VoEvent classification

[Brian Thomas]

On Wednesday 12 September 2007 10:06:25 am Rob Seaman wrote:
> In passing, I might point out that the VOEvent use case is distinct  
> from the DBpedia one we've been tossing around.  VOEvent is precisely  
> a tool for clarifying what the taxonomy is, not solely a retrieval  
> component in the quasi-static federated VO archives.  When phenomena  
> are first discovered and thus still unknown, they are paradoxically  
> most in need of classification/typing/binning/pigeon-holing/ 
> ontologizing/naming.

	Thinking in terms of so..I don't think unknown phenomena are
	a problem, in fact this is where so tech can really shine.

	Pesumbably you will be describing these events using already 
	known set of terms/definitions/properties ("luminosity",
	"sky location", various types of variablity, etc) which may be 
	used to infer what the event likely is, so an initial classification 
	is possible by the machine in terms of known vocabulary. 

	Of course, contemporanteous and other simultaneous observations 
	are often needed to be sure what something _really_ is, and 
	much later perhaps that kind of information can be made part 
	of the system so that the machine refines its classification as 
	more inputs are available.

	=brian