Collection of Comments re. RDF/XML

All,

As I said during the SWEO meeting earlier today, RDF/XML the 
"Serialization Format" is too often intermingled with RDF the "Data 
Model". It is extremely important that we make separation of the 
"Serialization Format" and actual "Data Model" the cornerstone of 
improved clarity about the constituent parts of the Semantic Web vision.

The Semantic Web (as I see it) will be comprised of Physical & Virtual 
Graphs. The Physical Graphs (typically for import, export, or basic 
syndication gem purposes etc.) will be in the form of: RDF/XML, 
N3/Turtle, or anything else. Thus, we cannot have RDF/XML dominate 
discussion about the RDF Data Model in general. An example this problem 
is illustrated via the current the Semantic "Stack Cake" Diagram 
<http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/diagrams/sweb-stack/2006a.png>.

I will provide a URI for an enhancement to the current "Stack Cake" that 
attempts to diffuse the aforementioned RDF/XML  issue.

With regards to the broader RDF/XML frustrations from the Web Community 
in general, here are a few links that typify general thinking about 
RDF/XML confusion:

1. Norman Walsh: http://norman.walsh.name/2004/07/30/rdfxml
2. Stefano's attempt to clarify the same matter: 
http://www.betaversion.org/~stefano/linotype/news/57/

BTW - This doc <http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/RDF-XML.html> speaks 
volumes about the matter at hand (the kicker is right at the end of the 
page :-) ).

The Web 2.0 community is dominated (thought leadership wise) by XML 
partisans (people that like to scrape and manipulate TEXT from an array 
of sources, the only thing that matters to these individuals is data in 
TEXT format and the Structure of the container. "Meaning" and "Context" 
(Semantic Web essence) aren't that important to this mind-set (this is 
why they Mash rather than Mesh Data). Note, XML's heritage (i.e. SGML ) 
also provides clues to the orientation of most XML practitioners  i.e.  
publishers and journalists rather than Data & Information Architects.


Regards,

Kingsley Idehen	      Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen
President & CEO 
OpenLink Software     Web: http://www.openlinksw.com

Received on Wednesday, 29 November 2006 23:02:43 UTC