Is it simple or simplistic or neither
Is it simple or simplistic or neither
Ammon Johns looks semantics with a broad vision.
#semanticrelevance #semantics
Originally shared by Ammon Johns
Semantics - some basics
There are many forms of semantics, and additionally, there are many related fields of study.
Essentially, Semantics is all about meaning and is often mostly about the meaning of words, or the meaning behind the words, if you prefer. The phrase that Google gave us was "Things, not Strings" - understanding what the words apply to or describe rather than simply recognizing the words in a string. But many use semantics (too broadly) to talk about meanings not actually in the words at all.
There's the tricky ways that syntax and context can dramatically change the meanings of words. How about the way that a sarcastic tone can completely reverse the meaning of the words used? Look at how quotation marks around a word can suggest the word is not meant in the usual manner, (as should always be the case for a Search "Ninja" for instance).
Pragmatics is the field that looks at the effects of context on meaning.
The field of Semiotics may look more specifically at metaphor and analogy in meaning that is not precisely 'in the words'. If I'm feeling a little low today, it is a metaphor, not that I'm standing in a hole or have moved downhill.
Then there is Proxemics which is a lovely word I think, and studies the meaning of space, like how things relate by how close to each other they are. In the real world this is largely about why the Butcher's shop is close to the Baker's, and far away from the sewage plant. However, in the online world, proximity has even more dimensions, especially in link proximity - how many link steps to get from an adult site to a blog about gardening may often show unnatural relationships and invite further scrutiny for spam. There's also that while a link might only have the anchor text "Click here", we know that the paragraph before or after it probably gives the link meaning and context.
So, this whole 'Semantics' stuff is not as simple as you might have thought.
(This post is an extract from my comments on an #isoosichat HOA with David Amerland in April 2014 - https://plus.google.com/events/c4m6nk4i5hp4e5k5nn9qel8ar54 )
https://plus.google.com/events/c4m6nk4i5hp4e5k5nn9qel8ar54
Ammon Johns looks semantics with a broad vision.
#semanticrelevance #semantics
Originally shared by Ammon Johns
Semantics - some basics
There are many forms of semantics, and additionally, there are many related fields of study.
Essentially, Semantics is all about meaning and is often mostly about the meaning of words, or the meaning behind the words, if you prefer. The phrase that Google gave us was "Things, not Strings" - understanding what the words apply to or describe rather than simply recognizing the words in a string. But many use semantics (too broadly) to talk about meanings not actually in the words at all.
There's the tricky ways that syntax and context can dramatically change the meanings of words. How about the way that a sarcastic tone can completely reverse the meaning of the words used? Look at how quotation marks around a word can suggest the word is not meant in the usual manner, (as should always be the case for a Search "Ninja" for instance).
Pragmatics is the field that looks at the effects of context on meaning.
The field of Semiotics may look more specifically at metaphor and analogy in meaning that is not precisely 'in the words'. If I'm feeling a little low today, it is a metaphor, not that I'm standing in a hole or have moved downhill.
Then there is Proxemics which is a lovely word I think, and studies the meaning of space, like how things relate by how close to each other they are. In the real world this is largely about why the Butcher's shop is close to the Baker's, and far away from the sewage plant. However, in the online world, proximity has even more dimensions, especially in link proximity - how many link steps to get from an adult site to a blog about gardening may often show unnatural relationships and invite further scrutiny for spam. There's also that while a link might only have the anchor text "Click here", we know that the paragraph before or after it probably gives the link meaning and context.
So, this whole 'Semantics' stuff is not as simple as you might have thought.
(This post is an extract from my comments on an #isoosichat HOA with David Amerland in April 2014 - https://plus.google.com/events/c4m6nk4i5hp4e5k5nn9qel8ar54 )
https://plus.google.com/events/c4m6nk4i5hp4e5k5nn9qel8ar54
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