[WEB4LIB] Re: Use of DDC in web displays

[Jerry Kuntz]

Even though I started this thread, I'm hesitating over the idea of an open source classification system. Is there a need? DDC and LC classifications are symbolic, linear systems designed to shelve physical objects. In the electronic environment, what's the advantage of symbolic organization systems vs. subject taxonomies and keyword searching? Do the benefits outweigh the learning curve it takes for familiarity with the symbolic system? Would we want to throw another classification system out to a public that can't navigate DDC and LC without charts posted all over the library?
Jerry Kuntz
Ramapo Catskill Library System
jkuntz at rcls.org

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Eric Hellman <eric at openly.com>
Reply-To: eric at openly.com
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2000 21:19:04 -0800 (PST)

>a thought:
>
>I imagine that it is only the definitions of the categories which are 
>copyrighted by oclc. (You can only copyright an expression of an 
>idea, you can't copyright the idea)  Given this, an open source 
>project could do a clean-room clone of DDC by deriving category 
>descriptions from samples of cataloged items.
>
>At 4:01 PM -0800 12/27/00, Tony Barry wrote:
>>At 4:46 PM -0800 26/12/2000, Thomas Dowling wrote:
>>>This sort of attitude seems designed to send would-be web catalogers
>>>flocking to some such freely accessible starting point to create an
>>>open-source subject classification.
>>
>>Now there is an idea. I could be done perhaps in the way of the 
>>WWWVL and could even attract sponsorship from groups doing yahoo 
>>type operations.
>>
>>The support of a large general classification was expensive on paper 
>>and needed to be centralised. That's why there are so few of them 
>>and many dies (like the Bliss scheme). With the internet available 
>>cooperative possibilities abound. Look at web rings for instance.
>
>Eric Hellman
>Openly Informatics, Inc.
>http://www.openly.com/           21st Century Information Infrastructure
>LinkBaton: Your Links that Learn     http://my.linkbaton.com/
>