Editorial: Ontology Challenges: A Thumbnail Historical Perspective

Abstract

Rarely in the history of computer science has there been an idea that was so obviously right and that has failed for so long to deliver on its promise. In its simplest form, this idea can be phrased as follows: People use hierarchically organized knowledge about domain objects and relations as a major ingredient of their intelligent behavior. Thus, one might reason abductively, if we equip computers with this kind of knowledge and appropriate processing algorithms, we should get intelligent behavior.