The first topic map question is: “What subjects/entities do you want to talk about?”
Until that question is explored (it isn’t ever fully answered), the answers to other questions remain dangerously vague:
- How to identify those subjects?
- How do others identify the same subjects?
- Are other identifications of any interest?
- What other subjects are of interest?
- How should those subjects be identified?
- What relationships between subjects should be identified?
- How should relationships between subjects be identified?
- etc.
The responses “just use syntax X” or “use software Y” are answers to the question about subjects/entities.
Just not explicit answers.
Characteristic of the pig in a poke school of topic map design.