Hello Sjir, [Sjir: Dear Brian,]
I've come back to your original question about modeling the OF website to post a proposal for a general fact-based modeling exercise. [Sjir: excellent and very practical idea.] I don't know to what degree what I propose will satisfy your objectives, but it is just a proposal, and certainly open to modification. I'll just paste in the text here from a Word document I wrote (where it's easier to organize and edit):
A proposal for a fact-based conceptual modeling exercise
Working from a suggestion by Sjir Nijssen (in the SBVR forum), I’m proposing an exercise where OF members may submit conceptual data models for comment and review in this forum. [Sjir: I hope submittters will submit in ORM, CogNIAM and SBVR.] It is important to note that the proposed exercise is intended as a form of “sandbox” for experimentation and comparison of methods and ideas – this is not a production project.
Ken Evans has recently added the facility to attach images and files to a forum posts. By doing so, any member can post a model for review – but the exercise I have in mind is a bit different.
A problem with individual selection of modeling subject (the organization to be modeled), is that those that wish to review or comment on the submitted model must have as complete knowledge of the subject as the modeler – otherwise, the review is limited to syntax checking. One solution to that problem is to use a modeling subject readily knowable to both the modeler and model reviewers.
Using an existing organization as a common modeling subject raises a number of issues, security and privacy concerns among them. Also, providing all the information required to create a model, to both the modeler(s) and to those who will review the model, imposes a significant burden on someone in that organization. In both cases, it’s access to “inside information” about the organization that is the source of the problem. An alternative is to use a fictitious entity as a modeling subject. In this case [ Sjir: the ORM website with Community Server], there is no real proprietary information to protect, but the requirement to provide detailed information about the substance and workings of the entity remains. This imposes a workload on the creator of the fictitious entity to generate, and publish, a great deal of simulated material. Besides, these artificial entities are rarely convincing subjects. A better alternative would have the following characteristics:
· Is a real functioning entity
· Exposes no proprietary information
· Has sufficient published material to constitute the raw material for a model
I think that the public face of an internet website meets these criteria.[Sjir: I agree.] I suggest that the ORM Foundation website be used as the modeling subject.[Sjir: excellent.]
The objectives of the exercise would be:
· To allow OF members to create and submit fact-based conceptual models of the publicly exposed face of the subject website – using whatever methods and tools they wish [Sjir: I propose to use any of the following three ORM, CogNIAM or SBVR.] [First let us concentrate and not get lost in too many approaches. Thereafter we can consider extension. ]
· To allow OF members to review and comment on these submissions
· To facilitate comparison of various approaches and styles of fact-based modeling
· To stimulate discussion of the conceptual modeling process
A few notes about what the objectives would not be:
· To create an “official” model of the OF (or any other), website
· To model the assumed (from data not publicly available), internal structure of a website
· To create a competition between members
· To add to the burden of the administrator of the subject website
Your questions, comments and suggestions regarding this proposed modeling exercise are welcomed and appreciated.
BRN.. [Kind regards, Sjir]