Date-based Properties (was: Re: [rdfweb-dev] FOAF Meeting)

[Gregory Williams]

On Apr 18, 2005, at 6:34 PM, Christopher Schmidt wrote:

>  -- Issues with FOAF specification since last meeting

I brought up an issue with the spec at the FOAF meeting yesterday, and  
agreed to send a summary to the list. Basically, I wasn't happy with  
the inconsistency of FOAF having both time-based properties (such as  
foaf:{pastProject, currentProject}) and properties that could benefit  
from time-based versions but that aren't time-based (such as  
foaf:workplaceHomepage). The spec's wording of the workplaceHomepage  
seems to be worded in the present tense, leaving out the ability to  
make statements about past workplaces.

The discussion may be read starting here:
http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/discovery/chatlogs/swig/2005-04-20.html#T17 
-36-12

For the most part, we agreed that the inconsistency was a problem, and  
that the the FOAF properties should be simple shortcut properties for  
more in-depth descriptions made possible by things like the bio[1],  
CV[2], and whois[3] vocabularies.

The rough consensus on this issue was as follows:

We should:
- Add new terms foaf:projectHomepage, foaf:project, and foaf:workplace.
- Deprecate foaf:pastProject and use other vocabs to discuss past  
projects and workplaces.
- Deprecate foaf:currentProject in favor of foaf:project and  
foaf:projectHomepage
- Note the nature of foaf:workplaceHomepage and foaf:projectHomepage as  
being shortcut properties having the extent of "now".
- Use foaf:project and foaf:workplace to point at resources (possibly  
using the CV/whois vocabs) that more fully describe the project or  
workplace.

CaptSolo mentioned that he'd take a look at his CV vocab, seeing what  
might need to be updated for use with FOAF, whois, etc.

I'd love to hear comments and suggestions from the list, after which,  
I'll hope to add this to the Issue Tracker.

thanks,
.greg

[1] http://vocab.org/bio/0.1/
[2] http://captsolo.net/semweb/resume/cv.rdfs
[3] http://www.kanzaki.com/ns/whois

-- 
"I never knew Bill Clinton was a philosophy major. That explains a lot
  I think - we know we don't know what the meaning of 'is' is either."
     - Brian Weatherson