Re: Modular Browsers (was RE: freebase parallax: user interface for browsing graphs of data)

Aldo Bucchi wrote:
> HI,
>
> Scanning the thread on Parallax I see some terms reoccurring:
>
> Outgoing Connections.
> Lenses.
> Lists.
> Facets.
> Free text search.
> IFP to IRI resolution.
> Find documents that contain IRIs
> etc...
>
> They are all implemented in different ways but tend to share semantics
> across different browsers and services.
> How far are we from defining a modular framework so we can mix and
> math these as atomic interaction pieces?
>
> Both services and probably UI parts.
>
> Of course, RDF and HTTP can be used to describe them and deliver the
> descriptions and, in the case of widgets, some OOTB implementations.
> XForms, Dojo widgets, SWFs?
>
> I have done something similar but much simpler in a Flex platform ( I
> serve Flex modules, described in RDF and referenced by Fresnel vocabs,
> but only for presentation ).
> And then on a functional side I have several services that do
> different things, and I can hot swap them.
> For example, the free text search service is a (S)WS.
> Faceter service idem.
>
> I guess we still need to see some more diversity to derive a taxonomy
> and start working on the framework.
> But it is nice to keep this in sight.
>
> The recurring topics.
>
> Best,
> A
>
>
>   
Aldo,

Really nice to see you are looking at things holistically.

As you can see, we are veering gradually towards recognizing that the 
"Web", courtesy of HTTP,  gives us a really interesting infrasructure 
for the time-tested MVC pattern (I've been trying to bring attention to 
this aspect of the Web for a while now).

If you look at ODE (closely) you will notice it's an MVC vessel. We have 
components for Data Access (RDFiztion Cartridges), components for UI 
(xslt+css templates and fresnel+xslt+css templates), and components for 
actions (*Cartridges not released yet*).

We've tried to focus on the foundation infrastructure that uses HTTP for 
the messaging across M-V-C so that you get:
M<--http->V<---http--->C

Unfortunately, our focus on the M&C doesn't permeate. Instead, we find 
all focus coming at us from the "V" part where we've released minimal 
templates with hope that 3rd parties will eventually focus on Display 
Cartridges (via Fresnel, XSLT+SPARQL, xml+xslt+css, etc..).

btw - David Schwabe [1] also alluded to the architectural modularity 
that I am fundamentally trying to bring to broader attention in this 
evolving  conversation re.  Linked oriented Web applications.

The ultimate goal is to deliver a set of options that enable Web Users 
to Explore the Web coherently and productively (imho).

Humans can only do so much, and likewise Machines, put both together and 
we fashion a recipe for real "collective intelligence" (beyond  the 
buzzword).  We desperately need to tap into "collective intelligence"en 
route to solving many of the real problems facing the world today.

The Web should make seeing and connecting the dots easier, but this is 
down to the MVC combo as opposed to any single component of the pattern  :-)


Links:

1. http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-lod/2008Aug/att-0106/00-part

-- 


Regards,

Kingsley Idehen	      Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen
President & CEO 
OpenLink Software     Web: http://www.openlinksw.com

Received on Thursday, 21 August 2008 01:20:00 UTC