Re: Proof: Linked Data does not require RDF (was: Re: The need for RDF in Linked Data)

The debate about whether linked data requires RDF is actually a typical example of a wrong formulation in the applicable logic formats in reasoning resulting from the imperfection of natural language.

The formal definition of the semantic web and its component layers and constituent  tools like RDF is but one way of linking data.

Manu is right and his open minded statement also signals the now common problem of defining what constitutes big data, which should be a category of vast amounts of raw data that can be linked.

If we want to avoid many flavors of linked data clouding the Internet scape (sorry for the pun) we need to come up with a more acceptable definition of how we interpret linked data in terms of semantic linkage.

We generally equate linked data with RDF and related tools and technologies but the rest of the netizens may beg to differ.



 
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________________________________
 From: Manu Sporny <msporny@digitalbazaar.com>
To: Luca Matteis <lmatteis@gmail.com> 
Cc: Melvin Carvalho <melvincarvalho@gmail.com>; David Wood <david@3roundstones.com>; Kingsley Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>; Linked Data community <public-lod@w3.org> 
Sent: Monday, June 17, 2013 8:11 PM
Subject: Proof: Linked Data does not require RDF (was: Re: The need for RDF  in Linked Data)
 

On 06/17/2013 06:21 PM, Luca Matteis wrote:
> This still doesn't answer my initial question "How do you produce 
> Linked Data without RDF?".

Here's the first way (plain 'ol JSON object):

{
  "id": "http://example.com/people/luca",
  "type": "http://schema.org/Person",
  "name": "Luca Matteis"
}

The document above is interpreted as Linked Data using the following rules:

1. The thing you're talking about is identified via 'id'.
2. The type of the thing you're talking about is identified via 'type'.
3. All keys, except for 'id' and 'type', are appended to 'type''s value,
   with a '/' separator.

That's Linked Data. It has no formal relationship to RDF.

Here's the second way (Microdata):

http://www.w3.org/TR/microdata/

The base Microdata spec has nothing to do with RDF. However, if you are
going to assert that RDFa is Linked Data, then you have to assert that
Microdata is Linked Data. Since Microdata has no linkage to RDF, what
are you left with? Answer: A syntax that allows you to express Linked
Data without using RDF in any way.

Here's the third way (RFC-5988: Web Linking):

http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5988

The Web Linking RFC defines a typed connection between two resources
that are identified by Internationalised Resource Identifiers (IRIs) and
is comprised of:

   o  A context IRI,
   o  a link relation type (Section 4),
   o  a target IRI, and
   o  optionally, target attributes.

Isn't this Linked Data as well?

Here's a fourth way (HAL - Hypertext Application Language):

http://stateless.co/hal_specification.html

"""
HAL provides a set of conventions for expressing hyperlinks to, and
embeddedness of, related resources - the rest of a HAL document is just
plain old JSON or XML. Instead of using linkless JSON/XML, or spending
time developing a custom media type, you can just use HAL and focus on
defining and documenting the link relations that direct your clients
through your API. HAL is a bit like HTML for machines, in that it is
generic and designed to drive many different types of application.
"""

HAL is also Linked Data.

To assert that Linked Data requires RDF requires you to make compelling
arguments against at least these four pieces of evidence.

-- manu

-- 
Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny, G+: +Manu Sporny)
Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
blog: Meritora - Web payments commercial launch
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