RE: What would you build with a web of data?

Hi Bernard,

 

From: Bernard Vatant [mailto:bernard.vatant@mondeca.com] 
Sent: Friday, April 09, 2010 7:16 PM
To: Georgi Kobilarov
Cc: public-lod
Subject: Re: What would you build with a web of data?

 


There are applications that re-use identifiers, and there are applications
that use single, hand-picked data sources.  But let's be honest, that's not
"using the linked data cloud". So, why's that? There must be a reason. Which
part of the ecosystem sucks?


I have a few ideas, which eventually will certainly turn out to be
completely wrong ... 

 

Please share them! That is what I hoped to accomplish with my - certainly
overly bold - statement. that people start talking about what they think
might have to change. 

 

In my opinion we won't get to solve that question if we stick to "linked
data will save the planet, one day". 


If you imply that it was my message, I think you got me wrong. No
technologies will save the world. People will do, or will not. Tools might
help, or not. 
I simply said that I would like to see applications based on linked data
connecting problems to their solutions, or at least connecting people facing
similar issues in similar contexts, which seems something both totally
relevant and technically doable. After that, it's up to people to use them
or not.
Just unearthed an old post from a similar debate about topic maps back in
2001 which I could re-write today here ...
http://www.petesbox.net/pipermail/topicmapmail/2001q3/002844.html

 

Sorry, I didn't mean that as a reaction directly to your post, but to what I
hear quite often.

 

But instead, figure out which apps
people would want to build now, and then see why it's not possible. If it
doesn't work on the small scale of some simple app, how will linked data
ever save our planet?


Currently what I suggest is not possible mostly because relevant data are
not necessarily present in the current data cloud. 

 

So, is it really just because the relevant data isn't present in the current
data cloud? If the community just continues to publish more and more data to
the cloud in the same way it's been happening in the last years, will we see
applications appear some day? That is what I doubt. 

 

 

There is still a lot to tap out there. BTW people at wiserearth.org I have
mentioned are clearly asking for help in integrating their data to the LOD
cloud, because they don't have currently the task force to achieve that. And
they definitely would want the kind of applications I mentioned. Not "one
day" but "today" (or tomorrow morning). And not necessarily complex
applications.



I'd certainly be happy to help getting their data integrated with the cloud.

 

Cheers,

Georgi