Comments on: This barely qualifies as a post…

By: Gardner

Gardner — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:00:09 +0000

“A language of logic that is genuinely expressive”–yes indeed, Stephen. Something like poetry. The web’s a metaphor for metaphor itself.

Can’t wait to see that Steig book, Brian. It’s just the rinse I need after a head full of Aristotle.

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:59:53 +0000

My ignorance with both of your fellows’ comments will require me to follow up with effort on my own. Stephen, on the concept of “tuples” and “web of propositions” (I will read the Wikipedia entries before I bug ya), and Alan, on “CDB” (which I suspect will be less grueling).

Thanks so much to you both, and to Gardner. I love working in a field where people throw wonderful strange shit at me as a matter of course…

You rock, thanks!!

By: Alan Levine

Alan Levine — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:04:49 +0000

Yeah, for William Steig! Author of “CDB!”, my first favorite book.

By: Stephen Downes

Stephen Downes — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:18:08 +0000

> I think there’s a strong streak of Aristotelian propositional method in the idea of a data-driven web.

Yes – it’s the web of statements. Logicians call them ‘tuples’ while RDF advocates call them ‘triples’. It’s the web of propositions.

Except… even now, the web has gone well beyond propositions. Images, videos, animations, parodies and spoofs, MP3s (legal and illegal), all this and more – the web is far more of a universe than Aristotle ever dreamed of.

The web may force us to finally leave Aristotle’s propositions behind, and to begin using a language of logic that is genuinely expressive.