Re: Yet Another LOD cloud browser

Hi Sherman,
Sure; I just disagree that a browser that essentially gives a view of one
linked data portal should be promoted as a ³linked data browser².
By that definition something like http://revyu.com/ is a linked data
browser.
Long ago in what used to be called the Semantic Web world, it was thought
that collecting rdf from out there and loading it into a single store and
then writing applications over it (such as CS AKTiveSpace) constituted a
Semantic Web application.
But then some time later, but also long ago, we realised that it was only an
application using semantic web technologies, as there was no web involved.
I think we are in danger of repeating this misconception and distraction
again in the Linked Data world.
Fundamentally the data that your browser works over is a single Linked Data
site. This site may have data that has been gathered from lots of places,
and URIs that reflect those places somehow in the text, but in the end it is
a single site.
I don¹t think I can give your browser any URI I choose that resolves using
http to a typical LD document?
If not, it is not a linked data browser.

I used to have a mantra: ³Putting the Web into Semantic Web².
It now seems I need to say ³Putting the Web back into Linked Data², or even
³Putting the Web into the Web of Data².

It may be we will just have to differ on this; however I would be really
interested to know if I am alone in my view ­ any comments from others?
Best
Hugh

On 15/05/2009 23:50, "Sherman Monroe" <sdmonroe@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hugh,
> 
> On Fri, May 15, 2009 at 5:18 PM, Hugh Glaser <hg@ecs.soton.ac.uk> wrote:
>> I have difficulty in interpreting what you say - we are looking at the same
>> "linked data browser" page?:
>> http://ec2.monrai.com:8890/facets/
>> All I can see is a page that says: "Lookup things named "" " So the only
>> possibility of linked data browsing is to put in something with a name.
>> So I put something topical in (from this list).
>> Since I see
>> ...
>>   <Station rdf:about="http://ontologi.es/rail/stations/gb/MAN">
>>     <foaf:name xml:lang="en">Manchester Piccadilly</foaf:name>
>> ...
>> I try "Manchester Piccadilly" and get some response, but nothing leads me to
>> http://ontologi.es/rail/stations/gb/MAN.rdf or any of the data I find there.
>> Similarly topical from this list, I find no way of browsing
>> http://foaf.qdos.com/lastfm/people/keithalexander#me or getting to that page
>> by searching for "Keith Alexander".
> 
> 
> It appears you're right in this instance.
Unfortunately I may be right for every other URI on these domains.
> However, here is some info we have
> on Manchester Piccadilly (Stations)
> <http://www.razorbase.com/?qid=10000101242426667642> . And here are records we
> have for People named Keith Alexander
> <http://www.razorbase.com/?qid=10000091242426317534> . We don't claim to have
> visability over the entire Linked Data cloud, but to say we are a browser of
> the Linked Data cloud is, I believe, as accurate as to say my car is a car
> although it hasn't been every place a car can go :) Google admits it may never
> be able to index a very large portion of the web
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_internet> , but that doesn't make them any
> less of a web search engine.
> 
> I've had conversations with Kingsley about this distinction, and based on his
> insight re. warehousing all this data, I can identity at least three LOD
> clouds (or at least three segments of it):
> 
> - warehouses (produced from published RDF dump archives)
> - dynamic (sponged)
> - crawled where you sponge/crawl progressively across the likes of PTSW,
> Sindice etc.. that receive pings and crawl data
> 
> Even a 4th where people publish linked data, expose an sparql endpoint but
> don't release archives. Better methods of advertising their SPARQL endpoints
> and RDF servers once they come online would greatly help us expand coverage.
> 
> -sherman
>  
> 
> 
>> 
>> I also see no way of doing "3. Raw URI Lookup" of this URI.
> 
> Yes, this is a feature that is pending in the razorbase UI, but will be added.
>  
>> 
>> I assert that if this is a "linked data browser", then since
>> http://ontologi.es/rail/stations/gb/MAN.rdf conforms (I think) to "How to
>> Publish Linked Data on the Web", then I should be able to browse it using the
>> browser.
>> If I can't, then it is not a "linked data browser".
> 
> Hmm, Internet Explorer doesn't implement some portions of the Javascript and
> CSS standards, but no one argues that IE is a W3C compliant browser and CSS/JS
> client. But I do understand your point, and it's something worth keeping in
> mind.
> 
>  
>> 
>> Of course, this browser is very capable of browsing your excellent single
>> site, but that is not the same thing, I am sorry to say.
> 
> 
> Thanks so much for all your insight, feedback is always welcomed :)
>

Received on Friday, 15 May 2009 23:24:46 UTC