Subject: RDF for ISIC rev 3 and CPC V1.0

From: "Greg FitzPatrick" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 14:26:53 +0200

Martin Bryan, from the SGML Centre  http://www.sgml.u-net.com
wrote:

> The idea of describing product classifications using RDF is not
> new,

I would appreciate any references you could send me about this.  How far has
this idea gotten?  Where can I read about it?

> but how would you propose these definitions be used  - what structures
> would you see them forming a part of?

Well here is my process, Martin, my working group has gathered together
national agencies in Sweden to work for a common ontology for the
publication of resources from the perspective of time-spenders.

One of these agencies (the Swedish National tourist board) has taken this
initiative to its European partners, and in the process has gained knowledge
of two independent developments.

1)  A CEN working group - 329, who has spent the last few years trying to
develop a European standard nomenclature for tourist resources.

2).  A project called IntouriSME, which has raised about 20 million Euro
from DG 13 and 16, but has very little relationship to the traditional
tourist orgs. This work is classed SECRET and that includes the naming
conventions being developed.

CEN 329 is basically semantic, whilst IntoruiSME is both semantics and
syntax.

Both projects are developing naming conventions, independent of each other,
and so for that matter, was the Swedish national tourist board up until now.

My interest here is a common ontology for the entire European Tourist
industry - and btw, for culture, sport and entertainment as well.   these
activities are all quite related from the time-seekers POV.

Now as you know, traditional Standards work is rather secretive, publication
financed, stodgy and so forth.   The CEN 329 work, which has been going on
for 3 years!!! is more or less confidential - , and not published for public
access anywhere!!!

This can be a cultural shock for someone like myself, who contributes to the
ISOC-IETF working process, which puts a premium on openness and consensus.

But there is no WIP in ISOC-IETF for the ontology described above.

There is another direction to be taken.  Statistical codes, unlike
(pre-Internet) standards, are available, open and free and well mapped
between countries.  And very important indeed, these codes are translated or
are being translated into most of the worlds languages.

So, I have proposed using ISIC rev 3 and CPC V1.0  as the fundamental ground
work for the ontologies we are wishing to create.  It is that simple.  If
you look at these codes, you will see that there is a considerable amount of
classification already done for the terminology sectors we are concentrated
on.   Take a look at ISIC Rev. 3 code 9249 for example, it covers almost
exactly the terms that CEN 329 is looking for.

Now, I certainly do not have a mandate from the United Nations to publish
all their codes (stretching far beyond ISIC and CPC) in RDF, though I am
sure this work would be beneficial.  I am sending a copy of this letter to
some of the people at the ILO and Statistical division so that they will
know about this effort. I am proposing that for now, this work be done for
now under the auspices of some European agency.  Since statistical codes
develop very slowly, there will be plenty of time for the United Nations
Statistical Division and the ILO to take notice of what we are doing and
join in if they so choose.  Or even more happily tell us that they have
already taken care of the job and it can be found at: www.???.org

Greg

> -----------------------------------------------------------------

> For more information about the European Commission's
> Open Information Interchange (OII) initiative contact
> http://www.echo.lu/oii/en/oiistand.html
> For more information about the ISIS XML/EDI Project contact
>  http://wwe.tieke.fi/isis-xmedil.html
>
>

---

From: "Eivind Hoffmann" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 14:38:38 +0200

Mr. FitzPatrick,

Thank you for sending me this warning.  However, without some background information I cannot judge how this should concern  ILO work, whether in respect of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88) or in respect of the ILO's Hotel and Tourism Activities.

Best regards.

Eivind HOFFMANN
Bureau of Statistics
International Labour Office
CH-1211 GENEVE 22
Switzerland

Tel: + 41 22 799 8076
Fax: + 41 22 799 6957
Email: [email-masked]

>>> "Greg FitzPatrick" <[email-masked]> 09/28 2:26 pm >>>

Greg