RE: [xml-dev] "XML is just syntax" versus "Use semantic markup" ( Is th

[Len Bullard <len.bullard@uai.com>]

Yes.  The distinction is by context, a.k.a., point of view.

No meaning without a processor; thus, my reply to Roger, but names are a
gray area of sorts since they are a context.

It might be fun to count how many times we've repeated this thread over the
years.  XML Doesn't Care so I Have To.  I don't live in Walter's world.  I
determine mine except when I am at home with She Who Must Be Obeyed.  

<context type="lucid_nonsense">I still think it sad that Leo McKern gave up
his job at the Village only to surrender to She Who Must Be Obeyed. He was
destined to be Number 2 forever.</context> 

Context is discoverable even if it isn't real.  There is no permanent escape
from The Village.  For Chomsky, we are all prisoners.

BCNU

len


From: Robin Cover [mailto:robin@oasis-open.org] 
 
On Tue, 11 Mar 2008, Len Bullard wrote:

> Hi Walter:
>
> Thanks.  I have not read that.  I wonder from time to time if the symbols
> and media affect the answer, for example, the vectors in graphics are a
> means to create the source information for rendering, but individually,
they
> are just triplets (in 3D) (syntax).  Only in combination where they
exhibit
> frequency are they meaningful, and then only if one ignores point-of-view,
> aka, the camera.
>
> Even if we skip the frequency debate,

> is a tag name content or markup;

unsure: I've never read a satisfying, compelling paper that explains
how we are to differentiate between "content" and "markup" in an
arbitrary context (it seems to depend upon perspective -- as similarly
for "data" vs "metadata").  In a previous life I studied Sumerian,
Akkadian, Ugaritic, and other levantine languages -- and became
familiar with some other writing systems for ancient languages that
I didn't study.  Many of the common notions of "punctuation"
(characters) and other writing units understood in modern writing
systems don't fit when applied to ancient writing systems.  So
also, notions of "markup" vs. "content".

> or,
> is that a meaningful question?

In the abstract, it's an interesting question, even if we can't
decide upon "meaningful" apart from a context.

- Robin

P.S. I regret having to mention "context" twice, because I can't
bear to live in a world so undetermined as W. E. Perry has
described, in dozens of interesting posts, over the years.  So
I don't.

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