Re: Do we need another list(s)? Was "other things"

Kingsley,

Great game! But as I said, I (we) need to get out of the picture. But don't
worry. I get these questions all the time.

I just quickly asked some "web2.0" developers about this. Not to my
surprise, I got several definitions to what the semantic web was, and at the
same time, the mayority doesn't even know what Linked data is!!!!! A
definition I did get was "im pretty sure that isnt that how things are
connected on the interweb with URIs"

Question no. 1, what is Linked Data?

I then asked if they new the value of Linked Data. The answer I got was "well,
i would think that my site would be easier to find right? i mean, i would
link stuff on my site better"

Question 2: Would my site be easier to find then using Linked Data?

Question 3: So are microformats in my pages doing Linked Data?

Question 4: By what method are these things linked?

After explaining somebody what linked data was, and giving them the existing
links about it, question 5 came up:
Question 5: "I see value in the data and the data being linked together but
i don't see practically how i would use it"

A final quote "people like me don't a) know about this and b) don't
understand how to use it once they do? I would say some additional education
is necessary to make this understood... i would also say that in a broader
sense the semantic web message has gotten lost under a mass of acryonyms and
theory"

Looking forward to answers and some good follow up discussion!

Juan Sequeda, Ph.D Student
Dept. of Computer Sciences
The University of Texas at Austin
www.juansequeda.com
www.semanticwebaustin.org


On Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 3:51 PM, Kingsley Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>wrote:

> Juan Sequeda wrote:
>
>> Hugh and all,
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 3:14 PM, Hugh Glaser <hg@ecs.soton.ac.uk <mailto:
>> hg@ecs.soton.ac.uk>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>    Clearly the answer was no, as I have had no other responses.
>>
>> I say yes, but most probably if it did exist right now, it wouldn't be
>> used.
>>
>>
>>    I am still worried (as I guess Aldo is) that we do not have a
>>    support forum for plain users.
>>
>> I wonder why?
>>
>>
>>    (That is where they will feel welcome, able to ask damn fool
>>    questions, and nurtured.)
>>    These are the people who actually might care nothing for our
>>    wonderful technologies, but simply want to use our amazing Linked
>>    Data, and that we need to bring into a community.
>>    It may be that the wiki could help, but it doesn't at the moment.
>>    To push the point more:
>>    We are now doing tutorials on "How to Publish Linked Data...",
>>    which is great.
>>    But we need to also do "How to Use Linked Data..." to people who
>>    know nothing, and don't really want to know much.
>>
>> EXACTLY!!!!! This is the whole chicken and egg problem.
>>
>> I ask myself every day... who is going to use linked data? And lets get
>> all the LODers and SemWebers out of the picture. Now lets ask ourselves
>> again, who is going to use this data? Who is this data for? Or furthermore,
>> what is LOD? This is where we have to start! I think that this community
>> needs to start putting themselves in the shoes of the "web2.0" developers!
>> We need to start some kind of outreach and education pipeline. Personally, I
>> have started this with the community of developers in Austin. In conjunction
>> with the Cyc Foundation, we founded Semantic Web Austin [1], as a way to
>> teach/expose Semantic Web technologies. We are planning to do WebOfData
>> Workshops, bring keynote speakers, and just get the community excited about
>> LOD, what it is, and HOW to USE it! Furthermore, this is one of the main
>> motivations of SQUIN [2], so a simple web developer can use LOD without any
>> complications. The transition needs to be nice and simple.
>>
>> Another thing that I ask myself is who is going to start LODizing new
>> data. The outreach and education part should encourge companies who are
>> exposing their data through API's to start doing it as Linked Data too! But
>> they never will if they don't even know what LOD is. An interesting case is
>> Jinni.com, a "semantic web" application. I contacted the CEO, and to my
>> surprise, they don't use any semantic web technologies and don't even know
>> what LOD is! The application and data is awesome, and they just released an
>> API. I envision a future when companies release their API's and their Linked
>> Data too!
>>
>> [1] www.semanticwebaustin.org <http://www.semanticwebaustin.org>
>> [1] http://squin.sourceforge.net/
>>
>>
>>    And then they need to know they can get support from somewhere.
>>
>>
>> Once they know what LOD is, and how they can start using it, this list
>> will be useful!
>>
>>
>>    If anyone has any suggestions or can point me at something I have
>>    missed that would be great.
>>
>>
>> My two cents! Would love to here comments!
>>
>
> Juan,
>
> Let's go through some simple QA.
> You play the "User" and I (and hopefully others will provide answers) will
> provide answers.
>
> Mission: simple articulation of the value prop. of Linked Data.
>
> Warning: Cognitive Dissonance is the viper in the sand re. this quest.
>
>
>
> Kingsley
>
>
>>
>>    Best
>>    Hugh
>>
>>
>>    On 28/11/2008 16:39, "Aldo Bucchi" <aldo.bucchi@gmail.com
>>    <mailto:aldo.bucchi@gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>    Hi Hugh,
>>
>>    On Fri, Nov 28, 2008 at 9:15 AM, Hugh Glaser <hg@ecs.soton.ac.uk
>>    <mailto:hg@ecs.soton.ac.uk>> wrote:
>>    > Thanks Aldo,
>>    > Very clear.
>>    > I agree; what is the forum for users to ask some questions
>>    without getting
>>    > dragged into the developer world?
>>
>>    Not sure if it exists at this point.
>>    There is some intent behind the LOD wiki and very good material there,
>>    but the lines are a bit blurry ( only a bit ).
>>
>>    > We could point them at the wiki, and the developing material on
>>    how to do
>>    > things, but they still need to be able to ask questions.
>>    > Ravinder asked a sensible question of the sort that should get a
>>    > well-serviced response; he got some of that (eg I said "here are
>>    some SPARQL
>>    > endpoints, have fun!"), but we then moved back into developer
>>    mode and had a
>>    > discussion among ourselves. This is not the first time this has
>>    happened, I
>>    > think.
>>
>>    Exactly!
>>    That was the case I was trying to make.
>>    Very well synthesized.
>>
>>    > And I suspect that quite a few existing list members are feeling
>>    the content
>>    > is too detailed.
>>    > It is very exciting that we should have got to the stage where
>>    we have this
>>    > problem!
>>
>>    Aha!
>>    And that's why I think it is sensible to act now, this is only going
>>    to grow as a problem.
>>
>>    > You suggest lod-dev and lod-users
>>    > Checking the W3 lists it seems they don't really have a standard
>>    way of
>>    > splitting things. Similar situations:
>>    > eg
>>    >    public-owl-comments - This is the public feedback mailing list
>>    >    public-owl-dev
>>    >    public-owl-wg - Technical discussion of the OWL Working Group.
>>    > Or
>>    >    www-amaya - discussion about general issues of Amaya
>>    >    www-amaya-dev - Technical discussion about Amaya.
>>    >    www-amaya-developers
>>    >    www-amaya-doc - Discussion among contributors
>>    >
>>    > I am not in favour of having many lists, nor changing names.
>>    >
>>    > So I think it would be a good idea to create a new list
>>    "public-lod-dev",
>>    > and use public-lod for our users (should it be used for
>>    announcements as
>>    > well?).
>>
>>    In the end, the only difference is that there should be some place
>>    where people are simply served with practical answers and those who
>>    know the technicalities keep them to themselves ( and have other
>>    spaces to channel those debates ), unless prompted to delve deeper.
>>
>>    We have agreed on what LOD is, right?
>>    There is a huge amount of LOD out there, right?
>>    There are tools to use it, right?
>>
>>    If that's what we are saying out to the world, then questions like
>>    Ravinder's should have a very simple answer as you say.
>>    And should reassure him in his interest, not plant a 6 meter wall in
>>    front of him.
>>
>>    > I guess that is a formal proposal, if the protocol allows me to
>>    do so.
>>    > Any takers?
>>
>>    Heh. Me.
>>
>>    >
>>    > How do we decide?
>>    > I guess we wouldn't want to flood the list with yes/no/maybe.
>>    > Someone can put out a simple message and then gather votes?
>>    > I would be happy to, or does someone else want to?
>>    > Feel free to email me privately with "yes please", "I'll do it"
>>    or "no
>>    > don't".
>>    > Sorry if I am out of order here, but let's get to a conclusion
>>    with minimum
>>    > fuss.
>>
>>    Yeah, I don't know how to proceed either.
>>    This is just another debate where we are pointing out an important
>>    issue.
>>
>>    There are others with more authority and insider knowledge that could
>>    provide some guidance.
>>
>>    I would suggest calling the aforementioned case, the "R" case, in
>>    allusion to the name of the user who asked the question.
>>
>>    So far, the R-Case is yet another example that has served to reveal a
>>    flaw in the suitability of this list to receive the new markets we are
>>    targeting with our outreach efforts ( markets will try to stand a bit
>>    to the right of the value chain and don't really care what's going on
>>    on the other side ).
>>
>>    ( and if mr ravinder does care, then lets just create a fictional
>>    character. he served the purpose well ;).
>>
>>    Best,
>>    A
>>
>>    >
>>    > Best
>>    > Hugh
>>    >
>>    > On 27/11/2008 21:54, "Aldo Bucchi" <aldo.bucchi@gmail.com
>>    <mailto:aldo.bucchi@gmail.com>> wrote:
>>    >>
>>    >> Hugh,
>>    >>
>>    >> Oh I am not saying you are against this, like anyone else in this
>>    >> group you are evidently pushing this forward.
>>    >> This is just a debate excercise right?
>>    >>
>>    >> Not trying to second guess your intentions.
>>    >>
>>    >> Please all I tried to point out is exactly that.
>>    >>
>>    >> We are using this list to debate in public.
>>    >>
>>    >> Do we want to debate in public?
>>    >> If we do, perfect.
>>    >> But beware that we are bouncing people off because, gee, take a
>>    look
>>    >> at the level of the discussions!
>>    >>
>>    >> People just want to know what this big cloud of data is, what
>>    they can
>>    >> get out of it, how to use it, etc.
>>    >>
>>    >> Or else we will fall back again into the SW obscure alley.
>>    >>
>>    >> I am risking getting bullied in the list for pointing this out,
>>    but I
>>    >> think it is worth it.
>>    >>
>>    >> We are making some progress here in terms of world PR.
>>    >>
>>    >> Best,
>>    >> A
>>    >> --
>>    >> Aldo Bucchi
>>    >> U N I V R Z
>>    >> Office: +56 2 795 4532
>>    >> Mobile:+56 9 7623 8653
>>    >> skype:aldo.bucchi
>>    >> http://www.univrz.com/
>>    >> http://aldobucchi.com
>>    >>
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>>    >
>>    >
>>
>>
>>
>>    --
>>    Aldo Bucchi
>>    U N I V R Z
>>    Office: +56 2 795 4532
>>    Mobile:+56 9 7623 8653
>>    skype:aldo.bucchi
>>    http://www.univrz.com/
>>    http://aldobucchi.com
>>
>>    PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
>>    This message is only for the use of the individual or entity to
>>    which it is
>>    addressed and may contain information that is privileged and
>>    confidential. If
>>    you are not the intended recipient, please do not distribute or
>>    copy this
>>    communication, by e-mail or otherwise. Instead, please notify us
>>    immediately by
>>    return e-mail.
>>    INFORMACIÓN PRIVILEGIADA Y CONFIDENCIAL
>>    Este mensaje está destinado sólo a la persona u organización al
>>    cual está
>>    dirigido y podría contener información privilegiada y
>>    confidencial. Si usted no
>>    es el destinatario, por favor no distribuya ni copie esta
>>    comunicación, por
>>    email o por otra vía. Por el contrario, por favor notifíquenos
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>
> --
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Kingsley Idehen       Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen<http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/%7Ekidehen>
> President & CEO OpenLink Software     Web: http://www.openlinksw.com
>
>
>
>
>

Received on Friday, 5 December 2008 23:19:25 UTC