], [Health-Ont], NHIN-RFI

response, ... Resides on a virtual collaborative work environment which

serves as a dynamic knowledge repository to the community's collective intelligence

• We welcome your participationWe welcome your participation – see: – see: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/

Introducing:

3ppy/Yim_Ontolog_20051110.ppt/Nov-

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Working as Communities of Working as Communities of Practice Practice

What are CoP’s anyway?What are CoP’s anyway?• small groups of people who have worked together over small groups of people who have worked together over

a period of time. Not a team, not a task force, not a period of time. Not a team, not a task force, not necessarily an authorized or identified group. They are necessarily an authorized or identified group. They are peers in the execution of "real work." What holds them peers in the execution of "real work." What holds them together is a common sense of purpose and a real need together is a common sense of purpose and a real need to know what each other knows. to know what each other knows. (--John Seely Brown / ref: (--John Seely Brown / ref: ttp://ps1.cim3.net/ps.php?theurl=http://www.fastcompany.com/online/01/people.html#purp205))

• a group of professionals, informally bound to one a group of professionals, informally bound to one another through exposure to a common class of another through exposure to a common class of problems, common pursuit of solutions, and thereby problems, common pursuit of solutions, and thereby themselves embodying a store of knowledge.themselves embodying a store of knowledge. (--Peter & Trudy Johnson-Lenz / ref: (--Peter & Trudy Johnson-Lenz / ref: ttp://ps1.cim3.net/ps.php?theurl=http://www.co-i-l.com/coil/knowledge-garden/cop/definitions.shtml#purp47))

• groups of people who share a concern or a passion for groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and who interact regularly to learn something they do and who interact regularly to learn how to do it better.how to do it better. (--Etienne Wenger / ref: (--Etienne Wenger / ref: ttp://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm))

• in our case here, it could be groups that work together in our case here, it could be groups that work together along lines of business within the government that are along lines of business within the government that are dedicated to the support of certain business functionsdedicated to the support of certain business functions (ref: (ref: ttp://colab.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?DataReferenceModel_09_2004/TheGlossary_DRM_VolIv1#nid2K8F))


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Ontolog – an Ontolog – an open CoPopen CoP

“ John McCarthy chating with Doug Engelbart at a bar … leading to a joint virtual project team-up”


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Ontolog’s key Ontolog’s key DifferentiationDifferentiation

Activities are community driven; we are Activities are community driven; we are neutral, open, and we are not answerable to neutral, open, and we are not answerable to any authority or institutional structure, any authority or institutional structure, except for (explicitly) our charter & IPR except for (explicitly) our charter & IPR policy, and (implicitly) our professional policy, and (implicitly) our professional integrity. integrity.

We are adamant about collaboration, sharing and open knowledge … and are trying to spur organic or emergent behavior

in the community and our project teams


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What really matter are …What really matter are …(… after one can meet with what is (… after one can meet with what is

needed)needed)

• COSTCOST There’s practically no out-of-pocket cost to There’s practically no out-of-pocket cost to

participateparticipate • QUALITYQUALITY

We have been blessed with a membership that We have been blessed with a membership that include some of the most respected names in the include some of the most respected names in the space … and we have nothing else to answer to space … and we have nothing else to answer to except our professional integrityexcept our professional integrity

Over the last 3.5 years, we’ve earned the trust Over the last 3.5 years, we’ve earned the trust and respect of fellow practitionersand respect of fellow practitioners

• RESPONSIVENESS (or AGILITY)RESPONSIVENESS (or AGILITY) Given a passionate active membership, we can Given a passionate active membership, we can

‘really’ turn on a dime‘really’ turn on a dime

Back in my CIM days, I’ve learned that …


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What can Ontolog bring to the table?What can Ontolog bring to the table? • our open collaborative attitude - we our open collaborative attitude - we cancan and and willwill

gladly work with other communities sharing gladly work with other communities sharing similar attitudes and goals similar attitudes and goals

• our established infrastructure and community our established infrastructure and community membership of a lot of the key players in the membership of a lot of the key players in the domain domain

• our agility: we can put together a fairly our agility: we can put together a fairly substantial virtual event in short order (say, 2 substantial virtual event in short order (say, 2 weeks.) weeks.)

• help evangelize ontological work and educate the help evangelize ontological work and educate the industryindustry

• explicit input to eGov and Standards bodies explicit input to eGov and Standards bodies (OASIS, UN/CEFACT, …)(OASIS, UN/CEFACT, …)

• implicit sharing of expertise with other implicit sharing of expertise with other communities (especially those who reside on and communities (especially those who reside on and share the cim3.net infrastructure)share the cim3.net infrastructure)


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Case Examples of Communities on the CIM3.NET Case Examples of Communities on the CIM3.NET Collaborative Work Environments (CWE’s)Collaborative Work Environments (CWE’s)

• OntologOntolog• CWE-devCWE-dev• BootstrapBootstrap• ProtégéProtégé• eGov: eGov:

COLABCOLAB• eGov: DRM eGov: DRM

project work project work & public & public forumforum

• Millennium Millennium ProjectProject(AC/UNU)(AC/UNU)

• Digital Art Digital Art OntologyOntology

• Hosting of: Hosting of: SUMO, SUMO, CODS, CODS,

• … … (more)(more)


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Q & AQ & A

DiscussionDiscussion


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AppendixAppendixBackup slidesBackup slides


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US – eGovernmentUS – eGovernment


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What Does it Take to do it What Does it Take to do it Effectively?Effectively?

• ... more than just smart and knowledgeable individuals:... more than just smart and knowledgeable individuals:We need to get organized (even when that ‘organization’ is supposed to be We need to get organized (even when that ‘organization’ is supposed to be organic)organic)

we need to work as distributed nodes in a networked community, and get we need to work as distributed nodes in a networked community, and get coordinatedcoordinated

we need to arrive at shared understandingwe need to arrive at shared understanding

we need proper coordination and governancewe need proper coordination and governance

... more than research, experiments and pilots... more than research, experiments and pilots

• ... we need adoption:... we need adoption:we need to apply ontological engineering and semantic technologies to real we need to apply ontological engineering and semantic technologies to real problemsproblems

we need to operationalize these applications and deploy them on secured, we need to operationalize these applications and deploy them on secured, robust, scalable infrastructuresrobust, scalable infrastructures

we need to transfer the technology and our learnings to the world at-largewe need to transfer the technology and our learnings to the world at-large

• ... please refer also to: ... please refer also to:

Yim, P. “Developing Semantic Technologies in a Collaborative Work Yim, P. “Developing Semantic Technologies in a Collaborative Work Environment”Environment”

presentation at: http://colab.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?ExpeditionWorkshop/SemanticConflictMappingandEnablement_MakingCommitmentsTogether_2005_02_22#nid2IGF


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Working in the “wicked problem” spaceWorking in the “wicked problem” space

“ … on tackling 'wicked problems':

it's about arriving at a shared commitment, with a shared understanding, augmented by a shared display and a facilitator.”

-- citing the work by the IBIS people (Horst Rittle/Jeff Conklin)

“wicked” problems are problems that we can’t even properly define …Ref: ttp://www. oppendieck com/wicked. tm


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An Organizational Form that the CWE aims An Organizational Form that the CWE aims at Supporting – leading us toward Open at Supporting – leading us toward Open

Virtual EnterprisesVirtual Enterprises

Source: Institute for the Future: Johansen, R., Swigart, R. Upsizing the Individual in the Downsized Organization

introducing:introducing: The Fishnet Organization The Fishnet Organization

these are temporary (or semi-permanent) hierarchies, that emerge out of the CoP's, which capitalize on distributed capabilities to

achieve specific purposes; when those purposes are achieved (or when the opportunities no longer exist), they disband, and the

resources (people, knowledge, skill sets) are returned to the CoP's where they come from.


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Tool System

MediaPortrayTravel, ViewStudyManipulateRetrieveComputeCommunicate

Human System

ParadigmsOrganizationProceduresCustomsMethodsLanguageAttitudes

CapabilityInfrastructure

Percept. Motor

Mental

SkillsKnowledge

Training

Capability to Improve

Needs a prominentand explicit role!

Harnessing explosive technology Harnessing explosive technology depends, to a new degree, on the depends, to a new degree, on the

““Capability-Improvement CapabilityCapability-Improvement Capability””- Doug Engelbart, Jan. 2000

(excerpt from the tanford ‘Unfinished Revolution-II’ Colloquium)


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Software Featured in CODSSoftware Featured in CODS• Protégé Multiuser ServerProtégé Multiuser Server• RDBMS backend (Oracle or MySQL)RDBMS backend (Oracle or MySQL)• PomptTAB (Protégé plugin)PomptTAB (Protégé plugin)• Subversion server & client (TortoiseSVN Subversion server & client (TortoiseSVN

client for Windows)client for Windows)• Apache web server & WebDAV serverApache web server & WebDAV server• Linux platformLinux platform• Augmentation of the team collaboration Augmentation of the team collaboration

with the CWE suite of open source with the CWE suite of open source collaboration tools (for portal, archived collaboration tools (for portal, archived discussion, wiki & file-sharing workspace)discussion, wiki & file-sharing workspace)


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An Augmented ApproachAn Augmented Approach

• We combine the strengths of both the Protégé We combine the strengths of both the Protégé ontology tools platform, and CIM3’s infrastructure ontology tools platform, and CIM3’s infrastructure to provide a collaborative ontology development to provide a collaborative ontology development environment for environment for bothboth humans and machines, humans and machines, optimizing between (sometimes conflicting) optimizing between (sometimes conflicting) objectives like:objectives like:• Human expressiveness vs. machine rigorHuman expressiveness vs. machine rigor• Average user vs. power user expectationAverage user vs. power user expectation• Secured system vs. open system Secured system vs. open system • Transaction system vs. groupware system Transaction system vs. groupware system

behaviorbehavior• Our intent is to foster shared understanding and Our intent is to foster shared understanding and

learninglearning• We are trying to spur innovation, as well as organic We are trying to spur innovation, as well as organic

or emergent behavior in the user communities and or emergent behavior in the user communities and teamsteams


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CIM Engineering Inc.CIM Engineering Inc. (dba. (dba. CIM3CIM3) est. 1989) est. 1989

• Mission: Mission: to enable more effective distributed to enable more effective distributed collaboration and virtual enterprise through collaboration and virtual enterprise through bootstrapping collective intelligence over the Internetbootstrapping collective intelligence over the Internet

• Products/Services: providing an ISP/ASP based Products/Services: providing an ISP/ASP based Collaborative Work Environment (“CWE”)Collaborative Work Environment (“CWE”) infrastructure infrastructure that enables distributed project teams, virtual enterprise that enables distributed project teams, virtual enterprise partners and communities of practice to work effectively partners and communities of practice to work effectively over the Internet.over the Internet.

• CIM3 - Collaboration In huMan, Methods and Machine, in CIM3 - Collaboration In huMan, Methods and Machine, in essence, we are about:essence, we are about: People, Process & ToolsPeople, Process & Tools Augmented CollaborationAugmented Collaboration

• Approach-1: People as an integral part of the systemApproach-1: People as an integral part of the system

• Approach-2: We optimize our infrastructure, tools and Approach-2: We optimize our infrastructure, tools and process for CoP’s and Distributed Project Teams … we process for CoP’s and Distributed Project Teams … we take care of the infrastructure, so that those communities take care of the infrastructure, so that those communities and teams can really focus on their workand teams can really focus on their work

• Approach-3: We do it because we feel it is important, Approach-3: We do it because we feel it is important, meaningful, and that we are passionate about it meaningful, and that we are passionate about it (but then, (but then, we still appreciate getting remunerated for the work.) we still appreciate getting remunerated for the work.)

Introducing:


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Hosted InfrastructureHosted Infrastructure

• Product features:Product features: CWE – “open”, “community-only” & CWE – “open”, “community-only” &

“secured”“secured” Robust, scalable, enterprise Robust, scalable, enterprise

performanceperformance Secured and Fault TolerantSecured and Fault Tolerant Platform neutral (Platform neutral (PC’s, Mac’s, Linux, Unix, …)PC’s, Mac’s, Linux, Unix, …)

• Infrastructure:Infrastructure: Tier-1 hosting facilityTier-1 hosting facility 100Mbps bandwidth into the Internet 100Mbps bandwidth into the Internet

backbonebackbone Backbone: Backbone: multiple OC48 & Gige self-multiple OC48 & Gige self-

healing fiber-ringhealing fiber-ring


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Our Hosting Our Hosting FacilityFacility


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““Open” – the final Open” – the final frontierfrontier

• we mean: open standards, open we mean: open standards, open technology (including free and open technology (including free and open source software), open content, open source software), open content, open knowledge, open process, open access, knowledge, open process, open access, open mind … and the transparency open mind … and the transparency associated with themassociated with them

• it’s a two-edged sword that we need to it’s a two-edged sword that we need to learn to handlelearn to handle

• however, our unimpeded progress (as in however, our unimpeded progress (as in continuous improvement to cope with an continuous improvement to cope with an exponential rate of change) will depend exponential rate of change) will depend on iton it


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TThe real “Key” to successhe real “Key” to success

• the individual participants hold the individual participants hold the key to the communities’ and the key to the communities’ and their project’s success, and their project’s success, and

it’s all in their it’s all in their

““attitude towards attitude towards sharing sharing and commitment and commitment””

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