Re: ISSUE-66: LinkedData™

On 8/4/14 10:11 PM, David Booth wrote:
> Yes, because that's what it is.  This question was discussed to death 
> a while back, and finally laid to rest by the official publication of 
> the W3C Linked Data Glossary:
> http://www.w3.org/TR/ld-glossary/#linked-data 

David,

Knowing you are genuinely well intended in regards to clarity about 
these matters, how about this perspective:

The document above didn't really close anything (some of us opted to not 
extend the thread). In my eyes, that document simply reinforced old 
confusion vectors :-)

We have to incorporate additional insights and supporting anecdotes that 
connect RDF with how the Web itself works. For instance, the fact that 
the Web was already comprised of Linked Data prior to any conception of 
RDF [1]. The fact that RDF is (as it should be) an attempt by the W3C to 
formalize a critical aspect of the Web, as it exists.

For instance, think about all the folks that craft triples using Plain 
Old HTML (POSH) all of these triples are RDF and Linked Data principles 
compliant.

Imagine if we had a narrative that started along the lines outlined 
above i.e., telling folks that they are already using RDF and Linked 
Data i.e., so anything else that they encounter in regards to  RDF and 
Linked Data specs (or narratives) ultimately boils down to formalization 
that enables even more sophisticated use of the Web that they are 
already using.

Unfortunately, RDF and Semantic Web narratives give most users and 
developers the impression that they are using a Web that will soon be 
replaced, as opposed to the intended goal of formalizing a critical 
aspect of the system they are already using.

Links:

[1] http://bit.ly/10Y9FL1 -- RDF, Linked Data, and the original Web Proposal
[2] http://bit.ly/1kstcKO -- World Wide Web, 25 years later.

-- 
Regards,

Kingsley Idehen 
Founder & CEO
OpenLink Software
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