Re: The Great Public Linked Data Use Case Register for Non-Technical End User Applications

On 6/24/13 6:23 AM, Antoine Isaac wrote:
> Hi Dominic,
>
> I agree with the relevance of the effort, and wouldn't argue against 
> centralizing. Not everyone will have the resource to search in a 
> decentralized fashion...
>
> What worries me a bit is how to learn lessons for the past. As you (or 
> someone else) has pointed, there have been previous attempts in the past.
> For example http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/sweo/public/UseCases/
> I don't find the cases there super-technical. And is it really from 
> the past?
> Looking closer, it seems still open for contribution:
> http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/sweo/public/UseCases/submit.html
> Actually I have submitted a case there way after the SWEO group was 
> closed:
> http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/sweo/public/UseCases/Europeana/
>
> Now why do these things seem obsolete to newcomers?
> Just giving some account on what I've been involved in ...
>
> [Note: I'm sorry if sometimes it's going to read a bit as a rant. It's 
> not intended, just trying honestly to reflect the situation ;-) It's 
> also not purely about your case/requirement situation, but I believe 
> the issues are very similar!]
>
> [Perspective from the case providers]
> It's hard to know where to contribute. Existing don't often come in 
> the places where case owners are, or it's hard to tell whether they're 
> still open. And there's always a fresher initiative (like the one 
> you're trying to launch) which seems a good place.
> In fact I have actually created some updated description of the 
> Europeana case
> http://lodlam.net/2013/06/18/what-is-europeana-doing-with-sw-and-lod/
> But because the LODLAM summit was a more actual forum for me recently, 
> I've posted it there. And failed thinking of updating the SWEO list, 
> mea maxima culpa.
>
> [Perspective from the case gatherers] I have actually be involved as 
> 'initiator' of a couple of listing.
> 1. SKOS datasets (which are a kind of 'case for SKOS')
> We started with a web page:
> http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/data
> but as the list was difficult to maintain we soon created a 
> community-writable wiki:
> http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/wiki/SKOS/Datasets
> As it seemed not modern enough, we've then encouraged people to use 
> the same DataHub platform as the LOD cloud:
> http://datahub.io/dataset?q=format-skos
> But both are not very active. And they contain a lot of dead links...
> 2. Library-related datasets:
> http://datahub.io/dataset?groups=lld
> That list, started by the Library Linked Data W3C incubator, went 
> alright as long as the group was running. Now I think the rate of new 
> datasets is really small, even though I *know* there are many new ones.
>
> Both as SKOS community manager and former LLD co-chair, I've tried to 
> actively mail people to create descriptions of their stuff. But it 
> requires time. Most often they assume *you* would do it!
> And after a while, the supporters of such effort just have other 
> things to do and can't afford very high level of commitment.
>
> What should we do if we want to build on existing lists and not 
> re-invent the wheel every six months or so?
> Or is it worth sending a regular (monthly?) reminder to lists like 
> public-lod, reminding everyone that these lists are available and open 
> for contributions?
> Create a list of lists, as Wikipedia does?
>
> Best,
>
> Antoine

Antoine,

As you've indicated, there have been many attempts at this over the 
years and they never take-off or meet their goals etc.. The problem is 
that a different approach is required. Basically, in this scenario lies 
a simple Linked Data publication usecase i.e., a problem that Linked 
Data addresses.

The steps:

1. use a Linked Data document to describe you product, service, 
platform, usecase
2. publish the document
3. make people aware of the document.

Crawlers will find your document. The content of the document will show 
up in search results.

The trouble is that confusion around Linked Data makes 1-3 harder than 
it needs to be. Then add RDF misconceptions to the mix, and it gets 
harder e.g., that you must have generally approved vocabulary before you 
get going, when in fact you don't.

People need to understand that "scribbling" is a natural Web pattern 
i.e., rough cuts are okay since improvements will be continuous.

[SNIP]



-- 

Regards,

Kingsley Idehen	
Founder & CEO
OpenLink Software
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