Re: Extension for schema.org/Skiresort

Hi Thad,

Thank you very much for your thoughts on my suggestion, I really
appreciate your feedback.

My intention with this suggestion is not to come up with important
filter criteria for search engines, nor do I follow any search engine
related interests with my suggestion (at least not at the current state
search engines are in).

When you speak about the level of detail, I think schema.org does a very
good job in specifying quite some level of detail when it comes to
concepts like sdo/Organization (award, duns, foundingLocation, isicV4,
leiCode, naics …), sdo/CreativeWork, sdo/Product or others. Actually, at
the current state, Google only recognizes 7 Types for their search mark
up (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/guides/mark-up-content) –
schema.org currently has 571 types. I think digging a little bit deeper
into detail of a very important economic factor like tourism is no
disadvantage (as happens in release 3.1 with the extension of sdo/Hotel,
see https://github.com/schemaorg/schemaorg/pull/1224). In the case of
the ski resort, the number of lifts, slopes and their difficulty and
length is as important for a potential customer as the size of a room or
the type of bed for a potential hotel customer. Or the number of seats
or the legroom for a potential car buyer/flight booker. Doing that all
at the same time would be a really big pull request which would probably
lead to conflicts and a lot of integrational work. Doing it bit by bit
would be a nice and clean approach for accessing a huge field, like
tourism, in a manageable way.

The value that schema.org brings is, in my understanding, only to a
certain (small) extend related to search engines. The idea, and I quote
the documentation here, is “a mission to create, maintain, and promote
schemas for structured data on the Internet, on web pages, in email
messages, and beyond” and to help “Many applications [..] to power rich,
extensible experiences.” Schema.org is, in my understanding, the first
big movement to make the semantic web real. It helps to structure
content on the web, to make that content machine read - and
understandable and to power – and that’s where my interest lies – third
party applications which use content on the web. Of course schema.org is
sponsored by the “big 4” in search engine business, Google, Microsoft,
Yahoo and Yandex, and that’s awesome, because they can reach the
broadest possible audience, can encourage people to use schema.org on
their own websites and they do a really great job in driving the
development of schema.org. But, as I understood it, by no means the
vocabulary schema.org provides should be restricted to possible relevant
search requests a search engine user comes up with.

Best,
Elias


On 21.07.2016 19:18, Thad Guidry wrote:
> Elias,
> 
> I also agree with you that Ski Resort data not really Transport data that
> your trying to surface for Search Engine users.
> 
> But at the same time, I can see that your trying to think about important
> Filter Criteria for folks interested in Skiing.  However, that level of
> detail will only appeal to dedicated enthusiants whom will get those
> details anyways from specific sites....and not a general search engine like
> Google, Yahoo, Yandex, Bing, etc.
> 
> The value that Schema.org brings is where it helps the Search Engines to
> help users find the data they need... in general.  For a search user that
> is interested in comparing ski resort attributes....he will likely just
> type "compare ski resorts" and then have a search listing that shows sites
> like what you might own or maintain with a page that has those same filter
> criteria...and the search user will just like on that search result listing
> of "Compare Ski Resorts around your area" or whatever, and then be taken to
> that page to perform more detailed selections and comparisons.
> 
> So the real advantage and effort on your part would be to ensure that there
> is sufficient data that allows the Search Engines to "know" that your site
> or sites, can actually perform "comparison of ski resorts", etc....and that
> would be enough for everyone concerned.  In other words, don't expect
> Google, Yahoo, Yandex, Bing, etc...to build specialized Ski Resort Filters
> that let users of their Search Engines so sub-searching or refined custom
> searches based on your proposed Filter attributes.
> 
> Having said all that... your audience may not just be the Search
> Engines....perhaps its others or specialized applications, etc... then it
> that case... it might make sense to continue to push and promote your
> Schema.org proposal. :)
> 
> Best,
> 
> Thad
> +ThadGuidry <https://www.google.com/+ThadGuidry>
> 

-- 
Elias Kärle, MSc
Semantic Technology Institute
University of Innsbruck

ICT - Technologie Park Innsbruck
2nd Floor, Room 3S02
Technikerstrasse, 21a
6020 Innsbruck
Austria

Tel.: (+43) 512 507 53738
Skype: elias.kaerle

Received on Friday, 22 July 2016 13:05:22 UTC