Re: Fwd: RDF JS API (aka RDFa API)

On 09/07/2010 09:12 AM, Sandro Hawke wrote:
> ... is actually not just about RDFa, but provides a general API for 
> getting at RDF data from Javascript in a browser.   I think this is
> a good thing to have, but W3C has an obligation to make sure that
> the people who care about a standard have the chance to participate
> in its creation.  I'm concerned that because this has been labeled as
> "RDFa", that hasn't happened.

Seems as if we haven't been doing a good job of making it widely known
that we had to tackle the RDF API problem to address the RDFa API
problem. More outreach would be very good, especially since the RDFa API
is taking shape.

> I think my experience should motivate significantly more outreach

We have an agenda item to discuss this during the call on Thursday (item
#2):

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-rdfa-wg/2010Sep/0036.html

> Did you know that 3.5 years ago we did a survey and 35 people said,
> Yes, we should create a standard Semantic Web API for Javascript in
> Browsers, immediately?  Despite that support, we didn't do the work
> because we didn't have the staff resources.

I had no idea... :/

> See http://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/1/semweb-js-api/results

My W3C account doesn't have the proper permissions to view this poll...
what do I need to do in order to view this?

> Also, 41 people said they would at least follow and review the work.
> I wonder how many of them know we're doing it now?

Perhaps we can contact all of them in the coming months. We certainly
want wide review of the API.

> We could start with the smaller subset, the seven who said they
> expected to join the WG and were already W3C members.  Two of those
> are in the CG (Michael Hausenblas, Lee Feigenbaum) and the others
> are: Sergio Fdez, Dave Reynolds, Fergal Monaghan, Reggiori Alberto,
> and Pantelis Nasikas.  (Of those, I only know Dave.)

Sounds good.

> Are any of them in the WG?  (Michael, Lee, and Dave are very plugged
> in; I'd consider them at least as likely to know about this work as
> me.)

Nope, none of them are in the WG. Michael was in the previous RDFa Task
Force.

> So, at very least, I'd like to see some publicity, in the form of a
> news posting on the w3.org front page, and postings on
> semantic-web@w3.org which say W3C is making a standard API for
> working with Semantic Web Data/RDF/Linked Data  in Javascript.

We will do that.

> Also, I think the shortname should change to not start with rdfa.
> Presumably this should happen at the next publication, in the form of
> asking for feedback on a new draft (when we normally announce to all
> these locations anyway); probably the title should also be changed to
> something more like "RDF JavaScript API".

People tend to dismiss things named "RDF" for various reasons. The API
is not constrained to Javascript. The API directly supports RDFa... but
also supports the integration of Microformats and Microdata parsers.

What about "Linked Data API"?

> Does that make sense, now?

Yes, I now think I understand where you're coming from.

> (Sorry, I still haven't actually had a chance to READ the spec.  :-( 
> I'm just going off what you said in the CG meeting.)

The latest spec can be found here:

http://www.w3.org/2010/02/rdfa/sources/rdfa-api/

-- manu

-- 
Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny)
President/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
blog: WebID - Universal Login for the Web
http://digitalbazaar.com/2010/08/07/webid

Received on Wednesday, 8 September 2010 12:29:42 UTC