assertion: This term is reserved for the core concept of the dynamic web, i.e. "A unit of knowledge that is indivisible, semantically complete and has its own provenance". This is the form in which all information on the dynamic web is stored and distributed. Each assertion contains one value supported by references to the subject described, the property represented, its context of origin and provenance.

assertion type: This is a synonym for knowledge element which is defined below.

assertion URL: This is the uniform resource locator that is generated for each assertion.

basis of class specialization: This is the factor by which the different sub-classes within a given class specializing scheme are differentiated. The reason why a global ontology needs to allow each class to have many class specializing schemes is because any class can be specialized in many different ways.

class: "A specification of properties common to more than one real-world object". In general the term "class" may be used for any generalization, but its use within this site is always in respect of real-world objects.

class hierarchy: This term is used for any classifying system in which sub-classes inherit from a parent class without any grouping by basis of class specialization.

class of all describable things: "A unique class defined such that all other classes are included among its sub-classes".

class specializing scheme: This term is reserved for the core concept of the envisioned global ontology, i.e. "a set of sub-classes that have the same parent class and the same basis of specialization". Insistence that all sub-classes must be defined with membership of one and only one class specializing scheme is the key that enables unlimited organic growth of the ontology through progressive specialization of the unique class of every describable thing.

classifying assertion: "An assertion which asserts that its subject is of a specified class".

collation page: "A web page that includes information from the dynamic web".

confidence level: "A resource that may be cited to indicate how far a value can be trusted as a representation of real-world fact".

confidence level URL: That part of the provenance of an assertion which refers to a form of words chosen to indicate how far its value can be trusted as a representation of real-world fact.

context: On this site this term is used as shorthand for context of origin.

context of origin: "A set of circumstances that prescribe the validity of associated information".

context of origin URL: That part of the provenance of an assertion which refers to "the URL of the set of real-world circumstances under which the value of that assertion is deemed by its creator to be valid".

contract : On this site this is used as shorthand for subscription contract.

contract operating constraints: This term is used for a range of contractual detail that has yet to be specified.

document: "Any self-contained body of text, image and/or other media".

duration: "A time interval that is not anchored to any specific point on any calendar".

dynamic information: "Information that may conceiveably change over time". Such change may result from events in the real-world but may arise from further observation or error correction. Across the web there is always the possibility of different opinions and error correction. For this reason all information is regared as dynamic information.

dynamic web: This is the name coined for "the body of all information stored and distributed across the World Wide Web in accordance with the principles set out on this site".

dynamic web assertions file: "That part of a site knowledge store which contains assertions that describe real-world objects and concepts as distinct from the semantic data through which their meaning is defined".

dynamic web assertions file: "That part of a site knowledge store which contains information about real-world objects as distinct from the specifications of subscription contracts.

dynamic-web knowledge entry form: "A type of HTML form that is used for the input of knowledge to the dynamic web".

dynamic web semantic data entry form: "A type of HTML form that is used on the dynamic web to input definitions for classes, properties and class specializing schemes".

dynamic-web server-side software: "Generic software that handles the maintenance of a site knowledge store including upload of information destined for the dynamic web, receipt of incoming assertions and the updating of pages before download".

dynamic-web subscription form: "A type of HTML form that is used input applications for subscription contracts".

global knowledge base: "A body of recorded facts and perceptions that has no limits on either the range of subjects and properties that it can contain or the sources from which they are drawn".

global ontology: "A body of class and property definitions that is designed for organic growth to encompass specialization of each class in many ways without limit". Such an ontology is called 'global' because it has the potential to provide definitions of meaning for all information about everything.

HTML: "Hyper-Text Mark-up Language" - the standard language used to inform browsers of the intended presentation of a page.

implicit classification: This is where the fact of a thing being described with a value for one of the properties defined for a class is used to infer that the thing concerned must be an instance of that class.

immediate source: When used in the context of a specific assertion, this term is used for the publishing site at which that assertion first entered the dynamic web. It will differ from the ultimate source if the editor of that site chooses to identify a person, organization, piece of equipment or system that it believes to have responsibility as original observer/author of the value.

immutable: This term is used in the definition of the concept of assertions to indicate that the associated value can never change. This constraint is possible only because any such value represents just one version of the corresponding knowledge element according to one source in one context at one time.

indivisible: This term is used in the definition of the concept of assertions to indicate that the associated meaning applies only to the value as a whole and that any part of this value separated from the rest is meaningless.

knowledge base: "A body of recorded facts and perceptions".

knowledge element: This term represents a specific pairing of subject and property, i.e. a particular type of information about a specific thing as in the "height of Mount Everest". Actual values for this knowledge element would be expressed as assertions citing the same pair of subject and property URLs. One might think that a knowledge element like this has only one value and that this value is fixed. But this is not the case even for something like the "height of Mount Everest". There can be many versions of this due to measurement difficulties and actual change over time due to actual upward movement associated with plate tectonics.

meaning: "A property definition that is cited to express the meaning of the value of an assertion".

meaning URL: When discussing the dynamic web, this term is used only within the context of a specified assertion where it refers to "the URL of the property definition that is cited to express the meaning of the value of that assertion ".

member class: This term is meaningful only within the context of a specified class specializing scheme and refers to a class that enjoys a role as sub-class of the class specified as parent of that scheme.

meta-property: "A property used to describe a class, property or class specializing scheme".

numeric precision: "That part of the provenance of a numeric assertion which expresses the smallest fraction that is deemed to be significant".

OWL: "The Web Ontology Language".

parent: Within this site this term is used only when describing or refering to the global ontology. The hierarchic structure of this global ontology is comprised of alternate layers of:

• class - where the parent is the class specializing scheme to which that class belongs as member;
• class specializing scheme - where the parent is the class whose definition is inherited by all sub-classes within that scheme.

parent class: When discussing the dynamic web, this term is used only within the context of a specified class specializing scheme where it means "The class whose definition is inherited by all sub-classes within a that class specializing scheme".

participating site: "A web-site that is equipped to share information with other sites through the dynamic web".

perception: On this site the term "perception" is used in preference to "fact" to because the dynamic web does not recognize any single authority over the value of any knowledge element. It regards all its assertions as just someone's opinion. The validity of such information is a judgement that can only be made by each user in the light of their own purpose and the associated provenance.

property: "A type of knowledge that may be expressed as information with specified meaning and logical structure". Usage of this term within the dynamic web and associated global ontology is intended to be consistent with its usage in respect of OWL and the semantic web in general.

property version: "One of many possible definitions for a property".

provenance: "A set of meta data specified for an assertion to assist users in forming a judgement on the relevance of the associated value to any specific purpose". This concept is crucial to the competent use of information beyond the control of its originator.

provenance factor: "Any of the constituent parts of a provenance as set out in the page called vision".

publish: "A process through which a site offers to distribute information to other sites in accordance with some formal agreement".

publish and subscribe service: "Any service in which information is made available to any qualifying party willing to engage in a subscription contract.

publisher: "The person or organization that is responsible for the discharge of obligations in respect of the publishing site as specified in a subscription contract".

real-world object: This term is used when refering to "things and concepts that are perceived to exist in the real world". This being distinct from the concept of "object" familiar within the world of object oriented software development as a specific combination of data and method (function).

RDF file: "Any physical representation of a set of RDF triples".

RDF triple: "The fundamental unit of data within the semantic web". Each RDF triple is comprised of a subject, predicate and object. All information, including the assertions of the dynamic web can be expressed in this form by appropriate selection of predicates.

root class: "Any class at the apex of a class hierarchy".

routine purging process: "That part of the dynamic-web server-side software which removes assertions that are no longer required".

scheme: This term is used only as shorthand for the term class specializing scheme.

semantic data: "Definitions that are designed for use when explaining meanings of specific knowledge elements and their associated values".

semantic data element: "Some aspect of the description of a class, class specializing scheme, or property with the global otology".

semantic web: The semantic web is a major initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium designed to add meaning to web pages.

semantically complete: When used in the definition of assertion this term implies that the meaning of the associated value is not affected in any way by the existence of any other assertions.

single variable state: "A form of description in which individual knowledge elements have only one value but this value may change over time. This is the form of description reflected in a conventional relational data base.

site information retention policy: "A set of rules that govern the operation of the routine purging process for the site knowledge store of a given site".

site knowledge store: This is the label given to the dynamic web concept of "site based persistent storage of a select subset of assertions ". This subset contains assertions received from other sites in accordance with subscription contracts as well as those created on the site.

site of entry: When discussing the dynamic web, this term is used only within the context of a specified assertion where it refers to "The web-site at which that assertion was first uploaded and recorded in a site knowledge store".

site operations: Those function of the dynamic web which are performed at a participating site.

sub-class: Within the dynamic web this term applies to all member classes of all class specializing schemes of a given class.

subject: When discussion the dynamic web, this term is used only within the context of a specified assertion where it refers to "the real-world object that is described by the value of that assertion ".

subject URL: When discussion the dynamic web, this term is used only within the context of a specified assertion where it refers to "the URLof the real-world thing or concept that is described by the value of that assertion".

subscribe: "A process through which a site makes arrangements to receive copies of published assertions".

subscriber: "The person or organization that is responsible for the discharge of obligations in respect of the subscribing site specified in a subscription contract".

subscribing site: "The role played by a web-site as recipient of an inflow of assertions from other sites in accordance with a subscription contract".

subscription contract: "A formal agreement between two parties under which copies of selected assertions are passed".

subscription contract application: Technically this is "a subscription contract with status code set as 'application'". In practice this means that it has not yet been agreed by the publisher and therefore has no contractual force.

subscription contract application page: "A web page within a publishing site that is designed to receive applications on behalf of potential subscribing sites".

subscription contract data file: "That part of a site information store which contains detail of subscription contracts".

subscription contract specification file: "That part of a site knowledge store which contains the detail of subscription contracts".

subscription contract status change assertion: "An assertion that represents a new value for the status code of a subscription contract".

subscription contract status code: "That variable detail of a subscription contract which determines what associated functions are to be performed by the dynamic-web server-side software at a site".

contract URL: When discussing the dynamic web, this expression refers to e identifier of a specific subscription contract.

superordinate class specializing scheme: This term is used only in the context of a specified class. It refers to "the class specializing scheme of which the specified class is a member".

time of entry : When discussing the dynamic web, this term is used only within the context of a specified assertion where it refers to "the point in time at which that assertion was first recorded in a site knowledge store".

time period of validity: When discussing the dynamic web, this term is used only within the context of a specified assertion where it refers to "the period of time within which the value of that assertion is deemed by its creator to be valid".

time-stamp: "Any representation of a point in time".

ultimate source: When discussing the dynamic web, this term is used only within the context of a specified assertion where it refers to "the person, organization or system to which is attributed responsibility for the value as an accurate observation of an aspect of the real world".

ultimate source URL: When discussing the dynamic web, this term is used only within the context of a specified assertion where it refers to "the URL of a person, organization or system to which is attributed responsibility for the value as an accurate observation of an aspect of the real world".

UDDI: The UDDI is a collection of standards for dynamic discovery and invocation of web services.

URL: "Uniform Resource Locator" - the means by which any information resource can be located on the World Wide Web.

value: Within the dynamic web this term refers to the "information content" of an assertion as distinct from its subject, meaning, context of origin and provenance.

value structure: Within the dynamic web this refers to an XML schema, specified for each property, which tells any site how to interpret the value of any assertion whose meaning is given by that property. In principle each value of each assertion can be regarded as an XML document although in practice they will, in most cases, be very simple. This is due to the rule that the value for each assertion must be indivisible as well as semantically complete. For this reason the vast majority of assertions will have a value structure that is just one data element such as a single body of text, number or time-stamp. It may seem that to have an XML schema for something so trivial is some sort of overkill. However, I have no doubt that this approach is justified by the resulting conformance with existing Web standards and consequent ability to support that minority of properties that have intrinsic complexity that cannot be broken up without ceasing to be semantically complete.