Re: Fw: New Research Alert: The Fate of the Semantic Web

On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 10:59 AM, <rachel.flagg@gsa.gov> wrote:
> I welcome your thoughts on how we can get our group back on track, working toward our THREE areas of focus:
>
>  - Usage of Web Standards (Government Websites and use of best practices and standards)
>  - Transparency and Participation (Enabling discovery, communications, and interaction)
>  - Seamless Integration of Data (Use of data standards, Semantic Web, XML)
>
> Read the report: "The Fate of the Semantic Web" http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Semantic-Web/Overview.aspx?r=1

I agree Rachel. I also think that the focus on the Data Catalog
Vocabulary [1] is a good example of something practical that this
interest group (albeit in a small sub-group) is doing to promote
government transparency, participation and data integration.

Just today the sub-group resolved [2] to focus effort on publishing a
vocabulary for describing data catalogs based on some initial work
done at DERI [3]. I think a w3c endorsed vocabulary for publishing
data catalogs on the web would greatly encourage interoperability,
aggregation and federation of data being published by governments.

I think it's important to point out that it is not required that the
Semantic Web, or web 3.0, become *real* for the Data Catalog
Vocabulary to be a success. Rather, we need general consensus about
the bits of structured information to make available about data
catalogs, and to provide some simple guidance on how to express these
descriptions on the web we have today.

If you are interested in the use cases that are driving this work,
they are being worked on over on the wiki [4]. The group has
involvement from a wide variety of people/organizations [5], and I
would encourage you to join the conversation. As a fellow US federal
government staffer to another, we need your help!

Ed Summers
Library of Congress

[1] http://www.w3.org/egov/wiki/Data_Catalog_Vocabulary
[2] http://www.w3.org/egov/IG/meeting/Data_Catalog_Vocabulary/2010-05-06#resolution_1
[3] http://vocab.deri.ie/dcat
[4] http://www.w3.org/egov/wiki/Data_Catalog_Vocabulary/Use_Cases_and_Requirements
[5] http://www.w3.org/egov/wiki/Data_Catalog_Vocabulary#Participants

Received on Thursday, 6 May 2010 18:20:48 UTC