UpperOntologySummit/OrganizingCommitteeMeeting 2005 12 08

= UpperOntologySummit - Organizing Committee Kick-off Meeting 2005-12-08 =

Call Details

 * Date: Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005
 * Start Time: 12:45 PM PST / 3:45 PM EST / 20:45 UTC World Clock
 * Expected Call Duration: 1 hour
 * Dial-in Number: 1-702-851-3330 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
 * Participant Access Code: "686564#"

Attendees

 * Attended:
 * SteveRay (event moderator)
 * PeterYim (coordinator)
 * PatCassidy
 * KurtConrad
 * LeoObrst


 * Expecting:


 * Regrets:
 * BrandNiemann

Agenda Ideas

 * PatCassidy - a whole list which he had emailed out on Mon, 5 Dec 2005 21:34:40 -0500
 * SteveRay: need a short abstract for the panel (Steve will prepare draft for review during this meeting.)
 * PeterYim: open vs. closed communication during the prep stage - need decision by the committee here
 * LeoObrst: provided contact for ISO-11179 if we the decision is to involve them at this stage too
 * PeterYim: would really hope to have a NicolaGuarino presentation on DOLCE at Ontolog between now and then, and really hope we can have Nicola over in person for this event

Agenda & Proceedings
1) Welcome & confirmation of agenda


 * PatCassidy took the chair and welcomed everyone.

2) Appointment of secretary to take minutes


 * SteveRay volunteered

3) Roll-call of participants - see above

4) Communications, logistics, & work protocols issues - more discussion below


 * open vs. closed communication during the prep stage
 * starting a new archived mailing list for this organizational activity - listname: [???]
 * agreed that this will be a closed (password protected) list, for organizing committee members only.
 * Peter will set up the list and inform everyone on the committee when done.
 * starting a new archived mailing list for the pre- and post- event content activity, between and among the event organizers and the kep participants/panelists - listname: [???]
 * agreed that this will be an open list. Organizing committee members are tasked to make sure we keep the discussion positive, and conducive to the goal of our event.
 * Peter will set up the list and inform everyone when done.
 * Name of the Event: "Upper Ontology Summit"

5) refer to last week's discussion at: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?ConferenceCall_2005_12_01#nidIAJ


 * Follow-up from our 2005-12-01 Discussion on a Joint "Upper Ontology Panel"   (previous discussions transcluded below - note: PurpleNumber 'T' marker)
 * collaborators (co-organizer): Ontolog, SICOP/ONTAC/COSMO, NIST, NCOR, CYCorp, LOA, Articulate Software, ...
 * Action plan
 * an organizing committee to work offline
 * SteveRay, PatCassidy, PeterYim (coordinator), LeoObrst, KurtConrad, ... also, BrandNiemann (confirmed: 2005.12.07)
 * Peter to make a post to the forum to ask if others want to join too (e.g. GaryBergCross, BillAndersen, ... have so indicated)
 * precede and follow the event with a focused forum discussion on the topic? (already on [ontac-forum]? same or different discussion?)
 * date / time:
 * Steve: Mar. 13~17 2006 "Interoperability Week" at NIST (note conflict with UN/CEFACT Vancouver conference)
 * Steve: possibility to devote a day (or half-day) of that week to this event
 * decision: try to lock in for Thursday afternoon (ET) for the panel
 * maybe the other half day can be used by those onsite to do some real F2F work
 * need the sessions to be available remotely for those who will only participate virtually
 * Candidate Moderator
 * we all agreed that we needed someone who is neutral, moderate, and is highly respected by the community
 * a few of the candidates were dropped because they have a position that they wanted to represent at the event
 * SteveRay is elected to be the moderator for this panel
 * Candidate panelist and targeted participants:
 * AdamPease, NicolaGuarino, ChrisWelty, BillAndersen, AldoGangemi ("Descriptions and Situations" extensions of DOLCE), DougLenat, DagobertSoergel, PatCassidy, MichaelGruninger, MatthewWest (ISO15926), JohnSowa, ElisaKendall (OMG/ODM), BruceBargmeyer or NancyLawler (ISO11179), ...
 * Goal:
 * shall we based this event on the assumption/precept that "a common upper ontology is good"
 * get parties to set aside their own agenda and genuinely collaborate
 * Thoughts:
 * Rex: need more than 2 hours
 * Rex: should we involve the UDEF people?
 * general consensus is no, since even they (UDEF folks) themselves disclaim that they are an ontology in all their recent presentations
 * Peter: accesible both onsite and remote
 * Pat / Steve: notify the press
 * Pat: eliminate the perception that this is a "religious" battle among the ontologists themselves
 * David: health ontology folks involved?

6) More discussion on agenda item #4:

Agreed on a password-protected archived mailing list for working the issues. Conclusions will then be published on the public wiki.
 * Issue of posting the discussion on the list, versus group email. Pat is concerned about ruffling feathers while we are still reaching closure. Possibility of people feeling ambushed and pressured. The need to be able to speak freely without worrying about full, public scrutiny of the discussion of various sensitivities.


 * Peter then suggested a second, open list, for the organizing committee to communicate with the invitees. Calling this "List B". Agreed that this second list will be open. It will created, or at least used, only once the respective invitees have been contacted.


 * Agreed to call the event the "Upper Ontology Summit"

7) Some discussion on organization & candidate panelists: (discussion will need to continue next week)


 * Pat will contact GaryBergCross and DagobertSoergel with respect to their interest to volunteer to work on this committee. Peter is still awaiting a response from BillAndersen (since he is on vacation.)


 * The original Ontolog proposal (Jan. 2005) was to have at least Adam Pease, NicolaGuarino & DougLenat on the panel
 * both AdamPease and DougLenat have agreed to be on the panel
 * Peter suggested inviting NicolaGuarino (DOLCE) to address the ontolog forum between now and March, and to have him come over in person for the panel.
 * Leo will invite him on behalf of us.


 * Besides those suggested last week, Leo & Pat also suggested:
 * John Bateman (Univ. of Bremen)
 * Ed Hovy (ISI)
 * Barry Smith (NCOR; who, hopefully, will be one of the co-organizers)
 * Tony Kohn
 * Brandon Bennett (Univ. of Leeds). They have been focusing on geospatial ontologies.
 * Klaus Tschira (SAP, Tschira Foundation)

8) Goals for the summit:

Pat: We should try to get each of the "custodians" of the leading existing upper ontologies, to agree to a subset of the intersection of these ontologies. Some have said they are willing to change parts of their existing ontologies. The vision: you could have fairly simple ontologies in, say, OWL which would be consistent with, and convertible to, this subset. This would allow people to migrate from one to another, secure in the knowledge that they are interoperable. So, the goal for the summit would be to get the participants to agree to the vision as described above. See Pat's long private email on this subject.

Peter: The tangible output could be a joint communique articlating this vision, and possibly a timeline. What we are trying to get is the commitment of the major players.

Peter reiterated his stated goals for the summit as described earlier


 * Pat suggested modifying the assumption/precept that "a common upper ontology is good" to "some common upper ontology is good"
 * the committee agreed to these goals (with the modification).

9) Other business


 * Agreed to continue to hold calls each week following the regular ontolog forum on Thursdays.
 * Steve will not be make the next (2005.12.15) call, though, as he will be on a plane at the time.

10) Next meeting date and adjournment


 * call adjourned 2:02pm PST / 5:02pm EST
 * next call will be on Thu 2005-12-15 starting at 12:45 pm PST / 3:45pm EST (right after the Ontolog session (which should end around 12:30pm PST / 3:30pm EST)

-- minutes captured in real time on this wiki by SteveRay / 2005.12.08-5:02pm EST