Re:Ontology Is Overrated: Categories, Links, and Tags (2005)
by barrkel on Wednesday January 23, 2019 @08:55AM
(#18978078)
Ontologies are problematic because they are almost invariably hierarchical and binary.
If your ontology is probabilistic and multi-dimensional, it's much more likely to represent truth.
I actually think ontologies are a trap for smart people. For people who like to systematize, they have an allure. Ontologies give you the illusion of putting the chaotic world into order. Even phrases like "true facts" - in reality, facts are hard to come by and change over time, and the closer you look at them the more woolly they get - predicates are far too abstract and simplistic, and when you dig in, the fractal messiness overwhelms.
If your ontology is probabilistic and multi-dimensional, it's much more likely to represent truth.
I actually think ontologies are a trap for smart people. For people who like to systematize, they have an allure. Ontologies give you the illusion of putting the chaotic world into order. Even phrases like "true facts" - in reality, facts are hard to come by and change over time, and the closer you look at them the more woolly they get - predicates are far too abstract and simplistic, and when you dig in, the fractal messiness overwhelms.