Re: Semantic Web and Software Engineering Task Force





Evan,

I see your point….

To answer your first question directly, there is not yet any draft
description outlining the focus for the proposed TF on the Semantic Web and
SE. Jeff Pan and myself are currently seeking advice from Guus Schreiber on
the correct procedure to follow in order to establish such a piece of work.

The suggestion for the TF arose when Jeff and I started to discuss my
recent paper on the use of Semantic Web technologies to help address
software complexity (
http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/g/g.nsf/img/semanticsdocs/$file/soa_semanticweb.pdf

,
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/autonomic/library/ac-summary/ac-semantic.html

). From this my original suggestion was to request a task force to
investigate the use of Semantic Web technologies in the design of
self-organising systems and consequently asked for Jeff’s thoughts on this
while we were on the train together after the F2F.

I believe that Jeff liked my paper and felt that it alluded to the wider
application of the SW in the SE in general. So we informally agreed that a
TF of ‘some kind’ would indeed be a worthwhile endeavour. I hence asked
Jeff to propose a suitable name for the TF and agreed that I would
willingly coordinate any resultant activity – Jeff’s suggestion was a TF
with, I believe, a particularly wide, valid and exciting remit and from the
responses apparent so for, it looks like quite a few others are interested
in our idea as well.

Currently my personal aspiration for the TF is to keep its remit
deliberately wide. This is in order to highlight as many potential uses for
SW material/ideas/technologies/tools etc, in the more ‘traditional’ realms
of SE as possible, If for no other reason than to help raise the profile of
the Semantic Web and generate visible momentum for other groups to latch
onto.

From a personal standpoint I am now getting substantial interest expressed
in the Semantic Web from many of my colleagues and immediate professional
associates. Most of these are senior practising, commercial and industry
focused Software Engineers with many years experience, and the question
they are all asking, in simple terms, is – ‘We can see that this is great
technology, but how does it fit with my day job?!’. This is the real
question I would like the TF to address and the more far reaching, wide
spread and exotic the answers that come back the better.

The time now appears right for old and new worlds to meet. Given that its
is highly likely that RDF will soon emerge directly on the ‘clickable web’
via XHTML 2.0, I think it would be a fascinating and worthwhile exercise to
see if other routes can be found, and accepted, into other ‘mainstream’
technical communities. And Software Engineering has a plethora of such
communities to choose from…If significant new use cases for the SW are
unearthed as a consequence, even better…

Your thoughts on a remit for such a TF would be greatly valued.

Kind Regards

Phil Tetlow
Senior Consultant
IBM Business Consulting Services
Mobile. (+44) 7740 923328


                                                                           
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SWBPD wg:

We have seen a number of recent emails on the subject of a Semantic
Web and Software Engineering Task Force.  However, I have yet to
see any draft description defining the focus for the proposed TF.
Will one be coming soon?  I can imagine a scope for this ranging
from "OWL/RDF driven JAVA Programing" to "IT Language and System
Ontology development."  The former was the focus of Holger's
paper and perhaps Aditya's page, while the latter would provide
knowledge to be used in application modernization or model driven
software engineering approaches.

Can those involved in discussion related to this at the F2F
enlighten us as to the vision that emerged there?

-Evan

Received on Friday, 12 November 2004 18:18:53 UTC