- From: Kingsley Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
- Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:37:50 -0400
- To: public-lod@w3.org
- CC: "semantic-web@w3.org" <semantic-web@w3.org>
- Message-ID: <4E4BFC6E.3080007@openlinksw.com>
On 8/17/11 12:13 PM, adasal wrote: > > If you ever want to see a time when 'killer apps' are possible > again, it would be wise to group the sheep so the likes and > dislikes (of the heard) take on semantic form, because the sheep > and the shepherd answer the question "How many Triples in an > Identity ?" quite differently. > > > Ah ha - someone understands - a bit. > Since I am truly tired of repetitive debates, I refer you to my recent G+ post about structured profiles [1][2] :-) I can assure of this: the Semantic Web vision isn't a solution looking for a problem. Same applies to Linked Data which delivers a critical foundation (structured data) component to this broad vision. Links: 1. http://goo.gl/PpDhS -- post about G+ profile in Linked Data form with some interesting comments 2. http://goo.gl/2Rqx1 -- using WebID (an application) Linked Data to kill off SPAM via semantically enhanced mail filters . -- Regards, Kingsley Idehen President& CEO OpenLink Software Web: http://www.openlinksw.com Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen Twitter/Identi.ca: kidehen > Adam > > On 17 August 2011 15:50, Gannon Dick <gannon_dick@yahoo.com > <mailto:gannon_dick@yahoo.com>> wrote: > > Nice rant Sampo :o) I might have agreed 100% five years ago. I'd > have to downgrade that to 90% today. Economies are consumer poor (but > not necessarily producer/resource rich) in these days and a 'killer > app' requires a pressing information need to dominate. In other > words, Hollandaise Sauce is a 'killer app', only as long as you have > plenty of butter and eggs laying around. > > > > The Semantic Web provides a way out, but FOAF, IMHO, is exactly the > wrong way to go about it. Governance should be the search normal, and > for the Semantic Web, it is. The Commercial imperative is to shear as > many sheep as possible in the shortest amount of time. That goal is > self-limiting because the sheep are not happy with it at the moment. > No one, it seems, thought the sheep's opinion, or capabilities mattered. > > > > If you ever want to see a time when 'killer apps' are possible > again, it would be wise to group the sheep so the likes and dislikes > (of the heard) take on semantic form, because the sheep and the > shepherd answer the question "How many Triples in an Identity ?" quite > differently. > > > > --Gannon > > > > --- On Tue, 8/16/11, Sampo Syreeni <decoy@iki.fi > <mailto:decoy@iki.fi>> wrote: > > > >> From: Sampo Syreeni <decoy@iki.fi <mailto:decoy@iki.fi>> > >> Subject: Re: Vote for my Semantic Web presentation at SXSW > >> To: "Juan Sequeda" <juanfederico@gmail.com > <mailto:juanfederico@gmail.com>> > >> Cc: "Semantic Web" <semantic-web@w3.org > <mailto:semantic-web@w3.org>>, "public-lod" <public-lod@w3.org > <mailto:public-lod@w3.org>> > >> Date: Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 7:15 PM > >> On 2011-08-16, Juan Sequeda wrote: > >> > >> > In the past two years, I've tried to get people > >> together to submit panels and presentations about Semantic > >> Web to SXSW. Unfortunately, it has barely been successful. > >> [...] > >> > >> I think it's not successful because the Semantic Web itself > >> is not successful. It still lacks a killer app, and the > >> integration, and especially the visual candy that rules over > >> everything else, adoption-wise. It's still a solution in > >> search of a real problem. > >> > >> One of the surest signs to me is that pretty much every > >> SemWeb presentation I've seen a) starts with the same, > >> already-tired, academic litany of theoretical promises, a > >> layer cake or whathaveyou, and b) is presented by somebody > >> supported by a grant/tenure/government salary/whatever. I > >> see absolutely *no* stuff from private, venture funded > >> entrepreneurs which tell me they successfully solved a > >> pressing, real life problem using SemWeb technology, and > >> because of the tech, more rapidly retired with a hefty trust > >> fund. > >> > >> Because that, honest to God, is the only criterion of a > >> Solution. It's the criterion *even* if the technology was > >> primarily poised to solve a problem of a public goods nature > >> where you have to go through the nasty gymnastics of > >> convincing a government to make its data open, and linked. > >> That's just not going to happen unless the private sector is > >> already thriving around your data model, vision, solution, > >> usability and consumer candy-appeal. What instead happens is > >> that you flat out lose to PDF (textual description of your > >> data), and in particular to Facebook (dynamic, social > >> description, again over unstructured text). > >> > >> Now, I'm not saying SemWeb is dead in the water. Far from > >> it: I'm a big believer in the basic principles of it. But as > >> of now, the focus remains totally wrong. First, FOAF has > >> lingered on as a potential killer app for a while, and > >> stagnated. Second, I'm seeing no Android/iOS/HTML5 apps > >> which make serious use of the semantic web, *while > >> substantially and measurably benefiting from it*. Third, > >> that's prolly because the plumbing isn't there or is too > >> heavy to be deployed incrementally and/or cheaply. Fourth, > >> heavy duty data really doesn't sit too well with the basic > >> encodings like RDF/XML; or would you happily run your > >> production database over it/them? Fifth, where's the truly > >> transparent and user-satisfying integration with established > >> media? Et cetera, ad infinitum. > >> > >> The semantic web holds great promise, but it always has > >> been and sadly seems to remain more of an academic exercise > >> than something truly practicable and profitable. More a > >> tentative solution to a hypothetical problem, than a real > >> solution to a pressing need. Then, it stagnates for lack of > >> profitable investment, as it has for its entire duration. > >> Like some relic, preserved by W3C's saving graces or > >> reverence to TimBL The Great Weaver. > >> > >> I think instead we should have a fast and dirty triple > >> serving protocol, or perhaps even a protocol which breaks > >> with the triple model as such for efficiency. Then a flashy > >> app for distributed social networking, based on some revived > >> derivative of FOAF, on *all* of the app stores around. > >> Embeddable and integrable. That'd already go *miles* towards > >> adoption. Then do the same for the rest of the Linked Data. > >> -- Sampo Syreeni, aka decoy - decoy@iki.fi <mailto:decoy@iki.fi>, > http://decoy.iki.fi/front > >> +358-50-5756111, 025E D175 ABE5 027C 9494 EEB0 E090 8BA9 > >> 0509 85C2 > >> > >> > > > > >
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