Toward an Ontology of the Field of Digital Poetry

author-submitted abstract:

This essay proposes a model of an ontology based on the ontological model by Spinoza commented by Deleuze. It aims at establishing properties of a tool for indexing documents related to the field of digital poetry. It is build in three stages.

In a first stage, we build a normalised graphical representation of the Spinoza’s model. We show that this philosophical model can easily be schematised in a combination between a relation/entity model and an set representation with internal graphical lows. These graphics are normalised because each part of them has a unique and constant significant. So, such graphics can be used to make graphical treatment of information in relationship with databases.

Figure 1 : schema of an individual

In a second stage, we analyse the Bootz’s procedural model of communication in digital poetry in light of the Spinoza’s ontologic conception. We deduct from the above general graphic theory a graphic description of a work that can been implemented in a relational database. We also deduct a structure of a set of ontologies of actors and the relationships that lie these ontologies. So, the model we propose is very open because these ontologies are defined by a position of the actor in the procedural model and not by his point of view or domain of expertise. This model can be used to add new points of view and new ontologies or folksonomies to the set in a coherent way.

Figure 2 : relationships between some ontologies of actors in the model

We propose an ontologic model of description of the documents relative to the works. The main concept in this point of view is the concept of “section” : a section is a part of a document relative to a single concept (or an indissociable set of concepts) in a specific point of view.

Figure 3 : representation of a document in the model

Figure 4 : relationship between a section of document and a work

In a third time we established a graphic tool to build the ontology and to index documents.

We finish with an example of manual indexing of a document and with technical specifications for a computer tool.

Figure 5 : examples of visualisation of the indexation of a document

This model and this tool are theoretical steps in progress that could be used as a basis for implementation development in a project of access the digital heritage of poetry.

(See attached PDF for figures)