W3C Data Activity

Welcome to the Data Activity — the new home of the Semantic Web and
eGovernment at W3C.

The Web is transforming the way governments interact with their citizens in
two distinct ways: through the provision of online services, or access to
physical services through online means, and through the release of open
data. This latter aspect is at the heart of a huge and growing community
right around the world, one that encompasses not just government data but
cultural heritage data and scientific research, both for its data and open
access to its publications. Open data isn’t an ephemeral fashion, it’s
shift in the way things are done, made possible by the World Wide Web.

The Semantic Web, in particular Linked Data, is an important part of this
shift. Its unparalleled ability to publish self-describing data at Web
scale, data that carries meaning and intelligence within itself, has clear
and distinct advantages. Reference data such as that published by the (UK
mapping agency) Ordnance Survey, and the European Environment Agency is
complemented by initiatives such as OpenCorporates and Product Open Data.
Industries such as health care and life sciences and the financial industry
are making extensive use of Linked Data, a lot of which is open.

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http://www.w3.org/blog/data/