Comments on: It-ness and identity: FOAF, RDF and RDMS http://www.alandix.com/blog/2008/03/18/it-ness-and-identity-foaf-rdf-and-rdms/ just starting ... Tue, 6 Jan 2009 02:48:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: alan http://www.alandix.com/blog/2008/03/18/it-ness-and-identity-foaf-rdf-and-rdms/#comment-9913 alan Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:45:17 +0000 http://www.alandix.com/blog/2008/03/18/it-ness-and-identity-foaf-rdf-and-rdms/#comment-9913 thanks Rob. However, even to say something is more than the sum of its parts you first have to say it is 'something' and it is that sort of 'it-ness' I'd like a word for. In triple terms I might have (#519, name, "Alan Dix"), (#519, height, "5:10"), (#519, eye_colour, "brown") whereas gestalt is about the overall quality of entity #519, it-ness simply that #519 is an entity that can be the subject of sentences ... even if there are no sentences about it! In OO circles 'identity' is the closest term I know. thanks Rob. However, even to say something is more than the sum of its parts you first have to say it is ’something’ and it is that sort of ‘it-ness’ I’d like a word for. In triple terms I might have (#519, name, “Alan Dix”), (#519, height, “5:10″), (#519, eye_colour, “brown”) whereas gestalt is about the overall quality of entity #519, it-ness simply that #519 is an entity that can be the subject of sentences … even if there are no sentences about it! In OO circles ‘identity’ is the closest term I know.

]]> By: Rob Styles http://www.alandix.com/blog/2008/03/18/it-ness-and-identity-foaf-rdf-and-rdms/#comment-9746 Rob Styles Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:31:15 +0000 http://www.alandix.com/blog/2008/03/18/it-ness-and-identity-foaf-rdf-and-rdms/#comment-9746 I think the term you may be after is Gestalt - an entity that is more than the sum of its parts. Indeed - what you describe here is challenging. I think the term you may be after is Gestalt - an entity that is more than the sum of its parts.

Indeed - what you describe here is challenging.

]]>