ConferenceCall 2009 01 15

= OntologySummit2009 Launch Event - Thu 2009-01-15 =


 * OntologySummit2009 Theme: Toward Ontology-based Standards


 * Topic: Ontology Summit 2009 Launch Event


 * Chair: Dr. SteveRay (Ontology Summit 2009 General Chair)


 * Archive: . [ slides ] . & . [ audio recording of the session ] (mp3) . & . [ Chat Transcript ]

Conference Call Details

 * Date: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009
 * Start Time: 10:30am PST / 12:30pm CST / 1:30pm EST / 7:30pm CET / 18:30 UTC
 * see world clock for other time zones
 * Expected Call Duration: ~1.5 hours
 * Dial-in Number:
 * from a US telephone (US): +1-218-486-3600 (domestic long distance cost will apply)
 * When calling in from a phone, use Conference ID: "4389979#"
 * from Europe, call:
 * Austria 0820-4000-1577
 * Belgium 070-35-9992
 * France 0826-100-280
 * Germany 01805-00-7642
 * Ireland 0818-270-037
 * Italy 0848-390-179
 * Spain 0902-886-056
 * Switzerland 0848-560-327 or 0848-414-110
 * UK 0870-738-0765
 * callers from other countries please dial into either one of the US or European numbers


 * Shared-screen support (VNC session), if applicable, will be started 5 minutes before the call at: http://vnc2.cim3.net:5800/
 * view-only password: "ontolog"
 * if you plan to be logging into this shared-screen option (which the speaker may be navigating), and you are not familiar with the process, please try to call in 5 minutes before the start of the session so that we can work out the connection logistics. Help on this will generally not be available once the presentation starts.
 * people behind corporate firewalls may have difficulty accessing this. If that is the case, please download the slides above and running them locally. The speaker(s) will prompt you to advance the slides during the talk.


 * Discussions and Q & A:
 * (Unless the conference host has already muted everyone) Please mute your phone, by pressing "*2" on your phone keypad, when a presentation is in progress. To un-mute, press "*3"
 * You can type in your questions or comments through the browser based  chat session by:
 * pointing a separate browser tab (or window) to http://webconf.soaphub.org/conf/room and enter: Room="ontolog_20090115" and My Name="Your Own Name" (e.g. "JaneDoe")
 * or point your browser to: http://webconf.soaphub.org/conf/room/ontolog_20090115
 * instructions: once you got access to the page, click on the "settings" button, and identify yourself (by modifying the Name field). You can indicate that you want to ask a question verbally by clicking on the "hand" button, and wait for the moderator to call on you; or, type and send your question into the chat window at the bottom of the screen.
 * (when everyone is muted) If you want to speak or have questions or remarks to make, 'please "raise your hand (virtually)" by click on the "hand button" (lower right) on the chat session page. You may speak when acknowledged by the speaker or the session moderator (again, press "*3" on your phone to unmute). Test your voice and introduce yourself first before proceeding with your remarks, please.'' (Please remember to click on the "hand button" again (to lower your hand) and press "*2" on your phone to mute yourself after you are done speaking.)
 * thanks to the soaphub.org folks, one can now use a jabber/xmpp client (e.g. gtalk) to join this chatroom. Just add the room as a buddy - (in our case here) ontolog_20090115@soaphub.org ... Handy for mobile devices!


 * For those who cannot join us, or who have further questions or remarks on the topic, please post them to the [ontology-summit] listserv so that everyone in the community can benefit from the discourse.


 * Please review our Virtual Session Tips and Ground Rules - see: VirtualSpeakerSessionTips


 * RSVP to [mailto:peter.yim@cim3.com peter.yim@cim3.com] appreciated.


 * This session, like all other Ontolog events, is open to the public. Information relating to this session is shared on this wiki page: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?ConferenceCall_2009_01_15


 * Please note that this session will be recorded, and the audio archive is expected to be made available as open content to our community membership and the public at-large under our prevailing open IPR policy.

Attendees

 * Attended:
 * SteveRay (chair)
 * PeterYim
 * DavidPrice (Eurostep)
 * HowardMason
 * FabianNeuhaus
 * KurtConrad
 * MitchRinger
 * TrishWhetzel
 * Tom Russ (ISI)
 * DeborahMacPherson (BSP)
 * DougHolmes
 * DavidLeal
 * MikeDean
 * MichaelGruninger
 * LaurentLiscia
 * PatCassidy
 * MatthewWest
 * OthelRolle
 * RexBrooks
 * Elizabeth Florescu (MP/WFUNA)
 * EvanWallace
 * AlanRuttenberg
 * KenBaclawski


 * Expecting:
 * John Thompson (Boeing)
 * EdDodds
 * PeterBenson
 * ... if you are coming to the meeting, please add your name above (plus your affiliation, if you aren't already a member of the community) above, or e-mail  so that we can reserve enough resources to support everyone's participation. ...


 * Regrets:
 * MarkMusen
 * NicolaGuarino
 * ElisaKendall
 * LeoObrst
 * BarrySmith
 * NilsSandsmark
 * BillMcCarthy
 * MarcWine

Agenda Ideas

 * Launching OntologySummit2009
 * (please isert other ideas below)

Resources

 * Homepage of OntologySummit2009
 * Communitywide brainstorming and planning session Ontology Summit 2009 - ConferenceCall_2008_12_18
 * "Next steps in using ontologies as standards" discussion, starting with SteveRay's post - http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/2009-01/msg00000.html
 * [ontology-summit] mailing list archives - http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontology-summit/
 * to subscribe to this discussion list: send a blank message from your subscribing email address to  or visit http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontology-summit/ and subscribe yourself there
 * Homepage of OntologySummit2008 - http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?OntologySummit2008
 * OntologySummit2008_Communique
 * Homepage of OntologySummit2007 - http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?OntologySummit2007
 * OntologySummit2007_Communique
 * Homepage of UpperOntologySummit (2006) - http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?UpperOntologySummit
 * UpperOntologySummit/UosJointCommunique

Background
This is our 4th Ontology Summit, a joint initiative by NIST, Ontolog, NCOR, NCBO, OASIS, UN/CEFACT, OMG, ISO TC 184/SC4, STI International, ... (along with other co-organizers and co-sponsors.) In an earlier planning call back in Dec-2008, we brainstormed on this initiative among members of the community. That and subsequent solicitation for topic and planning support were answered with positive and enthusiastic contribution. The theme adopted by the community for Ontology Summit 2009 is: "Toward Ontology-based Standards."

We are launching "Ontology Summit 2009" here. This will be three months of virtual discourse that culminates in a two-day face-to-face workshop (April 6 & 7, 2009 at Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA) as part of the NIST Interoperability Week 2009 program. At this launch, we will be introducing the "Ontology Summit 2009" objective, organization, process, deliverables and preliminary plans to you, and we welcome your ideas and participation.

See: OntologySummit2009 (home page for the project)

Agenda & Proceedings:
Ontology Summit 2009 Launch


 * Session Format: this is a virtual session conducted over an augmented conference call
 * 1. Opening - SteveRay
 * 2. we'll go around with a self-introduction of participants (10~15 minutes)
 * 3. Background and the Ontology Summit 2009 objectives
 * 4. The organization, Process and Deliverables
 * 5. Support infrastructure and Administrivia
 * 6. Q & A and open discussion on what the community wants to achieve in this Summit (All ~30 min.)
 * 7. Conclusion / Follow-up (SteveRay - 5 minutes)

Topic: Ontology Summit 2009 Launch

 * Abstract: Toward Ontology-based Standards


 * This summit will address the intersection of two active communities, namely the information standards world, and the technical community of ontology and semantic technologies. This intersection is long overdue because each has much to offer the other. Ontologies represent the best efforts of the technical community to unambiguously capture the definitions and interrelationships of concepts in a variety of domains. Information standards are intended to provide unambiguous specifications of information, for the purpose of error-free access and exchange. If the standards community is indeed serious about specifying such information unambiguously to the best of its ability, then the use of ontologies as the vehicle for such specifications is the logical choice.


 * Conversely, the information standards world can provide a large market for the industrial use of ontologies, since ontologies are explicitly focused on the representation of information. This will be a boost to worldwide recognition of the utility and power of ontological models.


 * The goal of this Ontology Summit 2009 is to articulate the power of synergizing these two communities in the form of a communique in which a number of concrete challenges can be laid out. These challenges could serve as a roadmap that will galvanize both communities and bring this promising technical area to the attention of others. Exactly what challenges are chosen is the subject to be debated and decided upon during the electronic discussion period leading up to the face-to-face meeting in April of 2009.


 * The 2009 Ontology Summit begins with today's launch event that begins a series

of topical online discussions, virtual panel sessions, etc. all of which come together with a face-to-face meeting on April 6 & 7, 2009 in Gaithersburg, MD at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Questions, Answers & Discourse:

 * Please mute your phone, by pressing "*2" on your phone keypad, when the talk is in progress. To un-mute, press "*3"
 * use the chat session "hand" button (lower right) to signal your desire to speak, and wait to be acknowledged by the moderator.
 * You can also type in your questions or comments through the browser-based  chat tool (especially if your connection and voice quality is not very good.) by:
 * pointing a separate browser window (or tab) to http://webconf.soaphub.org/conf/room and enter: Room: "ontolog_20090115" & My Name: e.g. "JaneDoe"
 * or point your browser to: http://webconf.soaphub.org/conf/room/ontolog_20090115
 * instructions: once you got access to the page, click on the "settings" button, and identify yourself (by modifying the Name field). You can indicate that you want to ask a question verbally by clicking on the "hand" button, and wait for the moderator to call on you; or, type and send your question into the chat window at the bottom of the screen.


 * Transcript of the online chat during the session:  (slightly edited for clarity) 

PeterYim: Welcome to the OntologySummit2009 Launch Event - Thu 2009-01-15

PeterYim: Session page at: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?ConferenceCall_2009_01_15

PeterYim: Ontology Summit 2009 Theme: "Toward Ontology-based Standards"

anonymous morphed into FlorescuFlorescu

anonymous1 morphed into SteveRay

anonymous2 morphed into DavidPrice

anonymous morphed into RexBrooks

anonymous morphed into MikeDean

anonymous morphed into HowardMason

DeborahMacPherson: just emailed ppy: ogc context, like an ontology, with iso standards overlaid, especially bc MatthewWest online, interested to discuss iso 15926 vs 16739

MatthewWest: Deborah: I'm not familiar with ISO 16739, but very familiar with 15926 of course. Happy to talk about what the differences might be. But probably not right here right now.

DavidPrice: What is 16739?

MatthewWest: They are Geoff Wix's Industry Foundation Classes for buildings.

DeborahMacPherson: ISO 16739 is the Industry Foundation Classes, refer to http://www.blis-project.org/2xconcepts/index.htm especially the PDF at http://www.blis-project.org/2xconcepts/index.htm. I'm working with 3 classification systems for buildings MasterFormat 2004, OmniClass, and UniFormat. Each has their own utility for different parts of the building life-cycle communication process. Maybe they can find a common ground in the IFC's. The graphic sent to Peter takes the OGC and NBIMS hierarchy, then Deke Smith at BuildingSMART alliance overlaid areas where 16739 probably applies vs 15926.

PeterYim: see the slide DeborahMacPherson is referring to at: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/work/OntologySummit2009/OntologySummit2009-Launch_20090115/wip/ogc.tiff

anonymous morphed into KenBaclawski

RexBrooks: In terms of examples, for those of us who are working on building ontologies for standards, specifically as foundations for sets of standards in a given domain, examples that show the role of an ontology within other representations for a standard or standards.

SteveRay: Comment from Michael: We should seek out concrete examples of standards that use ontologies, and standards that COULD use ontologies.

RexBrooks: I have another meeting I need to get to, but I will keep an eye on the wiki.

DavidLeal: Ultimately ontologies should be used by engineering domain experts as a computer interpretable part of a standard which is also expressed as person readable text. Ontologies should not be in separate "digital representation" standards. A good example could be material test standards where the criteria that define a test type could be defined as an ontology as well as text.

DavidPrice: As many ontology languages support annotation, it's unclear why the ontology isn't person- as well as human-readable.

DavidLeal: agreed

[[TomRuss]@ISI]: A combination ontology and text representation would be fine. But it does raise the additional issue of coherence.  One would need to make sure that the text and formal representation are really equivalent.  I suspect that a process similar to that used by Canada or the EU, with the need to have multi-lingual versions of standards, laws, etc. would be needed.

PeterYim: I will start a wiki page and list the topics and solicit people to add their names to specific topics they will focus their efforts on.

PeterYim: Thanks everyone ... bye!

- end of transcript -


 * ... More Questions
 * For those who have further questions or remarks on the topic, please [mailto:ontology-summit@ontolog.cim3.net post them to the [ontology-summit]] so that everyone in the community can benefit from the discourse.


 * Session ended 2009.01.15 11:50am PST

An Open Invitation
If you do find this initiative interesting or useful, we cordially invite you to join us in the "Ontology Summit 2009" virtual discourse that will be taking place in the next 3 months or so, and to the face-to-face workshop that will be held on 6 & 7-April-2009 as part of the NIST Interoperability Week in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA.


 * To participate in OntologySummit2009 virtual discourse, please refer to details here


 * Join us at some of the upcoming virtual panel discussion (on the Ontolog Forum) on this year's summit topics. Watch for the announcements!


 * Registration for the face-to-face workshop (Mon & Tue 2009.04.06 & 07) will be announced later. Please be on the look out for it!

Audio Recording of this Session

 * To download the audio recording of the session, click here
 * the playback of the audio files require the proper setup, and an MP3 compatible player on your computer.
 * Conference Date and Time:	15-Jan-2009 10:32~11:50am Pacific Standard Time
 * Duration of Recording:	1 Hour 06 Minutes
 * Recording File Size:	       7.5 MB (in mp3 format)


 * suggestion: its best that you listen to the session while having the slide presentation opened in front of you. You'll be prompted to advance slides by the speaker.
 * Take a look, also, at the rich body of knowledge that this community has built together, over the years, by going through the archives of noteworthy past Ontolog events. (References on how to subscribe to our podcast can also be found there.)