Call for short papers: DownScale2013 - Second International Workshop on Downscaling the Semantic Web

Dear all,

Apologies for any cross-posting. Downscale, focusing on downscaling the 
semantic web and it application to the less empowered, welcomes short 
papers, including the application of mainstream 
research/implementation/ideas to specific scenarios. Please find the 
attached call for papers and see how you could apply your 
ideas/processes/research/development to areas that are in dire need of 
appropriate applications.

Martin

http://worldwidesemanticweb.org/events/downscale2013


CALL FOR PAPERS
------------------------

Second International Workshop on Downscaling the Semantic Web - 
DownScale2013
19th September 2013. - Co-located with the Open Knowledge Conference
16th-18th September, Geneva, Switzerland

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Knowledge acquisition is a necessary and first condition for the 
empowerment of individuals. The need for appropriate and effective 
knowledge sharing is universal and global. Linked Data and Semantic 
technologies provide great potentials for carrying out those tasks. 
While mainstream Semantic Web research and development is moving 
vertiginously (focusing mainly on centralized and very powerful 
infrastructure and services in highly endowed application domains and 
regions where does not seem to be constraints), little work seems to be 
done on the applications of these and more appropriate technologies to 
less connected scenarios and challenged regions where new knowledge 
means day to day sustenance, survival, or to exercise rights.

Indeed, 4 Billion people who don’t have access to Internet or whose 
Internet connectivity is limited by bandwidth, quality of service, 
government or natural blockades, and modern device availability and 
affordability would welcome innovative solutions that are fit to their 
situation. The reality is that it will be tens of years until these 
subsets of the population enjoy the same level of Internet experience 
that most of the western population enjoys and takes it for granted.

Thus it is important to consider these stakeholders in the development 
of solutions that center around Linked Data. For that purpose, we 
identify three major aspects that need to be addressed when bringing 
Linked Data to everyone: Infrastructure, interfaces, and content sharing.

Infrastructure:

Current design of platforms and utilities that make use of Linked Data 
assume the availability of a Web infrastructure encompassing centralized 
data-centers, high speed reliable Internet connectivity, and powerful 
modern client devices. The implications can be serious: If any of these 
necessary conditions is missing, end users are unable to be served of 
the benefits that Linked Data provides. This is not only relevant in 
natural disaster scenarios but also in the reality of daily life of 
billions of people. Solutions that are less centralized and do not 
require constant connectivity are required, among others.

Interfaces:

Literacy and language barriers currently prevent many people to reap the 
benefits of the World Wide Web, including knowledge acquisition, 
participation, and the exchange of ideas. Data-driven solutions such as 
Linked Data, being language-agnostic, provide huge potentials for the 
implementation of relevant interfaces for information sharing services, 
allowing more people to reap its benefits. Voice technologies, 
icon/symbol-based interfaces, touch interfaces, all provide 
unprecedented potentials, in the context of their power and lowering cost.

Sharing of appropriate content:

Context and culture awareness are key for developing (Linked) Open Data 
applications. To ensure local uptake, it is paramount to identify 
relevant knowledge that is valuable to a community or a group, including 
local language to symbol appropriatedness. While western-oriented 
approaches might seem globally applicable, the reality is otherwise. 
Linked data provides a huge potential in that context.


This half-day workshop seeks to provide first steps in exploring 
appropriate requirements, technologies, processes and applications for 
the deployment of semantic Web technologies in constrained scenarios, 
taking into consideration local contexts. For instance, making Semantic 
Web platforms usable under limited computing power and limited access to 
Internet, with context-specific interfaces.

TOPICS

Topics of the workshop include, but are not limited to:

* Offline linked data storage/synchronisation
* Energy-efficient storage of data, i.e. low resource demanding triple 
stores
* Application of Semantic Web to disaster data management
* Utilization of Off-line linked data in disaster scenarios
* Innovative linked data interfaces for illiterate and/or young users
* Solutions for sharing locally relevant knowledge
* Decentralised data management platforms
* Collaborative, decentralised, educational software

SUBMISSIONS

We welcome:

* Short papers that present downscaled versions of previously published 
systems, accommodation of current mainstream technologies to constrained 
scenarios, specific cultures, languages, situations.

* Position and systems papers presenting novel ideas and approaches.

* Demo papers describing a working application or prototype that can be 
demonstrated during the workshop and fits its scope.

* Others

Short papers are expected to be 2-4 pages in length, not exceeding 5 
pages. Submissions should be formatted using Springer’s Lecture Notes in 
Computer Science (LNCS) formatting guide. Submissions are managed via 
EasyChair: < https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=downscale2013>


INVITED SPEAKERS AND SCHEDULE

* Invited speaker: Stephane Boyera, SB Consulting (SBC4D)

IMPORTANT DATES

* Abstract submission deadline: August 18, 2013
* Notifications: August 30, 2013
* Camera ready version: Sept 6, 2013[a]
* Workshop date: Morning, September 19, 2013

SPONSOR
Downscale2013 is sponsored by The Network Institute 
<http://www.networkinstitute.org>

WORKSHOP CHAIRS

* Victor de Boer, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands 
<v.de.boer@vu.nl>
* Martin Murillo, IEEE Data Connectivity for Rural Areas Initiative, 
Canada <murillo@ieee.org>


PROGRAMME COMMITTEE

* Anna Bon, CIS Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Nederlands
* Victor de Boer, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
* Stephane Boyera, SB Consulting, France
* Philippe Cudré-Mauroux, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
* Gianluca Demartini, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
* Maria Esther Vidal, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Venezuela
* Christophe Guéret, Data Archiving and Networked Services, Netherlands
* Bastien Guerry, Association OLPC France, France
* Jérôme David, INRIA Grenoble – Rhône-Alpes, France
* Laurens Rietveld, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
* Mathieu D’Aquin, KMi Open University, UK
* Andreas Thor, University of Leipzig
* Wolfgang Nejdl, L3S Research Center
* Ivana Marenzi, L3S Research Center
* Martin Murillo, IEEE Data Connectivity for Rural Areas Initiative, Canada
* Elena Simperl, KIT Karlsruhe
* Jean Thiery, Association OLPC France, France
* Arjen P. de Vries, CWI, Netherlands

Best regards,
Martin and Victor

Received on Wednesday, 7 August 2013 15:32:15 UTC