Re: Standards Based Data Access Reality (Edited)

2010/4/12 Kingsley Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>

> All,
>
> Edited, as I just realized some critical typo+errors that affect context.
>
> Hopefully, you understand what Nathan is articulating (ditto Giovanni). If
> not, simply step back and as yourself a basic question: What is Linked Data
> About?
>
> Is it about markup? Is it about Data Access? Is it about a never ending
> cycle of subjective commentary and cognitive dissonance that serves to
> alienate and fragment a community that desperately needs clarity and
> cohesion.
>
> Experience and history reveal the following to me:
>
> 1. Standards based data access is about to be inflected in a major way
> 2. The EAV (Entity-Attribute-Value) graph model is the new focal point of
> Data Access (covering CRUD operations).
>
> Microsoft, Google, and Apple grok the reality above in a myriad of ways via
> somewhat proprietary offerings (this community should really learn to look
> closer via objective context lenses). Note, "proprietary" is going to mean
> less and less since their initiatives are HTTP based i.e., it's all about
> hypermedia resources bearing EAV model data representations -- with varying
> degrees of fidelity.
>
> **
> Players and EAV approaches:
>
> 1. Microsoft -- OData (EAV with Atom+Feed extension based data
> representation)
>
> 2. Google -- GData (EAV with Atom+Feed based data representation)
>
> 3. RDF based Linked Data -- (RDF variant of EAV plus a plethora of data
> representation formats that are pegged to RDF moniker)
>
> 4. Apple -- Core Data (the oldest of the lot from a very proprietary
> company, this is basically an EAV store that serves all Mac OS X apps, built
> using SQLite; until recently you couldn't extend its backend storage engine
> aspect) .
> **
>
> Reality re. Business of Linked Data:
>
> "Data as a Service" (DaaS) is the first step i.e., entity oriented
> structured data substrate based on the EAV model. In a nutshell, when you
> have structured data place, data meshing replaces data mashing.  Monikers
> aside, entrepreneurs, CTOs, and CIOs already grok this reality in their own
> realm specific ways.
>
> Microsoft in particular, already groks data access (they developed their
> chops eons ago via ODBC). In recent times, they've groked EAV model as
> mechanism for concrete Conceptual Model Level data access, and they are
> going unleash an avalanche of polished EAV based applications courtesy of
> their vast developer network. Of course, Google and Apple will follow suit,
> naturally.
>
> The LOD Community and broader Semantic Web Problem (IMHO):
>
> History is a very good and kind teacher, make it an integral part of what
> you do and the path forward becomes less error prone; a message that hasn't
> penetrated deep enough within this community, in my personal experience.
>
> **
> Today, I see a community rife with cognitive dissonance and desires to
> define a non existent "absolute truth" with regards to what constitutes an
> "Application" or "Killer Application". Ironically, has there EVER been a
> point in history where the phrase: Killer Application, wasn't retrospective?
> Are we going to miraculously change this, now?
>
> **
>
> Has there ever been a segment in the market place (post emergence of
> Client-Server partitioning) where if you didn't make both the Client and the
> Server, the conclusion was: we have nothing?
>
> We can continue postulating about what constitutes an application, but be
> rest assured, Microsoft, Google, Apple (in that order), are priming up for
> precise execution with regards to opportunities in the emerging EAV based
> Linked Data realm. They have:
>
> 1. Polished Clients
> 2. Vast User Networks
> 3. Vast Integrator Networks
> 4. Vast Developer Networks
> 5. Bottom-less cash troves
> 6. Very smart people.
>
> In my experience, combining the above has never resulted in failure, even
> if the deliverable contains little bits of impurity.
>
> Invest a little more time in understanding the history of our industry
> instead of trying to reinvent it wholesale. As Colin Powell articulated re.
> the IRAQ war: If You Break The Pot, You Own It!
>
> Folks, we are just part of an innovation continuum, nothing is new under
> the sun bar, context !!
>

+1

Just to add maybe that CRUD is just one part of the equation, after that can
come aggregation, curation, self healing etc.

Now I'm trying to work out whether what you've presented is good news or
bad.

http://www.w3.org/2007/09/map/main.jpg

Looking at the WWW Roadmap, are we all headed for the Sea of
Interoperability or to be sucked in to a Growing Desert Wasteland?


>
> --
>
> Regards,
>
> Kingsley Idehen       President & CEO OpenLink Software     Web:
> http://www.openlinksw.com
> Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen<http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/%7Ekidehen>
> Twitter/Identi.ca: kidehen
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