[ANN] LOD Browser Switch

I am happy to announce the LOD browser switch!

Hope you enjoy it.

(The rest of the message is only relevant for Semantic Web application developers who want to link to a Semantic Web data browser. All others may stop reading now and spend some quality time on saving the world.)

== In Short ==

If you wondered what Semantic Web browser to use in your application, or, because you believe in giving the user the choice, you ended up with including a number of them, thus cluttering your interface with half a dozen links that are hard to explain to the end user -- both problems I previously had repeatedly -- then here's the solution. Instead of linking to any browser specifically, just link to the LOD Browser Switch here, with the URI you want your user go to:

http://browse.semanticweb.org/?uri=$Put the target URI here$

Click here to see the page (but as said, it is a very boring page to go to):

<http://browse.semanticweb.org>

== A bit longer ==

Using a browser switch has a number of advantages:
* Due to adding "yet another layer of indirection", you have the following advantages:
** you do not have to keep up to date with the URLs of the different browsers. They do not change often, but some did in the past. The switch does that for you.
** you do not have to update your app in order to add another browser, or remove a dysfunctional one
** the switch has a higher probability of being online than any of the individual browsers, because our code is so small and simple. Many of the individual browsers had issues in the last few days while testing.
* The URI of the browser switch is probably easier to remember than the URI of the individual browsers
* You give your users more freedom. Embrace the diversity
* You give newly developed browsers a better chance to become known, as we can add them easily on a central place

Once the user settled on a specific browser, they may tell the switch to remember the selection. From now one, they will be taken to their selected browser without even noticing the browser switch.

You can find more information on the page, I have put up a small documentation for the user and the developer.

<http://browse.semanticweb.org>

Some questions or comments you may have:

Why is not my browser there?
Cause I forgot it, sorry. Send me an email, and two graphics I can use for buttons, of the size 160*100 and 128*80, and the URL to address.

You are addressing my browser wrong!
Sorry, my bad. Contact me, tell me what I am doing wrong, and let's try to fix it together.

I dislike the logo / description you have chosen for my browser.
Sorry for that, I tried my best. Send me a new one (160*100 and 128*80), and I will replace it.

Can you take my browser down for some time?
Sure, no problem, just let me know.
 
Can you improve X?
Depends. Let me know your suggestions. If there is interest, I will also upload the code somewhere. It's just, you know, it's so little code that I don't think it warrants the effort, but hey, if you disagree, let me know what you would like to do, and I will upload it somewhere.

This is awesome! I want to thank you for that!
Write me an email and do so. You can also do so publicly on this list. Or invite me to something next time you see me. Or cite my papers more. Lot's of ways to make Denny happy.


Cheers,
Denny

Received on Tuesday, 5 October 2010 19:47:22 UTC