¥Since
reference by description is inherently ambiguous, it might be better to set out to utilize the
inevitable rather than try to minimize it.
¥
¥The ÔURI crisisÕ is said to
result from phenomena like using the same name to refer to me and my website, or the same name to refer
to the weather and the weather report. These are all examples of overloading (punning): using a single name to refer
to multiple referents.
¥
¥Overloading
isnÕt always as bad as it is rumored to be. It can be simply a
way of using names efficiently. Natural language is rife
with lexical ambiguity which does not hinder normal communication
(rose, bank); programming languages routinely do it (+ means both
integer and real addition); Common Logic allows a single name to
denote an individual, a function and a relation (and IKL adds proposition to the list).
¥