TAXONOMY &
ONTOLOGY
Taxonomy provides the shelves; Ontology provides the map. These are the twin pillars of organizing knowledge, allowing us to move from simple lists to complex, interconnected semantic webs.
Tree vs. Web
A Taxonomy organizes items into a hierarchy (Parent/Child). It is rigid but easy to navigate.
An Ontology organizes items by their relationships (Subject-Predicate-Object). It is complex but allows machines to understand context.
Hierarchy
Nested categories. e.g., Kingdom > Phylum > Class.
Semantics
Meaning defined by connection. e.g., 'A Dog is a Mammal'.
Folksonomy
User-generated structure via tagging (Hashtags).
RDF Triples
The atomic unit of Ontology: Subject -> Predicate -> Object.
The Linnaean System
Carl Linnaeus created the most famous taxonomy in 1735, classifying all life into kingdoms and species. It is the foundation of modern biology.
[Image of Linnaean taxonomy chart]Taxonomy Viewer
A strict hierarchy. Each item has one parent. Good for filing systems.
RDF Syntax (The Triple)
Ontologies are often written in RDF/XML or Turtle. This allows computers to "read" the relationship.
<ex:eats rdf:resource="http://example.org/Mouse" />
</rdf:Description>