voconcept thread

[Rob Seaman]

I'm going to forward a thread from ucd-sci to the general voevent  
list (not the core list that is trying like the dickens to get a  
candidate v1.0 into your hands for evaluation).  One of the  
unresolved issues for VOEvent is a need to express hypotheses about  
objects and processes.  This in turn depends on being able to  
describe - or, at least, name - those objects and processes.  Rick  
has enthusiastically pursued the goal of extending UCDs to include  
these "concepts".  The UCD folks have not been entirely welcoming.   
We should focus on our pragmatic goals, not on the VO politics, so  
let's reopen the discussion over here.  There will be a few messages  
to follow.  Discussion - radical discussion, I would say on this list  
- is encouraged.

Also a reminder that v1.0 is indeed looming.  It has already been  
decided to leave any attempt to address the concept semantics until  
v1.1, so once we pin down a few issues it will be time for the whole  
working group to get back to work vetting v1.0.  Several of our  
number will be (have been) implementing actual software and they need  
a solid foundation to code against.  More later.

Rob Seaman
NOAO