Jack Park <jackpark@thinkalong.com> writes: (01)
% > but if you can maintain that scope/context, then yes, things that
% > are concepts should be wiki words. (02)
% Please expand on maintaing scope and context. (03)
When we look at any word, we are looking at it to represent
a concept. (in this context) (04)
So I look at a word like: (05)
"cast" (06)
what does cast mean? (07)
1.
a. To throw (something, especially something light): The angler cast the
line.
b. To throw with force; hurl: waves that cast driftwood far up on the shore.
See Synonyms at throw. (08)
2. To shed; molt.
3. To throw forth; drop: cast anchor.
4. To throw on the ground, as in wrestling.
5. To deposit or indicate (a ballot or vote).
6. To turn or direct: All eyes were cast upon the speaker.
7. To cause to fall onto or over something or in a certain direction, as if
by throwing: candles casting light; cast aspersions on my character; findings
that cast doubt on our hypothesis.
8. To bestow; confer: 3The government I cast upon my brother2 (Shakespeare).
9.
a. To roll or throw (dice, for example).
b. To draw (lots). (09)
10. To give birth to prematurely: The cow cast a calf.
11. To cause (hunting hounds) to scatter and circle in search of a lost scent.
12.
a. To choose actors for (a play, for example).
b. To assign a certain role to (an actor): cast her as the lead.
c. To assign an actor to (a part): cast each role carefully. (010)
13. To form (liquid metal, for example) into a particular shape by pouring
into a mold.
14. To give a form to; arrange: decided to cast the book in three parts.
15. To contrive; devise: cast a plan.
16. To calculate or compute; add up (a column of figures).
17. To calculate astrologically: cast my horoscope.
18. To warp; twist: floorboards cast by age.
19. Nautical. To turn (a ship); change to the opposite tack. (011)
when we look at these meanings, we see that what we really have
is a whole collection of concepts, which overload the word
"cast" (012)
So we might like to see things like: (013)
12. a.To choose actors for => TheaterCast
b. To assign a certain role to an actor => TheaterRoleCast (014)
13. To form liquid metal => MetalCast
14. To give a form to; arrange => PlanningCast
19. Nautical. To turn (a ship) => NauticalNavigationCast (015)
And this would by choice of the wiki word, make things very much
more specific. (016)
However, we find that we like to shorten things. We "know" that in the
context of Metal working that "cast" has a specific use. (017)
And so we just toss in to the MetalWorkingWiki the word "cast" and assume
the context. We do this with a lot of words. (018)
now, we find that we bring a whole bunch of people into a wiki converstation.
And they are not coming from the same point of view. And we use words
that in their context mean one thing and in this context mean another. (019)
this is why lots of people , expecially philophers get lost in
definitions. (020)
(note: you can chase definitions too far, into meaninglessness) (021)
However, given that we have a concept and we want to name it,
we need to understand the context. (022)
To broaden this issue, let's assume that I force my students
to use a wiki for journaling in my class (which I do). (023)
I have a devil of a time explaining to them that they can not
create a wiki word called MyJournal and expect it to work.
the can not keep the context of things that are for "me" seperate
from things that are for "my team" and that seperate from "the class"
in the wiki. (024)
If they did it right, then they would have user-concept for things
that were for them. And teamN-concept for things that were for
their team. And then general theConceptGoesHere for the class wide
global context. (025)
but this requires you to be explicit in your thinking. (026)
And few people do this. (027)
So I hypothosize that: (028)
a) You can not take widely distributed wiki's in different contexts
and run them all together into the same wiki and have something
meaningful result. (029)
b) You must have people come to agreement on the explicit meaning
of specific WikiWords in order for them to come to agreement
about the larger issue. (030)
c) And where WikiWords have two seperate definitions that have not been
refactored into an appropriate form, you still have a discussion that
has not reached maturity. (031)
-----
John Sechrest . Helping people use
CTO PEAK - . computers and the Internet
Public Electronic . more effectively
Access to Knowledge,Inc .
1600 SW Western, Suite 180 . Internet: sechrest@peak.org
Corvallis Oregon 97333 . (541) 754-7325
. http://www.peak.org/~sechrest (032)
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