meaning is mediated
DESCRIPTION
This is a sequel to Pentagon of MEANING. Here we point out that what we generally accept as meaning of text is its most valid interpretation according to published grammar & vocabulary of the language. Such meaning is arrived at by sharing and negotiation of the text and its interpretation / clarification etc. The secret of reaching a common meaning is NOT long negotiation but it is: creating most unambiguous text. This is possible with the help of machine aided drafting of text. This is the subject of full paper by the author "Machine Mediated Meaning for Semantic Interoperability" which will be uploaded shortly. Please take a look and give your views.TRANSCRIPT
Semantic Web: Dealing with Knowledge & Meaning
Putcha V. Narasimham
Knowledge Enabler Systems
This is also Section 5 of
Recall: Five Elements S, X, T, L and X’
1-S thinks 2-X
& presents it as 3-T
4-L gets T & creates
5-X’ in her mind
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private
Text T
Open & Common
L
SX
X’
private
Relating S, X, T, L and X’
X & X’ are private to S and L
They must be brought out into open common view
Then S and L must agree on what is common in their private concepts
Meaning is an agreement reached by sharing & negotiation
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private
Text T
Open & Common
L
SX
X’
private
Bringing X & X’ into Open Common View
For communication to be complete and common meaning to emerge
The concepts X, privately held by the Speaker S of T and
X’ privately held by the Listener L of T
Must be brought into open, common view and agreed upon by S and L
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X’
X
X
X’
No CC yet
Common
Concept
CC
L
S
Dialog helps Creating Common Concept
Both the Speaker and Listenermust know the language of Tvery well
Listener has to express X’ differently in T’ (now L becomes a speaker of T’)
L repeating T DOES NOT imply that L got the meaning of T
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X
X’
Text T’Text T
S
Listener Speaks & Speaker Listens
Now S has to listen to T’ &
Construct X’’ strictly from T’
When X” gets close to X,
T’ becomes public expression of coming together of private concepts X, X’ and X”
Then meaning of T’ becomes
Open, common & correct for S & L
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X X”
L
Text T’
X’
Based on T’
This may
take more
exchanges
of T
S
L
Multimedia for Complete Communication
Multi-media content &
Face to face communications are often used
To ensure complete and correct communication
Body language is one of the modes of communication
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X
X’
Multimedia
Meaning is Agreed Common Concept
Dialog enables sharing & negotiation of privately held X & X’
And arriving at a common concept CC
Expressed as the latest agreed Text T
CC (still private) is the real & correct meaning of the latest agreed T
For only those involved, not universal
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X’
X
X
X’
Common
Concept
Conditions for Common Agreed Meaning
This principle is valid for
Human-human and
Human-machine (will see shortly)
communications with focus on meaning
Human-machine communications
Have limited domain
And the process has to be explicit
Both the Speaker S and the Listener L must know and use the correct
Syntax of language of T
Meanings of all the words of T used and
Context of T
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Is meaning always subjective?
For given Text T
Is there anything like
Minimal essential X’ of X’1, X’2, ..X’N of N individual listeners? or
What we may call general meaning or mean meaning
Perhaps it can be established with some conditions
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Text T
L1X’1
L2X’2
L’N
X’N
Meaning is Subjective in humans
Because meaning is a concept X’
Generated privately in mind of listener
However under special conditions
Meaning of T can be less subjective
And machines can also arrive at meaning---literal meaning, of course
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Conditions for Meaning to be Objective
The grammarand vocabulary
Of the language of T are
Well-defined &
Rigorously applied and verified
This ensures that interpretation of T cannot vary much irrespective of who interprets
When they are so well-defined and machine readable,
machines can also interpret
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Machines Can Interpret & Even Mediate
What is more important is
To create text unambiguously,
This is eminently feasible
So, we have
Machine Mediated Meaning for Semantic Interoperability
First presented in a conference at Hyderabad Central University in 2003
Published in Semantic Universe in Jan 2009 (not accessible now)
Revised substantially in Jan 2014,
See it on slideshare for details
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Machine Mediated Meaning for Semantic Interoperability
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What machines actually do
Thoughts & concepts may be creative and unique but
They must be expressed strictlyaccording to standard, published grammar & vocabulary.
Machine can play a major role in creating NLT which only has single interpretation
Actually machines do not generate meaning
They eliminate multiple meanings at inception at the speaker end
So whoever interprets can only have a single valid meaning of NLT
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Conclusion:
What we call meaning is actually shared negotiated meaning of agreed text
This is possible with restricted meaning of meaning or literal meaning
Then machines can apply standard grammar & vocabulary
To generate unambiguous text which has only one meaning ….literal meaning
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Keep
Going